This is a Voltron oneshot that kind of extended from a post Season 2 headcanon I had where Pidge is devasted by Shiro's disappearance since it's the second time she's lost "family". It's got a bit of a Pance spin, but it's platonic for the most part. (Really, it's just an excuse to write about my two favorite characters)

The battle was there's. Their plan was good, not foolproof, but good enough. Even when things began to go south, the fight raged on. No one gave up. Together, they were defenders of the universe, an unstoppable force comprised of strength and intellect. The opportunity to keep their promise to the people they had and had not met yet lay at the tip of their blade. They pushed their hardest and Zarkon and his forces pushed just as hard back. With the slightest glimmer of hope still in view, they continued to fight with all their might. The universe had waited 10,000 years for this moment. They could not disappoint. And for now, they claimed victory.

The great princess of Altea fought, using her hidden power to defeat Haggar's evil magic. Not far, the valor of the black paladin with pure wings of white shot through the conqueror of the universe, retrieving the bayard rightfully belonging to him. The power of one joined four others to form a hero who would not lose this fateful battle. United as one and the true glory of Voltron within their hands, one stab, filled with the paladin's desperation, vigor, and determination, became the finishing blow. Like the end of an aged star, Zarkon's armor burst, sending electric energy speeding through the empty space. Voltron was forced apart, but the day belonged to them at last.

But victory always comes with a price.

At first, no one understood. Coran called the paladins to the castle, but only one lion remained still. Worried, the paladins towed the black lion to its hanger, desperately hoping to see the smiling face of its pilot. He didn't respond to their calls, but perhaps he was only unconscious. With the black lion safely secured, everyone onboard the castle ran towards it, nervous. The hatch slowly swung open to reveal a true nightmare. The seat of their leader, their Shiro, lay vacant. The paladin was nowhere in sight.

Keith was the first to call his name. "Shiro? Shiro?" There was no response. Everyone crowded around the empty chair, bodies shaking. The more they stared, the less real it seemed. No one uttered a word, but their thoughts were in sync.

Finally, Lance spoke up. "He's gone," he said, still shocked. His words stated the obvious, but they were the grim confirmation everyone needed. Shiro was gone with no signs that he had ever existed in the first place. His presence vanished yet he did not exit his lion. So where was he?

Princess Allura blinked once or twice. Even she who had seen the destruction of her own planet could not contain her pain and grief. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she touched her hand to Shiro's chair. It was cold. She tightened her fist, her fingers losing their color. It isn't time to cry. Not yet...

"We need to remain calm," Keith announced, shocking everyone. His tone held more authority than he has ever dared to take. He standed firm although he's shaking. Shiro's words resonate in his head. A leader... That's what he needs to be right now, no matter how difficult.

A sound of running footsteps fills the hanger. "Do you guys have Shiro?" an innocent voice called, coming towards them. Pidge joined the group, out of breath and panting. "Is he alright?" she asked just as her gaze meets the empty lion. Her knees went weak as she clutched the side of the lion. Her cheeks went white, the skin cold.

"S-Shiro?" The name came out as more of a sob. Pidge looks to Allura and saw her tears. She turned to the other Paladins, but they angled their faces away. "W-where's Shiro?" Pidge asked again. Tears spilled over her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Her nose began to run which she wiped unconsciously with her oversized sleeves. "G-guys?"

"We don't know," Keith sighed.

"What do you mean we don't know?" Pidge shouted. Her voice cracked as she yelled. By now, her eyes were puffy. This was the moment she should be celebrating victory with her friends, but instead, her heart wrenched in pain.

A warm body wrapped around her. It was Hunk, offering himself to her as he always did when she was in need. Pidge buried her head in the folds of his stomach, letting her tears flow freely. She tugged on Hunk's shirt while he stroked her hair. Against his bulk, Pidge seems like a frightened child instead of her usual headstrong self. Her body shook with each sob as her coughs and hiccups echoed through the room.

"It'll be okay, Pidge!" an unexpected voice promised. Heads turn to Lance, owner of those words. He approached her slowly and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Shiro's tough. He's been through more than any of us can imagine. He'll be okay. I promise." His legs shook as he made this vow, but he stood strong for Pidge's sake.

"Lance is right," Hunk agreed as his stomach churned. He kneeled down until his face was level with Pidge's. "We have to stay positive." He took off Pidge's glasses and wiped away the tears with the sleeve of his shirt. He placed the glasses back on her nose, offering a smile. "Okay?"

"Mmm-hmm..." Pidge nodded warily. She sniffled loudly, her lip still quivering.

"That's my girl," Coran smiled, placing his arm around Pidge. His fatherly instincts began to take over as he pulled Pidge close. "Now let's get you to your room for a quick check-up and then some sleep. There's no need to panic right now. We can come up with a plan tomorrow. Princess, why don't you come with us? I think it might be good for the two of you to be together during these rough times."

"Yes," Princess Allura curtly nodded. She flicked away her tears and put her arm around Pidge's other side. Right now, she and Pidge were suffering the same pain. It was important for them to work through it together. And while Allura had the guidance of her deceased father and Coran, Pidge was missing her family. There was no one to hug her, comfort her, or give her loving kisses the way a mother or father would. But this was a role Princess Allura would gladly step into now.

The three exited the hanger, their heads all hanging low. Hunk, Lance, and Keith remained. It didn't take long for Lance to speak up. Something had begun to boil in his brain and he couldn't hold it in any longer. It was time to explode.

"Why didn't you say anything to her?" Lance shouted as he angrily stomped towards Keith. He grabbed the red paladin's collar, yanking Keith's head so close Lance could feel the hotness of his breath.

Hunk stepped forward and raised his hands cautiously. "Lance..." he warned. This was no time to fight. But Lance didn't seem to agree.

"Why didn't you say anything to her?" Lance spat again. His eyes burned with a strange mix of anger and sadness, something unfamiliar to him.

Keith frowned and growled, "What was I supposed to say?"

"Anything! You saw her crying, but you couldn't say anything to comfort her? I know you're not one for love and emotions, but now's the time to step up! There's more in this universe than just Keith!"

"Look who's talking! You're so self-absorbed you can't ignore the prospects of chasing after a girl if your life depended on it! So why don't you step up?"

"Guys... C'mon..." Hunk said nervously. His words were covered by Lance and Keith's fight which was growing in intensity by the second.

Lance balled his fists, trying to hold back a punch. "This isn't about me or you! This is about Shiro! This is about Pidge! This is about being a teammate! All things you can't seem to understand right now!"

"I understand! If anyone cares about Shiro, it's me. He's all I've got left!" Keith shouted. His hand instinctively drifted towards his bayard. "So back off Lance! You can't understand how I feel!"

"But what about Pidge?" Lance retorted, jabbing his finger against Keith's chest. "I care about Shiro just like I care about everyone on this team. But one of our teammates... our friend was in pain and you didn't say a word. To me, everyone in this castle is important, but maybe not to you."

"That's not true..."

"So then why didn't you say anything?"

"... Because I couldn't think of anything!" Keith seethed as he shoved Lance against the hanger wall. Keith held his arm against Lance's neck, pinning him down. "Why is this my fault?" he shouted. "The rest of us were able to hold ourselves together and be strong. We need to figure out where Shiro went and how to get him back. We don't have time to cry!"

Hunk sprang into action and tore Keith away from Lance. "This isn't how a team acts!" Hunk scolded them, his grip digging into Keith's arm. "Knock it off!" Hunk held his hand against Keith's chest while glaring back at Lance. Hunk sent his message loud and clear and both Keith and Lance received it.

"Let me say one last thing," Lance said, pointing bitterly at Keith. "I don't think you understand. Shiro was like a brother to us, but he was a father to Pidge. And just like before, Pidge has lost her father and no one knows where he is! Do you know what that's like, Keith? To hold someone so dear, ripped from your life, and not know if they're out there somewhere, dead or alive? Can you imagine how horrible it feels? And to go through that twice? Nobody, especially Pidge, deserves to feel that way. That's why you should have said something."

With these final words, Lance left the hanger, still furious. Keith crossed his arms, frowning, as he refused to watch Lance part. Once Lance was gone, Keith turned to Hunk, but was met with disappointment.

"He's right, you know," Hunk sighed. "You're not good at putting yourself in other people's shoes. Pidge needed our support back there. We're all upset, but I can't imagine how Pidge must be feeling. Lance was the one who reached out to her when all of us couldn't think of what to do. Maybe for once you could learn from him?" And then Hunk left, leaving Keith alone with his thoughts and a sinking feeling in his heart. He really messed up this time.

In her bedroom, Pidge lay underneath the covers of her bed while Allura sat on the side, head in her hands. Coran stood in the corner feeling unsure of how to comfort both the girls. "The good news is that you're both injury free," Coran smiled. His mustache perked up but quickly lost its luster as his words fell on heavy ears. Pidge only stared at the edge of the bed, silent.

"I suppose that's very good news," Allura nodded. She took Pidge's hand, giving it a squeeze. "If we're going to find Shiro, all of us are going to have to work hard together. No one can be out with an injury especially our resident genius." Allura hoped her compliment would garner some response, but Pidge didn't even blink. Instead, Pidge pulled her blankets closer, her small body shaking underneath them.

Princess Allura felt the tears return. She tried to hold them back, but they were fighting harder than she. She hung her head and bit her lip, trying to replace the sadness with a more concrete pain. Coran noticed immediately, but wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't leave Pidge alone, but Princess Allura needed a moment to herself. As her protector, Coran couldn't abandon her in a time of need either.

There was a mechanical whirl as the door to Pidge's bedroom slid open. Lance stood in the doorway holding two glasses of his signature space lemonade concoction. He changed out of his gear in favor of his casual clothes, but discarded the jacket for now. "Coran, Princess, I'll stay with Pidge for now. You two should take a break," he suggested as he set the lemonades down on the bedside table.

Coran was stunned by Lance's strange actions and his perfect timing. The scene seemed so un-Lance. The boy was emotional, but in more of a romantic sense. He didn't have the same openly kind heart as Hunk or a fatherly aura like Shiro. Still, it was the opportunity Coran needed to comfort Allura and hopefully Lance would have more success cheering Pidge up than he or Allura had.

"Let's go then, Princess." Coran offered Allura his hand which she took tiredly. Slowly, she rose to her feet and shuffled towards the door, Coran's arms around her back and shoulders. She wished she had inspiring words to tell her friends. After all, she had studied all her life to become a princess worthy of the Altean people. Something like this should come easy, but in this moment, her mind was blank. Sorrow already cut her deep.

As Coran and Princess Allura left, Lance took Allura's spot on the bed. He handed Pidge a lemonade. Her fingers tightly grasped the glass as she took a small, hesitant sip. It was sourer than she expected. Her nose crumpled in surprise at the intense citrusy flavor flooded her mouth. "It's so sour!" she moaned, quickly setting the glass down. There was a flicker of a smile on Lance's lips. He had gotten her to talk.

"It's an acquired taste," Lance grinned as he took a large gulp of his own. "Ah... delicious!" He was about to make a joke about his space lemonade when he noticed Pidge's expression had returned to one of despair. The lemonade plan had failed. Time for Plan B. It was embarrassing, more so for him than her. But if it would make Pidge feel better, what did it matter?

"This whole thing must seem pretty weird, huh?" Lance asked, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm probably the last person you expected to come visit." Pidge turned her gaze down. Lance took this as a signal to continue. "Well maybe you thought the last person would be Keith, but don't worry, Hunk and I've already knocked some sense into him. Hunk was going to come, but I asked him to stay away for a little while. I wanted to talk to you first."

"I know I haven't always been the best teammate to you. At the Garrison, I was quick to judge you and whatever tech toys you created. I teased you about your bayard. I never tried to understand your love and fascination of science and computers. And despite all the signs, I was the only who couldn't figure out you were a girl. Pidge, I haven't always given you the attention you deserve as a teammate and my friend. We've had some really good times together for sure, but I don't always try my best."

"Since the whole reveal thing, this has kinda been grubbing around in my head. I haven't been doing much to fix it, but it's been weighing on me. And it's not just you... I've felt like the odd man out. Allura and Coran have always had each other. Keith and Shiro have this weird brotherly bond and you and Hunk hang out all the time and talk about engineering stuff. I felt like the third... err... seventh wheel and sometimes that leads me to treat my friends the wrong way."

Lance twiddled his thumbs anxiously as his words spilled out. Though she didn't show it, Pidge listened intensely. Her tears dried up as she heard Lance's story. Naturally, she was curious. It was surprising enough Lance came to comfort her. And explanation was even more surreal.

After a deep breath, Lance trudged on. "So I guess I want to start this off with an apology for anything I could have done to make you upset. You didn't deserve it."

"Why are you apologizing now?" Pidge sniffled. Her question startled Lance, sending his body straight upright. "I... The things you said never bothered me."

Lance ran his hand through his hair. He stared down at the floor with a somber smile. "When we started planning how to defeat Zarkon, I started thinking about Voltron, about us as a team. Even if we defeated Zarkon, our fight isn't over. There's still hundreds of planets to free and people we need to help... like your brother and father."

Pidge went white at the mention of her family. A flood of emotions hit her like crashing waves, drowning her instantly. She sputtered and coughed as a new rain of tears plowed through. She threw her blanket over her head, trying to hide herself from Lance. Her hair became tangled within the rough cloth, but she didn't care. Pidge didn't want to be seen crying anymore. She didn't want anyone anymore unless it was Shiro. Shiro...

Soft cries came from underneath the blankets. "S-Shiro..." The name was so quiet Lance could hardly make it out but the hurt of those words told him enough.

"Pidge..." breathed Lance, almost as silent as her. "Don't be afraid to cry. I understand and I won't let you be alone. I'm not exactly sure what Shiro would do in this situation. He'd probably say something encouraging and tell us to make this better as a team! But I'm not Shiro and I'm not really sure what to do. So I'll do all I can the Lance way."

"And what's that?" Pidge's weak voice mumbled. She kept her face covered, but Lance could see her head had raised.

Lance rubbed his chin, thinking. "My strongest skills are with my gun and the ladies, so I guess I'll start by complimenting the brown-eyed genius who's going to figure out how to get our leader back."

Cautiously, Pidge lowered her blankets, glasses peeking over the top. Was she hearing this right? Lance was complimenting... her? And not in the same "suave" method he used with all the girls he hit on. This felt more sincere, more genuine than usual. Pidge met his eyes and noticed Lance was smiling at her. She had never noticed how bright his smile was.

"Not enough?" Lance jokingly pouted. "They say the best presents come in small packages and you're the smallest one here." His horrid joke was accompanied by a wink which solicited a slight giggle from Pidge. Finally things were starting to turn around.

"I can't see your face when you're hiding underneath those blankets. How am I supposed to know my joke was a success if I can't see you smile?" Lance asked. Carefully, he pulled the blankets back and as he suspected, Pidge was smiling if even a little.

"It looks my magic works on even the smartest girls!" Lance exclaimed proudly, his hand clenched in a triumphant fist. "No one can resist the Lanceman!" There was a devilish glint in his smile which caused Pidge to roll her eyes.

"Don't get so full of yourself hotshot," she groaned as she pushed him off the bed. Taken by surprise, Lance was unable to catch himself and rolled onto the ground, nearly hitting his head on the bed frame. "Whoops!" Pidge laughed while she watched Lance tumble down. "Guess you should be more careful huh, Lance?"

"You might be the most uncute girl ever..."

"Good thing I'm not really concerned with being cute or girly," Pidge retorted, arms crossed. "It's never been something I cared about. I've got better things to do than put on make-up and talk about stupid boys... Better things like finding Shiro!" Determination filled Pidge's eyes as she jumped out of bed, almost stepping on Lance's hand. "That's it! Lance, you're the best!"

Lance sat up and rubbed his head, still feeling the pain of the blow to the ground. "You're welcome?" he replied, very confused. He watched Pidge sprint out the door, an eager spring in her step, passing Coran as he came in.

Coran did a double take as Pidge blew past him. "Was that Pidge?" he gasped, twirling his mustache. Lance nodded with a groan. "You sure turned her mood around faster than an angry Klanmuirl chasing down an unsuspecting Yelmore!" Coran grinnned. "I thought she was going to be a funk for a little while. What did you say?"

Lance shrugged. "Don't know... I was being honest about some stuff and cracked a few jokes. Then she just jumped up and ran out the door! I don't really understand geniuses like her."

"Well with Pidge back in action, we're one step closer to figuring out where Shiro's gone off to!"

There was a quiet knock at the door, interrupting Coran and Lance's conversation. They turned to see Keith leaning sheepishly against the doorframe. He held his head low, biting his lip. "I... uh... just passed Pidge in the hallway," he mumbled. "And I... apologized for back in the hangar. I wasn't acting like a good teammate. I should've said something to her. Sorry."

Lance kept silent. Inside, he was impressed Keith managed to admit his mistake and didn't try to act so headstrong for once. Of course, Lance wasn't going to tell him that. Instead, he cleared his throat and raised his head, meeting Keith's gaze head on. "What did she say?" Lance asked, curious.

"Thank you."

"Ah..."

A thick silence coated the room. Coran, taking the duty upon himself, decided to break it. "Well, I'm going to see if Number Five needs help with whatever her little brain whipped up! Lance, if you see Allura, maybe try having a nice chat with her. She's pretty down about the whole ordeal too."

"That I can do!" Lance exclaimed, new energy coursing through his body.

"On second thought," Coran said. "Keith, you can do it or maybe ask Hunk. Lance, you come with me."

"Oh come on!" Lance pretended to complain, feeling that it was more in character. However, he wasn't upset to spend a few more minutes with Pidge. Something about her now intrigued him and he wanted to know more than what lay on the surface. And maybe she'd teach him something new in the process. Whatever plan she devised to locate Shiro, it was sure to be genius. After all, it was Pidge they were talking about.