Stone Cold

F i f t y f o u r

Lotor woke up on his own couch and felt weight along his body as he was sitting on it up right, his neck cracked when he lifted it off the back and saw three children sleeping on him, Chloe was curled up on his lap with her head on his shoulder, Milo had his head on his leg and balled up next to him... he didn't expect Danielle to be sleeping on his other side, only her knees touching him as her arms were crossed to her body as she laid against the arm of the couch.

He was paralyzed...

There was no way for him to move.

Lotor sighed and looked down at the two younger ones that were snoring, Chloe was holding a little of his shirt in her small hand as Milo snored loudly with drool. But they both seemed peaceful, feeling safe against him.

Lotor understood why lance would never leave them. Their type of love was kind and innocent, it was pure and warm. Lotor never dealt with children growing up, never been this close with one, never held an infant, or a toddler running to hug his legs. A family love. He wanted to have this kind of love more maybe... he wanted a family...

He missed lance.

Chloe yawned and tilted her head up blinking her eyes open as Lotor tensed up seeing her now awake.

"Milo had a bad dream," she mumbled nuzzling against him.

"I told you two could have my room and Danielle could have the guest room," Lotor smiled down at her gently.

"I got scared, your nice," Chloe smiled back.

"I appreciate that miss Chloe," he hummed. Lotor gulped a little as he reached up and set his hand on the back of her head, touching her dark thick hair a little remembering lance did it to him. Chloe smiled closing her eyes as he ran his fingers through her hair a little.

"Dani said lance might not be home for a few days, why?" She asked softly as they both wanted the others to continue to sleep.

Lotor pursed his lips as he wrapped an arm around her and rested his cheek on top of her head.

"Sometimes adults don't always have answers, and your not going to always have an answer either, and that's okay," he whispered.

"But we try, try to answer you best we can, sometimes it'll just make more sense when your older too," he closed his eyes as Chloe buried herself in his arms and felt tears weld up in her eyes.

"But for now I just need you to trust me, is that okay?" Lotor asked but felt something wet touch his shirt.

"Okay," she sniffled nodding.

"Please don't cry my dear," he wiped under her eyes looking down at her.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled again but Lotor held her face softly.

"Your to much like lance little one, but don't apologize for crying, ever, your brave and beautiful and smart, just like your brother," he looked into the child's eyes as he wiped another tear that ran down her face.

"I understand you miss him, I do too, he will be home soon, and you should cry for those you miss, it means you care darling," Lotor smiled gently as Chloe grasped around his larger hands and smiled.

"Do you cry? Even as an adult?" She asked.

"I do, and keep this up little one I might cry in front of you, and I rather not," he smirked feeling the burning sensation.

"Hugs always help, can I hug you?" Chloe asked as she held onto his hands, they where much bigger than hers and somehow amused the child.

"Always, you don't have to ask," Lotor chuckled but grunted when he felt Chloe flopped onto him with her arms thrown around his neck, he sighed hugging her back.

Lance told him the rule. Never be the first one to let go when a child hugs you, let them let go first, they'll remember.

——

"Have you heard anything from the boy?" Zarkon sat at his desk with the sunlight drifting through the window.

"Word is that he took off the week from work, more than likely to find this bastard," the man glared to the side.

Zarkon snapped his fingers and the two people on the side lifted lance from a barrel full of water. Lance gasped and coughed loudly catching his breath. A peaceful minute and a half of silence.

"Are you done?" Zarkon glared over at him as lance sat on his knees panting with wide eyes, he spit on the ground and shook his wet hair out.

Lance said nothing but tried to control his breathing from almost drowning.

"Theres a chance Lotor May come after you apparently," zarkon poured himself some whiskey in a glass and stood from his desk.

"You think he'll rescue you in time?" He smirked sipping on his drink.

"I know Lotors determined," lance huffed nodding.

"Maybe I should leave him a trail of breadcrumbs? What do you think mr. mcclain?" Zarkon asked kneeling down to him.

"What do you mean?" Lance asked unsure.

"Well a trail for Lotor to follow, right to you," he smirked. "But instead of breadcrumbs... Hmm, what should we leave instead?"

"Fingers?" Zarkon looked down at lance amused. "Body parts? Teeth?"

"Your sick," lance barked.

"I swear to god I'm going to kill you if you go near Lotor!" He sneered but Zarkon dumped his whiskey over his head.

"Your so rude, made me waste my drink," Zarkon rolled his eyes. Suddenly he snapped his fingers.

"Bodies."

Lances eyes widen confused.

"A trail of bodies, corpses, right to you, you'll be the last one," Zarkon chuckled darkly. He looked at his men and nodded.

Suddenly the doors opened and Lance gasped seeing Nyma and rolo being dragged into the office. Two of his childhood friends.

"Lets start with them? One or two?" Zarkon asked calmly.

"What the fuck? Let them go!" Lance cried out as Nyma struggled but saw her friend.

"Lance?! What's going on?" She whimpered but gasped when a cloth was wrapped around her mouth and rolo's as he growled trying to knock one over for him to run.

"Please! They didn't go anything!" Lance yelled as he tried to get up but Zarkon kicked him across the face making his grunt.

"A trail for my son to follow, one or two?" Zarkon asked again in a low tone.

Lance hyperventilated as he stared in horror at his two friends as Nyma had tears running down her face and rolo seemed angry that his girlfriend was even being touched, he shook his head looking at lance.

"Choose or I will," Zarkon pulled out his gun.

"Stop! Please! Please!" Lance yelled.

BANG

Lances jaw quivered as he was horrified seeing rolo's body go limp. He couldn't even scream. But nyma's shriek pulled him back to reality as she was thrashing about screaming that was muffled by the cloth.

"P-please- no more.. n-no..." lance trembled as he couldn't even cry at the loss, he was to much in shock.

"One or two?" Zarkon chuckled again.

"One! Just one!" He gasped.

"To late,"

BANG

Lance flinched away from the sound squeezimg his eyes close as the room was now silent. He peaked his eyes open smelling blood. He forgot how to breathe seeing the two bodies. Two people he used to play at the park with as a child. Two people he went to school with. Two people his kids grew up around them. They were now just gone.

"Get them out of here," Zarkon waved them off as two men dragged the corpses out as Lances jaw was open seeing a trail of blood follow each of the bodies out of the room.