Chapter 6: Heart to Hearts

A few hours later,

Everyone was at the 'Lunis' Home. Ilana was having a blast showing her father all she had learned of Earth culture. Lance had changed back from his royal guard uniform to his earth disguise JUST in case the nosy neighbor decided to drop in. Of course, now he was resting as he had just spent a week sleeping on rock ground and once he fell on his bed, he fell right to sleep.

Meanwhile,

Ilana had decided that she was going to make dinner and basically kicked Octus out of the kitchen. Of course, that left Octus alone with the two fathers and Solomon and Octus was informing them of what had been happening recently that led up to the kiss.

"Perhaps I should have chosen someone who WASN'T afraid to love" the King mused.

"With all due respect," Solomon said having heard the full story now after visiting Lance and Ilana during their separation. "I think it was wise to send him. From what I've heard, since Edward here was taken from him, Lance has feared that loving someone means that they'll be taken away. That caused the phobia. However, a year with Ilana and Octus, nine months of forming Titan together, that's taught him how to love again. It was merely the phobia that forced him to separate the team"

"And he was still watching over her. He just told her that he quit so that she wouldn't know he was watching and not to rely on Titan. However, once realizing that this battle could save Galaluna, he figured Titan needed one last battle"

"I like that name for the armor." The King mused. "Titan"

"It's something the Earth People came up with and Ilana took a liking to it" Octus informed them

"So the question is," Edward mused. "What do we do with the kids? Now that they've acted on their feelings we can't very well forbid them from seeing each other"

"I see no reason why Lance can't be with Ilana. As the only member of my guard left alive, plus the apparent maturing he's done and the fact he's linked with 'Titan,' I'd say that give me good reason to promote him to either a Captain or a General. And as such, eligible for Ilana should she have him"

"I must say," Solomon added. "That kid does know how to fight"

"We'll see about Mondula. If he had merely been possessed as Octus says, we'll welcome him back as it technically wasn't him. But if he had acted on his own, then Lance will be the new General"

0000

After dinner,

When Lance didn't come down for dinner, Ilana went upstairs hoping that he didn't sneak out. When she saw him laying on his bed, eyes closed, she relaxed.

"Lance?" she whispered as she stood in the doorway and knocked on the quarter-opened door

"Yes Ilana?" he asked revealing that he wasn't REALLY asleep, just resting his eyes.

"Can I come in?" she asked carefully as she recalled that part of what pushed him away was her tendency to burst in when he wanted to be alone.

"Sure" Lance said opening his eyes and walking over to his window

"So…you're father's alive." She said trying to strike up a conversation. "No wonder you were feeling a bit stressed"

"Well, you probably weren't feeling at ease yourself…not knowing if your father was alive or not" Lance argued

"Thanks…for coming when we needed Titan" she said

"In all honesty Princess, I never really quit. I just told you that so I can watch from a distance"

"Why?" she asked

"I have my reasons" he informed her

Ilana looked him over and tried to read his expression from the reflection in the window. She had to admit that Lance wasn't easy to read

Suddenly, something she overheard came back to her

Flashback

"…a year with Ilana and Octus, nine months of forming Titan together, that's taught him how to love again. It was merely the phobia that forced him to separate the team"

End Flashback

Ilana looked back over the corporal who might turn General. His coldness melting over the past year…his backing off…running off at odd intervals…the never looking her in the eyes…the quitting…coming back when she needed him…the reaction to the kiss… what their fathers, Octus, and Solomon were talking about while she cooked…

It all fell into place.

"You know Lance…" she whispered as she walked up to him. "Earlier today…when we were Titan…you asked me what the realization was that Octus had been talking about when he saw the change in our position. I never DID give you a real answer yet you survived"

Lance felt his heart sink. He should have known that kiss was too good to be true

"When you left…and refused to come back…" Ilana started hesitantly, part of what was making her nervous was that Lance still wasn't catching her eyes. "Lance…over this past year… I… I feel safest when you're around. I know I can count on you to defend me"

Lance winced as he recalled that one Mutraddi monster that had interrogated him three months after coming to Earth. But he had made sure to make up for his misdeed, however unintentional the misdeed was.

"When we first came to Earth, I questioned my father's sanity for choosing you. But over these past few months…getting to know you…watching you warm up and letting out the real Lance…"Ilana continued before laughing. "Look at me. Princess of a planet and I get tongue-tied talking to my corporal"

"You've probably just lost so many friends in the initial attack on Galaluna, you didn't want to loose another" Lance figured

"What friends?" she muttered

"Princess…" Lance said before she could carry on with her confession. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to come back to Galaluna with you"

"What?" she gasped. "Why? If it's about your Father, we'll bring him back with us"

"It's not Father" Lance sighed before looking at the windowsill unable to look at her reflection as he decided to go on and come clean to explain his return of the kiss. "It's you"

"Me?" she asked wondering if this was going to be the confession of love

"I can't return to Galaluna and…" Lance started before hesitating "and watch you…"

Ilana smiled. Lance was having the same problem she was.

"Lance?" she asked walking up to him "Do you know what my most prized possession I have is?"

"That snow globe because it reminds you of Galaluna" Lance answered

"Half right" she said gently. "The snow globe…because it was the first present you ever gave me. When you left us to watch from afar, I felt so empty…so vulnerable... Whenever I was unable to sleep, I would come in here, look at our pictures in the yearbook holding your pillow. It…It made me feel closer to you. Lance. You HAVE to come back to Galaluna with us. If I felt like that when you were just 10 miles from us, I don't want to THINK what it would be like light-years away. I love you Lance and I can't live life without you"

There it was. Out in the open as plain as day. She waited with baited breath as he took in the announcement

She noticed Lance looking up at her reflection, but his head was ironically blocking his facial reaction so she wasn't sure if she had read him correctly or not.

Wondering if she made a mistake, she looked at the floor unaware that Lance had finally turned from the reflections in the window

"What about society?" Lance asked

"I don't care and neither should it" she said looking at the floor

Suddenly, she saw his shoes get into her field of vision indicating that he was finally away from the window

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that" Lance whispered as he tilted her chin up so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "I love you too"

Ilana smiled and kissed him again. This time, there was no initial tension from him

0000

Six months later,

Lance and Ilana pulled out from a kiss as they stood before her father on Galaluna as a roaring cheer came from the crowd of surviving Galalunians and some visiting Earthlings including Barb, Kimmie, G3, Chan, and even General Steele as the latter two had only been invited to show that they had been messing with royalty.

Mondula was also there, but even though he had only been possessed, he retired from the army so Lance was still promoted

"Told you society wouldn't care" Ilana whispered to Lance

"That's only because we ended the war" Lance whispered back as they turned to the crowd and waved as the crowd continued to cheer for the newlyweds.

The End