Season 8 Rewrite | Plance

Episode 13 (Part 2)

One Year Later

Lotor, Allura and Keith stood at the top of the long set of stairs.

"It is time," Lotor called to the crowd of Galra and Alteans assembled below, "for something to change. For too long we have fought and killed, and now it is time to stop."

"We have the opportunity to create something that will outlive us." Allura stepped forward. "A union, between our two peoples."

"And a partnership," Keith added. "With the Galactic Coalition."

"And with these changes," Lotor finished, "we will usher in a new era of peace throughout the universe." The crowd cheered, and Allura slipped her hand into his. He squeezed her tightly and grinned at Keith. He smiled back.

***

"No, Shiro, I told you!" Curtis was grinning and leant further over the table. "I will never arm wrestle you. You will constantly rub it in my face when you win." Shiro shrugged sheepishly, but before he could answer, Hunk approached the table.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen." He said pompously. "Welcome to Hunk's Corner. What can I get for you today?"

"I'll have the bandrillo filet, please." Curtis put his hand on top of Shiro's robotic one.

"Me too," said Shiro. Hunk nodded and wrote their orders down.

"I'll give you guys a friends discount." He grinned. "I'd stay and chat, but I've got to serve the chancellors from the Xritoo system. They've been arguing all day." Shiro nodded happily and turned back to his fiancé.

"We'll see you around, Hunk. Thanks. Good luck with the chancellors." Curtis added, fighting off a very affectionate Shiro who was trying to whisper something in his ear.

***

Pidge and Matt were both immersed in various machines strewn around the workshop. There were only finishing touches left to complete, but the two perfectionists were just as determined at the end of the project as they were at the start.

"All done!" Pidge called out to no one in particular. She brandished a tiny chip in her hand. "Now all we need is-"

"I'm here!" Lance burst into the room, throwing his helmet onto the ground and unbuttoning the top of his shirt. "Sorry, training ran over. Iverson never seems to loosen up." He kissed Pidge chastely but stopped at Matt's slightly disgusted look. "So. How's our baby?" He threw an arm over Pidge's shoulders. He almost had to stoop to do it. Pidge rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

"Chip's almost ready."

"You two decided to call him Chip?" Matt groaned. "Your senses of humour are terrible."

"Well, Chip is our robot, so we get to choose."

"Pidge? Lance?" Colleen appeared at the door. "Sam has got the Teledav ready for you. Better go. You don't want to be late."

"Don't you dare initialise without us," Lance said sternly to Matt as Pidge gave him Chip's chip.

"We'll see you later!" Pidge called, and then pulled Lance out of the workshop by his hand. "So," She said breathlessly. "Which lion should we take?"

"Let's take mine." Lance squeezed her hand. "We learnt to loop the loop today." He grinned at Pidge's already queasy look. "Don't knock it 'til you try it."

"Of course I've tried it. And I never enjoyed it."

"I'm sure you will this time." Lance leant down to kiss her cheek. "With the up-and-coming-best-fighter-pilot-in-the-universe / your boyfriend at the wheel, what could possibly go wrong?"

***

"Sorry we're late," Pidge gasped, barely taking notice of their grand surroundings. "We got lost." Lance strolled in behind her with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Wow. You guys are pretty well off." He admired the elaborately decorated dining table, at which the rest of his friends were already sat. Hunk was fiddling with a loose thread on his clothes, and Shiro was pretending to not notice Keith waving his hand through space where Shiro's upper arm should be.

"Well," Lotor drawled, "We are the rulers of the Galran-Altean Alliance. We have two civilisations under our rule." He certainly looked very pleased with this fact. Lotor was sprawled in a shining white throne. Allura stood from her identical one and hugged Pidge.

"It's nice to see you again." She said, addressing both of us. "Thanks for coming."

"A Voltron reunion?" Lance pulled out a chair for Pidge. "How could we miss it?" He sat beside her and she took his hand.

"Well," Allura eyed them warily. "We know you are... busy."

"We all are," said Shiro. "The paladins of Voltron have come a long way."

"And we'll go further." Announced Keith. Lotor grinned smugly.

"Some of us can't get much further."

Keith scowled and punched Lotor in the arm. Lotor punched Keith back. Soon enough they were throwing insults and shoving each other, harder every time. Shiro watched blankly, resignation etched in the new lines on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes. Hunk, Pidge and Lance cringed.

"I know they seem a bit hostile," Allura murmured into Pidge's ear, "but they're quite close really. There were lots of long hours sorting out alliances and whatnot, and I think they formed a - what do the humans call it? Oh. A 'bromance'." She quickly pulled Lotor off Keith and turned back to her guests. She smiled sweetly. "Who's hungry?"

***

By the time they had finished dessert - an Earth favourite of lemon meringue pie - the sky above Altea was dark and filled with stars. Lance and Pidge, Hunk and Shiro were all staying in their lions, so they quickly retreated out to the field in which the giant machines were sitting. They left Lotor and Allura giggling together in the huge armchairs in the drawing-room, and Keith had departed not long before that, after receiving a video call from the Garrison.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," He'd muttered, clutching his tablet to his chest. They all had stayed quiet long enough to hear him running up the steps and whispering, "James, I've told you not to call before ten."

Hunk grinned goodbye at the foot of the yellow lion, yawning slightly and already untying his bandana. Shiro waved and disappeared tiredly into his lion before Pidge or Lance could utter a 'night'.

Lance followed Pidge into the red lion and collapsed on top of her on the bed.

"Stop," She groaned, "I need to put on some pyjamas."

"Fine, fine." Lance stood and faced the wall. Pidge smiled and rolled her eyes. Despite being so very confident, Lance still got pretty shy about... well, the intimate stuff. Pidge pulled on one of his T-shirts and some pyjamas bottoms. She glanced at the photo sitting on the bedside table.

"Aw, you kept this?" Lance turned to see Pidge scrutinising the framed picture.

"Of course." It was from one of Kinkade's blogs, with Pidge and Lance paused mid-dance. Pidge's arms were a blur and she was biting her lip in concentration. Lance had his eyes fixed on her, an affectionate and amused smile on his face. In the background Shiro and Curtis were waltzing, and Allura, Keith and Hunk were talking animatedly.

"And to think we were in the middle of a war." She gazed thoughtfully at everyone's faces. Pidge put it back on the table and took Lance's hand. "Come on. Let's go outside."

A cool breeze rustled the short grass beneath their feet as they tip-toed deeper into the field. Lance squeezed her hand tightly. Once they stood with long grasses all around them Pidge stopped. She leant back against her boyfriend's chest, and his arms encircled her torso. They both tilted their heads upwards, searching the dark sky for the glimmering streak of a shooting star. After a while, Pidge stirred.

"We're really lucky, Lance." She craned her neck to meet his eyes. "To have each other, and our friends. Our team." Lance nodded.

"And we aren't going to waste it." He kissed her on the cheek. Pidge turned and pressed her lips to his. Lance's hands crept around her waist and he drew her in closer. He smiled in between kisses. It had all been worth it.