We Are Family

AN: So, my little headcanons have dug deep enough to make me write some one shots. They'll be related one shots, focusing on the little family moments between our completely-crazy-but-lovable space family. I'll have it marked as complete since I have absolutely no clue when I'll be able to updated this seeing as I write when inspiration strikes. Anyhow, hope y'all enjoy and have a blessed day!

Time Frame: Just after episode 9

Spoilers: Up to episode 10

Characters: Allura, Coran, Shiro, Pidge, Lance, Keith, Hunk

Summary: Princess Allura is feeling down with the memories of her father becoming a bit too much until the paladins let her see that even in destruction, beauty can be born.

Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron: Legendary Defender

Family isn't just blood; it's when you feel as if you're all alone and just a glimpse at the people surrounding you let's you know that everything will be okay. Maybe not now, but eventually.

A handful of mice zipped up and down the bed, looking as if they were all playing tag. Despite the saddened memory going through her mind, Princess Allura let put a small giggle at the joyful creatures. It was a type of light in her darkness, that even though she had lost her home, her family, and practically everything she once knew, that these itty bitty mice could simply make her smile.

"Now, don't you go ripping up my bed spread," she teased them, a smile wide across her lips and a gleam in her eye. "Ms. Amelie made that for me many years ago after Father th-" she cut herself short.

Her father.

Her dead father.

Within a second, her smile fell, her breath left her, and her knees gave out. The once joyful mice stopped their little game and hurriedly jumped from the bed, scurrying over to their crestfallen friend.

The princess bit her tongue to hold in the sob that tried to break through, knowing that though she was suffering, she has no time to grieve. The Galra could strike at any moment, and she need be ready for them. It wasn't healthy, no, not at all; yet, it was the least she could do, seeing as though she wasn't able to help last time, to save her family, she is certain she'll help this time. She wasn't quite sure whether this group of, well... Children, mostly, could be called family. They were acquaintances, yes. Friends, even. But family? Could she ever replace her family with these-these-

'Hush, now!' the woman thought to herself. 'Father wouldn't approve of these thoughts.' Shaking her head to rid her of the awful things running through her mind, she caught a glimpse of the mice all struggling to climb up into her lap. Letting out a breathy chuckle, Allura dried her eyes with the back of her hands then scooped the creatures up into her arms.

"You all are surely the best animal friends a woman like me could ask for." she smiled down at them. Just as she was readying herself to get up, and loud crashing noise sounded for, down the hall. Instantly thinking the worst possible scenario, she dumped the mice onto the bed, rather hastily, and shouted out a small apology as she raced out of her room toward the noise.

"Lance! Pidge told you not to touch that!"

"But it didn't look dangerous!"

"Okay, uh, Lance? How does a rather large pointy thingy not look dangerous?"

"Alright, alright... No need to get all riled up about it! I remember when I was in training there was-"

"Coran, out of all the times we never want to hear those stories, this is definitely contender for the first place."

These were the words that greeted Princess Allura as she entered the room she remembered her green paladin using when fixing up the things around the castle that seemed to catch the small teen's eye. Looking across the room, the woman took note that everyone was here (whether here to begin with or drawn out by the noise, she wasn't quite sure yet) and they all look rather, well... Annoyed, to say the least.

A deep sign to her left tore her from whatever conclusions were beginning to draw together in her mind. The black paladin had a stern look on his face and was looking much like Father did when he was about to discipline her. The princess blinked a few times, pushing the thoughts away. Breakdowns were okay when the paladins couldn't see her, but not when she was right in front of them all. Though, to be quite fair, it seems as if none had noticed her yet.

"What happened here?" Shiro, the black paladin, spoke up after a few seconds of silence. All too quickly (for her taste, anyway) everyone was speaking at the same moment.

"I was working on this-"

"Lance decided to not listen, again-"

"I had nothing to do with anything-"

"I only came when the loud crashed sounded-"

"It looked so cool though! How can you not-"

"Enough!" Shiro shouted. Immediately all eyes were on him. He took a moment to look each one in the eyes before looking back at Pidge. "Would you please tell me what happened here?" He quickly cut his eyes to the rest of the group before Pidge could reply. "Only Pidge tell me." though they didn't look in the least bit happy about this, the other paladins kept their lips sealed as the shortest of the group began the explanation.

"Well, I found this contraption this morning and Coran told me that it was a type of cooking device that had broken down before he and Princess Allura were put under the deep sleep. I asked him if I could work on it, and he said yes, so I had Hunk help me move it down here. After he found out it could make food other than the green glop, he decided to hang around with me. While I've been working on it, Lance showed up because his sparring session was done and he was bored. Keith came in to figure out where we all where since we have to be training together soon."

"When he came in, I remembered that I had to go-" the small teen made a face before continuing. "well, I'd probably confuse you guys by explaining it but I had to go. I made specific instructions to not touch it, because it was pretty unstable, but when I got back I saw Keith trying to keep Lance from touching it and Hunk looking like he was about to. Before I could say anything, Lance got passed Keith and touched it, causing it to fall, make the loud noise, and now I have to start all over." The young girl's shoulders slumped as she finished her story, most likely now realizing all her work was for naught.

"Lance. Hunk." Shiro's voice cut through the few beats of silence after Pidge's explanation. "You both are now going to be able to touch this thing." the princess took note of how it seemed as if everyone's eyes were about to fall out of the holes they were in.

"But!"

"Really?!"

"I thought-"

"How is that-"

"I don't see how-"

"They are going to be touching it," her black paladins voice cut everyone's protests off, "because they will be helping Pidge rebuild it to where it was before they broke it. And if she wants their help afterwards, they will. Though Lance was the one that was able to get his hands on it, Hunk was about to. That all said, Keith and I are going to go train until you all are ready to join us."

Pidge's smile was both that of happiness and a tad of arrogance, while Hunk and Lance looked as if someone has just told them to run laps around the ship. Keith was smirking, though only a bit, while Coran seemed impressed by Shiro's decision. The princess herself was, too, impressed by the leadership the black paladin displayed though she knew it was more than just being a leader. It was being a father.

As everyone went to go do as they were told, Princess Allura realized that she had been smiling the whole time, forgetting completely the saddened thoughts that had plagued her mind just minutes before. 'Father's sayings still helping me, long after he's gone.'

Coran caught her eye across the room and came over, obviously just now noticing her presence. Though she was expecting him to apologize for the racket or the boys, he simply had a gentle smile on his lips.

"Just like a handmade crew, eh?" he asked once close enough, his eyes bright with humor.

"No," she replied a few moments later. The smile on her face grew a bit and the light entered her eyes again as she looked across the room, seeing Shiro and Keith talking to each other as they went off to the training grounds, Pidge giving Lance and Hunk instructions on how to pick the device up without ruining it further. Princess Allura closed her eyes for a moment, the memory of her father explaining the meaning of family to her entering her mind.

"Just like a handmade family."