You and Me Forever. Please?

Chapter 14

Third POV
Coran flashed up the screen and began working away to tap into the Empire's video feed, trying to get a visual on Lance. All the while the Paladins were sitting with Lily trying to get more information out of her.

"Then father gave him a ring!" The little girl bounced up and down with excitement on Keith's lap. For some reason she wouldn't tolerate anyone else holding her.

They looked at each other and smiled at the sweet story of love that the child had told them. Keith tilted his head in confusion, still wondering why Lotor would need help if he seemed to be fine and happy. He tapped he tiny shoulder and she turned to face him.

"So why does your father need help?" Lily's smile fell and she fiddled with the teddy bear in her arms. Coran stopped to listen into the conversation, intrigued by how the girl will answer the question.

"He hurt papa..."

None of them knew what to say, what could they say? A vulnerable child came to them for help, a child with their papa being abused. Not only was it just some person but it was their friend that left with Lotor because of love.

Hunk sat up straighter and pursed his lips. "What do you mean?" Its not that he didn't understand, he wanted to know how the horned girl saw it. Understand what went through her mind, how she perceives it.

Lily hugs the bear and snuggles into Keith a little, looking for comfort from a familiar smell. "...hit him and yells."

The Paladins couldn't imagine Lance letting someone else get the better of him. They knew Lance to be strong and dominant, caring and focused. However when you are in a relationship anything can happen and the strongest people can be the most fragile.

"Papa cries at night." She wriggles and gets out of Keith's arms and steps down to the ground, never letting go of the fluffy teddy.

Pidge leans over to Shiro and whispers into his ear, he nods and then she moves over to Coran taking control of the panel and hacking into the Empire's camera's.

"Father is different, he's never around. Papa is scared. I'm scared."

The screen flashed to an image and when Pidge flicked through the different video feeds Lily pointed to one of them. They began to watch.

— Galra Mothership —This is what the Paladins are watching —

Lance placed a soft kiss on Lotor's forehead and pulled the sheets up so that he was comfortable.

He sat on the bed beside the Prince and lowered his head in defeat. Light shone from under the door of the entrance. There was a moment of peace in the current madness before the Generals walked in.

"We searched the whole ship again...still no sign of Lily."

Lance got up and brought arms up and retied the robe. Then placed his arms around his body hugging himself. The women turned their heads away in shame, they couldn't look at the Cuban without feeling as though they let him down.

Axca notices that Lotor is in the bed and she walks over to him. "He's finally sleeping." Lance nods and moves to sit back down beside his love, running a hand across his head.

"He's not himself." The girls hummed in agreement. Ezor glanced at Lance's wrists and saw a bruise forming.

"What happened?"

The tan boy looked up then realised what she was getting at, he placed one hand on the other. "He just came onto me a little rough, haha...." He rubbed his neck nervously, trying to not make a big deal of it.

"Really?~" Zethrid crossed her arms. "Tell the true."

Lance took a deep breath. "I told him the Lily is missing. He may have taken it harshly. He snapped and through me onto the bathroom floor. He was....he w-was going to....rape me."

Gaps of shock ran throughout the room. Zethrid dropped her arms and glared daggers at the sleeping Prince. "It wasn't his fault though."

"WHAT?! Of course it was his fault! Don't even think of saying it was yours." Axca burst out in anger. Shocked that Lance would say it wasn't his fault. Lance's head shot up and he waved his hands frantically.

"Nonono! I don't mean it like that." He got up and walked over to the bathroom. The girls followed waiting to hear the rest. He switched the bathroom light on and pointed to the wall where Lotor had previously been huddled against.

"Something came over him. He was different and his eyes were glowing an eerie purple." Lance demonstrated how he was laying against the wall. "He wasn't the Lotor I love."

"That's funny, purple eyes remind me of Zarkon." Ezor said with a small giggle. "Do you mean to tell me that Lotor is being controlled by Zarkon."

"No. What she means to say is that we now know what is wrong with our Prince." Axca stated with a pleased voice.

"And that would be..." The Cuban was still confused on what they meant.

"Quintessence. Lotor is possessed by quintessence." She responded. "Think about it. The only thing he has been doing for phoebs is searching for quintessence, for power. He was a person born practically addicted to quintessence because of his parents. So it make sense that eventually it would take hold of him."

"Is there a way to fix it and make him better?"

"Yes, but it will take time."

"Anything it takes."