Lynchpin

It started off with an innocent enough question: "Just think, where would all of you be if Lance hadn't been there?"

...

The battle to save Earth had been won. Many Alliance and Garrison members had gathered, along with the former Paladins and their families to recount their many adventures (and tragedies). Most wanted to know how it all began. After Coran gave his people's glorious, and somewhat tragic, backstory it was the Paladin's turn.

Hunk had just finished the part where Lance had first knocked on the Blue Lion's shield when Rommel posed her question. Lance laughed it off as he cuddled his niece, but the others of Team Voltron were not so quick to dismiss the question.

"That is a good point." Sam Holt adjusted his glasses out of habit.

"Well, Keith and Hunk were the ones who followed the weird energy out into the desert. We were all just dragged along," Lance deflected.

Katie narrowed her eyes. "But, Lance, you were the Blue Paladin. Without you we never would've gotten off the ground – literally. Blue wouldn't have accepted any of us."

He made a scoffing noise. "She would've, she knew what was at stake."

They had no rebuttal for that, but most everyone there doubted any other outcome.

"Did you all know each other?" Veronica asked as she leaned forward.

The five of them looked at one another and started pointing and talking all at the same time.

The elder Holt sibling watched and tried to sift through the chaos. Matt shook his head. "So, let me get this straight. Hunk was only out in the desert because Lance dragged him along. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance were on the same flight crew team at Garrison. Keith had been in their class before Pidge joined so that's how he'd met Lance and Hunk. Pidge knew of Shiro through me, but had never met Keith. So what you're saying is the person you all have in common is Lance."

It was true. Shiro was Lance's idol, Keith his rival, Hunk his best friend, and Pidge his newest buddy. They all only knew each other through Lance.

Lance's eyes went wide. "That can't be true." He looked around at the others as they thought about it. "All of us knew Shiro," he finally pointed out.

"True, but Shiro didn't know all of you. You, Lance, knew all of them," Matt clarified.

Lance squawked and stood to his feet, a distinct blush on his cheeks. "I'm going to get some snacks." He pulled Nadia and Silvio with him.

There was a silence after he left then Coran cleared his throat. "We all know of Lance's sacrificial nature. When it comes to his friends, he would try to help in any way he were able. I, myself, was saved by him when he shielded me from the bomb explosion not long after we met." He paused to swallow. "I'm not sure he wants me to share this, but he died on one of your missions."

There were exclamations of surprise (everyone) and outrage (Keith and Shiro). "What? When?" Shiro asked. Curtis rubbed his back in support.

"When you were dealing with the Omega Shield on that Galra outpost. There was a beam headed straight towards the princess so he maneuvered in front of her. He took the shot and it killed him."

"Then how...?" Keith piped in.

"Allura left her lion and climbed into his. She imparted her power like she had done with Shiro."

Lance's mother was crying, and there were some other suspiciously wet faces.

"I wouldn't tell him this, but he's a deceptively good strategist." Keith rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed. "He helped me out so many times in the middle of a fight, coming up with plans."

"He just has good ideas in general." Hunk added.

Katie nodded. "Whenever something wasn't going right we could count on him to know the right things to say. Like when we needed a pilot for the Black Lion, he single-handedly talked Keith into it, even though he wanted the job himself."

"Or when we were trapped on Naxzela, his speech had us rallying so that we were able to escape in time," Hunk added.

"He kept me sane when Shiro disappeared. I think I would've bolted if it weren't for him." Keith stared down at his boots.

"His compassion is how he found me in the void when I – while I was in there." Shiro reached over to put a hand on Keith's shoulder.

"He was the heart of Voltron, like King Alfor before him. He kept you grounded and safe, even if some of his actions to do so were reckless." Coran twirled and end of his red mustache.

Katie nodded her agreement. "I just thought of something. Do you remember how difficult it was for Keith to connect to Red?"

Keith crossed his arms. "She was just being stubborn."

Coran chuckled. "She was known for being temperamental."

"Sure, but then when Keith went to the Black Lion and Blue wouldn't let Lance in, Red literally called to him. So, was he originally meant for Red? Maybe Blue didn't just open up for him because he could be a Paladin, but because he was a pivotal Paladin."

"Did any of you ever tell him that?" Romelle's question again brought silence to the room.

Kosmo stood up from laying at Keith's feet and was gone in a spark of light. A few seconds later he reappeared wrapped around Lance. With smug steps the cosmic wolf walked to the edge of the room and laid down again.

Lance was startled. "Keith, control your wolf!" he exclaimed in a high pitched voice. It was then he noticed all eyes were on him. "What? What did I do?"

"Lance!" Katie jumped up from her seat and launched him into a hug. Shortly thereafter the other three Paladins joined in.

"What? What happened?" Lance was startled by seeing Pidge and Hunk crying, much less being hugged by Keith.

Shiro patted him on the head. "Have we ever told you how proud we are of you?"

Surprised tears sprang to his eyes. "What?" his voice was now small with a quaver. "No."

"Lance!" was all Hunk could wail and Keith and Shiro smiled at the former yellow Paladin.

Keith squeezed Lance's arm. "We couldn't have done it without our sharpshooter."

Lance was full-on ugly crying now at the sincerity. He'd never been recognized, or even acknowledged before in such a way.

Soon as the Paladins backed off the next was Coran. He expressed deep thanks for all Lance had done, not only for him but for Allura, and gave him a tight hug. On and on it went through the room as all those who'd had their lives touched expressed their thanks to the true hero.

...

A/N: I will make this point over and over again; how incredibly important Lance was to the team. They didn't recognize it in the show so I will endlessly point it out.