Disclaimer: I don't own Sym-bionic Titan

Summary: It's been six years since Lance, Ilana, and Octus fled to Earth. And over the years, Lance and Ilana have developed feelings for each other. Finally, Octus finds something interesting: the stronger the bond between at LEAST two of Titan's three members, the stronger Titan is. So, using that as 'an excuse,' Lance and Ilana decide to get married, if anything, for the greater good of Galaluna

Chapter 1 Confession

Ilana was in the kitchen doing homework. She and her two friends had been stuck on Earth for six earth years and she was just about to graduate college.

Lance had graduated last year and now worked with the Galactic Guardian Group as she had him and Solomon sit down as both just wanted answers. Once learning that Solomon got the Galalunian Tech from a very much alive Edward, who was a friend of Solomon, Lance warmed up to him a bit. Now it's been five years since that alliance and even though Lance still hadn't SEEN Edward, he was a bit more likeable.

Meanwhile, Octus stayed at home doing the Mr. Lunis act with Ilana living at home with her father and Lance came by every other day to check up on things and called every twelve hours. However, Ilana was getting worried as when he first moved out a year ago, he called every hour. Then it was every other hour, then every three hours, and so on.

"Octus?" Ilana asked

"Yes Ilana?" Octus asked in his monotonous computer voice

"Is it just me or does Lance seem to be breaking away from the group?" she asked looking up from her public relations homework

Octus didn't answer. Mainly because he had confronted Lance about that issue a few weeks ago, but Lance swore him to secrecy

"I wouldn't say 'breaking away,' but rather 'keeping a safe distance'" Octus said after a few minutes

Ilana was confused by that statement, but decided to ask Lance when he came by tonight.

0000

The next morning,

Ilana woke up on the couch and recalled the night before. She had stayed up all night waiting for Lance, but he never showed.

She ran to the phone, picked it up, and dialed a few numbers

"Solomon? Is Lance okay?...Just he drops by every other night and he was supposed to come last night, but he never showed…put him on" she said worry giving way to anger. "Lance! Where the hell were you last night?…I don't care about my language. I waited up all night for you!...I wanted to talk to you!...Yes I want to talk to you! I'm worried about you…what do you mean why? Have these past six years meant nothing?...Just come by tonight okay…That's a direct order Corporal"

She hung up before he could protest.

Back at G3 Headquarters,

Lance looked at the phone and then at Solomon as the conversation had been on speakerphone.

"What was THAT about?" Lance asked Solomon

"Seems like the princess doesn't like change no matter how gradual it is" Solomon said with a smirk

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you two haven't left each other's side since I've started spying on you guys." Solomon explained. "Now you're dropping by every other day and you missed a day."

"I have a reason for that Solomon." Lance argued. "I've been catching myself thinking some things that a corporal should never think about when it comes to the princess. I HAD to back away before I got too close"

"Lance" Solomon said leading the young man to a chair and sat him down and then knelt so that he was eye-level with the alien. "Don't think about it as a forbidden romance between a princess and a corporal. Her father sent YOU with her for a reason. I'll admit, I don't know the exact reason myself. It could have been that you could have used the experience to learn a lesson. It could have been because your father's a good friend of her father's and when Edward came to Earth, the King was looking out for your safety and found this escape a good way to act on it. OR, I'm just throwing this out, but maybe he WANTED something to spark between you two as there's that chance that Galaluna may fall. This way, you two can get the royal family back up and running and then go save Galaluna once we get our own rift gate to work"

"Are you saying that her father, the king, WANTS his daughter to be with an emotionless corporal?" Lance questioned.

"From what Edward told me, you weren't ALWAYS emotionless. And I've noticed in the past few years you've been a bit more…likeable"

"Exactly!" Lance argued. "THAT'S why I have to stay away from Ilana. She…brings out the old me. The me I had tried to kill off after the fiasco at Military School"

"Lance" Solomon said gripping his friend's son by the shoulder "Why were you sent to Earth?"

"To protect the Princess from the Mutraddi" Lance said

"Wouldn't the best way to do that be to be near her?" Solomon asked "And besides, what if another Mutraddi beast comes. You know only Titan can deal with them. And what's Titan without the 'Body'?"

"You don't get it Solomon" Lance said getting up and pacing. "Even if I did allow myself to fall in love with the Princess, what if we get word that all is safe and we're brought back home? Things would go back to normal with her as a princess and me as a corporal and…I'm not sure if I can go back to that life"

"Ever thought that maybe she wouldn't either?" Solomon asked. "Who knows? She may have fallen in love with you too. Thank goodness you two aren't REAL siblings"

"Please" Lance said rolling his eyes. "What could a princess like her see in a corporal like me?"

Solomon looked the young man over. In truth, Lance was young, handsome, well-built, strong, and loyal.

"Beats the heck out of me" Solomon teased

0000

That night,

"Princess?" Octus asked the girl confused

"Yes Octus?" she asked as she turned from brushing her blond hair

"Is there a reason why you're dressed up?" Octus asked "I thought Lance was coming over"

"He is." Ilana confirmed as she stood up and twirled in the sequin blue dress she had on "I…uh…wanted to see what he thought of my new dress. If it's appropriate to return to Galaluna in…when we do go back"

"I think it is" Octus said.

"Well, I want another opinion. If Lance likes it, it sticks" she said

Suddenly, the front door opened

"Okay Princess. I'm here" Lance's voice came with a hint of sarcasm.

"LANCE!" she exclaimed as she ran past the robot and pushed him into her room and slammed the door behind her accidentally locking Octus in.

"Whoa!" Lance exclaimed when she got to the top of the stairs to reveal the dress "What's the occasion?"

"I was wondering that when we do go back home, this would be a good dress to wear when we meet up with Father"

"I…I…" Lance stuttered as she came down the stairs. "I think it would be perfect"

"Oh good. I hoped you'd like it. Father really trusts you"

Lance gulped wondering how long the trust would last if the King found out that he had developed feelings for Ilana.

She then came down the stairs and dragged Lance to the couch.

"Lance?" she said. "There was a reason I had you come by"

"Besides to show off that new dress?" he asked

"I'm worried about you" she admitted. "You've changed these past six years. At first it was for the better but…well…when Father sent us to Earth to hide from the Mutraddi, you were this cold-hearted emotionless soldier who only cared about his duty despite having no REAL love for Galaluna. But after a while, you seemed to…warm up. Especially after working as Titan after a while. You were smiling more and even engaging in civilized conversation. And after learning of your father being alive, you seemed to be on, what the Earthlings call 'Cloud Nine.'"

"Your point?" Lance asked wondering where she was going with this

"But lately…I haven't been seeing much of you lately. As if you've been avoiding me and Octus" she said "Before, it was rare when you left my side for long. Mainly because of your mission, but now…you seem to be pulling away Lance. And I want to know why. You're my best friend and I don't want you going back to that cold-hearted corporal routine"

Lance sighed. She was looking at him with those big brown eyes of hers and it was hard for him to refuse those.

"The Earth's Rift Gate is almost finished" Lance informed her. "Solomon has agreed to get the G3 involved to help stop the war. Mix them in with Titan, we can end the war and save your father"

"Lance! That's wonderful! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to get your hopes up until we knew it worked" Lance told her. "But I've been backing off so that once things go back to normal… it's not so awkward."

"Awkward?" she asked confused

"We come from two different worlds Ilana" Lance explained as he stood up and paced a bit. "You're a princess, I'm a scientist's son-turned-Corporal. True the only reasons that I'm not higher ranked are because of my rash battlefield decisions and my inability to work well with others, but that's not the point. We're cutting it close with the friendship as it is and...I'm not sure if after these six years I can easily revert back so quickly. So I'm backing off now to make the transition easier for the both of us"

Ilana starred at Lance. However, almost six years of living together had taught Ilana how to read Lance like a book.

Ilana smiled and stood up with tears shining in her eyes as she read between the lines.

Lance had fallen in love with her and was backing off to try to fall OUT of love before they returned to Galaluna

"I've fallen in love with you too." She whispered as she walked up to him. She placed a gentle hand on his rock-hard abs and then gently kissed him "And don't worry about the future. We'll make it work. Surely Father could have foreseen this"

"I hope you're right" Lance said. "Because I'm not sure I CAN fall out of love with you"

With that, he returned the kiss