"A pod?" Coran asked as everybody stared into the hanger.

"Should we open it," Lance whispered shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"Be alert. We don't know what's in it," Shiro warned nodding to Allura.

The princess pressed the emergency open lock and stepped back as the lid hissed. Inside was a letter that was resting on top of an unconscious child, and it was addressed to Lance.

They yelped, "oh my Goodness! This poor child," Allura placed a hand over her mouth as she checked the pulse. "They're still alive!"

Shiro whispered soothing things to her as Coran gently carried the small boy to the infirmary.

"That's sick!" pidge groaned burying her face in matts chest who opened his mouth but no sound came out. He knew that letter. That writing.

"Dude?" Hunk placed a hand on lances shoulder. Trying to think of what would drive someone to be that cruel. To harm a child.

"It looked bad," Keith said.

With The oldest gone the 5 teens watched the piece of paper flutter to the ground. The writing on the envelope was familiar. The letters,The spacing, It was definitely written by a human, but who?

"What's that?" Hunk asked tilted his head to the side in confusion as the blue paladin scooped up the letter.

"First a kid now A letter." Keith mumbled.

"Hey it has your name on it!" Pidge pointed out.

Matt shook his head looking up at Lance queasily and suddenly he knew why. " It-it's from... He knows!" the cuban swore in Spanish.

"You should open it. See what He has to say," Matt croaked giving his sister a tight hug.

"Who's he?" Shiro and Allura asked holding hands as they walked back into the room. Ever since the cuddling Shiro had worked up enough courage to ask her out.

"How is he?" they all blurted. The paper panic momentarily forgotten.

"The boy is going to be fine. He's in the healing pod right now but in a day he should be better. The injuries looked worse than threy were." Shiro explained.

"What have you found?" the princess asked pointing to the weird thin white box in Lance's hands.

"A letter. But they won't tell us who this 'Him' is!" pidge sighed pointing at the paled Matt and Lance.

The room was silent as Lance tore open the packaging, gingerly removing the note.

"It's written in Spanish." keith whined slightly upset about not being able to read over his boyfriends shoulder.

L a n c e

I flinched at the writing. Of course... It's him. I knew it would never be over. Forcing my eyes to dart over the words I read silently to myself.

Hello runt, i bet you never thought you would hear from me again. I'm going to cut the nice shit and be straight. Something you could never do. Watch yourself boy. If i so much as see you or the worthless Holt it's game over. My jobs is to catch you dead or alive.

The emperor is willing to pay good money for a paladin. And i don't plan on holding any fucking hostages. At least not for long. Don't make this about them. You're who i want. Remember if it all comes down to you or them they will choose themselves. No one loves you.

You're a failure. I'm actually surprised they keep you around. In fact they will probably thank me for taking you off their grubby little hands, so If we meet you are to do as i say or i will not hesitate to snap that disgusting neck of yours.

You are and always will be a complete mistake. You never could do anything right. I'm surprised Voltron is even using you as a fill in pilot. You're weak, and ugly. Nobody truly cares for you. Remember how much of a waste you really are.

-Laurence McClain

T h i r d

"Oh." was all the pale teen could say as his vibrating hand flew to touch his neck.

"What do you mean, oh! Lance? Lance! Hey focus here." Keith snapped pulling some of the cotton from Lances head. The room was wavy and voices were distant for a second. Things spun wildly in and out of focus.

A panic attack.

He had no where to hide. His friends, the princess would see how disgusting he was...

How w e a k

"It's nothing," he lied crumbling the paper with shaky hands. He struggled to breath. To talk. To stand.

"Lance?" Hunk placed a hand on his shoulder. Holding out the other, Lance knew he wanted the letter but couldn't hand it over.

"No." he shook his head. "I uh.. Need to uhm... Need to- to do something." Lance couldn't feel anything but the pounding of his heart. This was the fear he hoped he wouldn't have to live in again.

He couldn't think straight, words rammed into the side of his skull like drill. Useless. Ugly. Waste. He needed to go , he needed to think. Nobody can see me like this. He thought to himself fighting the urge to cry.

Lance tried to walk away but both Keith and Hunk stopped him.

"You don't have to face this alone. Whatever it says we'll do it together." keith whispered his tone making the tears Harder to hold back.

That's when the wall broke. The tears fell and he gasped for air sinking to his knees. He sobbed curling in on himself. With out hesitation Keith rubbed circles on his back.

His blue eyes screwed shut as his lips rambled some form of nonsense that only he could understand.

"whats happening?" Pidge asked as matt stood in front of her.

"Lance is having a panic attack." Hunk whispered. "I'll be right back." Keith and shiro nodded still mumbling soothing things to try and get Lance to calm down.

Hunk returned with a smoking stick. An incense. The air turned sweet the smell of cinnamon drifting through the room.

This paired with the soft coaxing of his boyfriend gradually brought him back. His eyes cleared. His breathing leveled. The tears stopped.

"I'm sorry, " Lance sniffed hiding his face in Keith jacket. "God, I'm so so sorry."

"Hey buddy, it's ok. See we are your friends. There is nothing you can do to change that. Keith's right, you aren't alone. So please, let us see it." Hunks lines we're practiced but honest. He had handled this situation before. Perhaps more than once.

Lance uncurled his shaking hands until the paper was again visible. "I'm, I'm not alone." when he spoke it sounded like a question rather than a statement but nonetheless he handed the ball to hunk who uncurled it and translated it to english.

Pidge seperated from one brother and attached herself to the next. "Lance we won't let that happen. This guy is beyond an ass. Don't listen to a word of what he thinks about you." the look of disgust softened to a look of love.

"I knew he was bad... But not this bad," Allura gasped.

Keith pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug. "God help this man when we meet."

Shiro stepped forewards his eyes hard. "Lance, why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Nobody should have, have to- to hold all my troubles for me. All i ever wanted was, was to take away the pain not give it." he sobbed.

"At home he took the blame for everything to protect his siblings. He learned to lock things away. I've known for a while now." Keith added running his fingers through Lances hair to calm him down. A thing he learned lances mother had done for him.

"Is this why you push yourself at night?" Hunk asked his voice breaking.

"I'm weak but i want to be strong enough to protect, protect my family. I'm sorry I'm not more worthy of a contributor when it comes to voltron." he was trying to calm down but everything was coming up again. The word vomit. The stutter.

"Please if he shows up. Leave. Get away from him. I don't want any of you to go through what i have." he sniffed separating from the others. He wraped his arms around his torso staring down at his feet.

"Lance! You are the nicest guy i have ever met. Do not treat yourself like you are nothing." Pidge outbursted shocked. Nobody thought that Lance thought this way about himself. Nobody but Keith.

"You are worth fighting for. I have never seen you do anything less than selfless in battle. Not to mention you saved corans life when the rover copy got past us." Allura spoke softly she especially couldn't believe this. The Lance she knew was always so confident.

"My boy, you had only known me for barely a day or two. I owe you everything." Coran said tears pricking he corners of his gentle eyes.

"You are blues real paladin. Lance you are the best marksmen i have ever seen. And you as a person are perfect just the way you are." Shiros eyes held rage. He wasn't mad at Lance though. He was mad at himself. This man, his own father had broke his spirit. And Shiro never realised.

"Bro we think of you as family. We all love you and you should never feel other than that." Hunk wanted to hug his friend but could tell he needed a little space.

"I haven't known you long but i know that this isn't you. Lance is strong and knows it. He is kind and loving but knows his limits. Don't let La-him convince you otherwise." Matt shook his head. He couldn't compare a couple months with this man to years.

Keith had been silent his hands clenched tightly by his sides. He exhaled sharply stomping over to where his boyfriend was wiping away his tears. He startled everybody with the fierce look in his eyes. He kissed him passionately.

"What was that for?" Lance blushed deeply.

"For telling yourself anything that ass has ever told you was true. Lance please, I-I love you. Don't say these kinds of things." keith placed his hand over his boyfriends heart and looked into his eyes.

"Keith I..." Its not that simple. But I'll try. "I'll try." Lance looked over the pod. The outside seemed pretty undamaged.

"So how long have you two been a thing?" Lance giggled wanting nothing more than to lighten the mood.

Allura looked down at their intertwined fingers with a smile. "Only a day."

They all nodded, "About time!" Hunk breathed lightly punching shiro in the shoulder.

"So space dad and space mom are cannon!" Pidge Snickered as matt handed her a ten.

"You are just a little shipping monster aren't you?" Keith chuckled holding lance close as everybody smiled.

"We should go wait for the kid to wake up," Matt nodded everybody threading down the hall.