Why was he here?!

Pidge had found a conference room in the more unused part of the ship. It was perfect for getting away from the noise everyone else made while she worked on the more difficult projects.

This round of "Pidge has to do everything", she was being given one week to complete a program that would separate the "good Galra" from the "bad Galra". It had taken almost a month to create the original "Galra finder" and months after that to perfect it. Being given a week to do this was irritating enough by itself.

But Lance had found her hide-away.

How he had was anyone's guess. For once, at least, he wasn't talking or trying to get her attention. He was just pacing back and forth with a blank expression on his face AND FOR SOME UNHOLY REASON this was more distracting than his usual chatter.

"Holy Hell Lance!" She snapped finally, "I'm trying to work! I can't focus with you moving around in my periph! GET OUT!"

"Can I ask you something real quick-"

"NO! GET OUT!"

He shrugged and started to move toward the door. Pidge fell back into her chair and sighed. She blinked blearily at the screen and considered throwing it. She had no idea how she was going to do this.

()

Over the next few days Hunk and Coran swung by to pitch in and help, which she was more than grateful for. With their input she managed to refigure most of the data. Shiro and Allura helped by bringing her the data Lotor sent their way.

One more day, she thought, then I can sleep.

"Hey Pidge."

"Lance, if we're not being attacked, I will attack you."

Lance hesitated and Pidge let out a growl of irritation and forced herself to not look at him. Figured he'd show up right as she was about to finish. She hated it! He was never this annoying at the garrison! When did he get so distracting?!

Wait….

"Pidge, I just really need to talk to you," he said, and she rolled her eyes.

"After this, I'm going to sleep. I can't help you past the next level for about another week."

"No, Pidge, that's not- you ok?"

"What?" she snapped, finally facing him.

"Pidge, have you slept at all?" He was worried, she realized, but that only irritated her more.

"Of course I have, idiot," she scoffed, "I'm not the idiot of the group."

"Touché," he said and reached over to feel her head. She smacked his hand away and glared as angerly as she could.

"Just leave me alone to finish this and then leave me alone to rest! Is that too much to ask?!"

He took a deep breath, nodded, and then stood.

Thinking he was finally going to leave, Pidge went back to her computer only to have Lance block the screen with his head.

"WHAT TH-"

Lance picked her up easily and carried her out of the room. Stunned, and sleep deprived, she didn't react until they were almost to her room.

"Put me down, Lance! What do you think you're doing?!"

"What have you eaten in the last 24 hours?"

"Put me DOWN!"

"I do not recognize that as a food," he said, "answer my question."

"I've got work to do! I'm almost done! IDIOT!"

"Yes, we've covered that part of the conversation, now answer my question."

"DAAAHHH!"

"Still not a food."

She kicked and squirmed, but he held her fast; one arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other under her knees. This was humiliating!

He walked into her room and clicked his tongue. Not like his room was any better, but his at least had a pathway to the bed and desk area.

There was no path in Pidges mountain of clutter. But that didn't stop him from traversing this mine field and plopping Pidge onto her bed. She immediately leaped to her feet.

And then sat down.

The room was spinning uncontrollably, and her body was starting to seize up. Her nose started to burn and next she knew she was doubled over and heaving. Her vision blurred, and it was nearly impossible to get breathing again.

When she could catch her breath, she noticed the trashcan in front of her, being held by Lance, who was also patting her back.

"As I thought," he said, shaking the trashcan, "nothin' but bile. You've not eaten at all, you've not slept nearly enough, and I am now starting to resent the idiot comment."

"I don't want to be lectured, I want to finish my work, I'm almost done. If you'd just left me alone I'd have had it done and then I could be sick all I want!" she tried to stand again, but Lance pulled her back down.

"The project can wait a few days," he said, attempting to wrap the blanket around her, but she shrugged it off.

"Not if we want to get this job done faster."

"Didn't wanna do this," he said, "but if you don't take a few days off I'm going to tell EVERYONE that you're sick because you put what they wanted before your own health. Then they will feel so guilty and sad that they'll bagger you with 'how are you feeling today' and 'how much sleep did you get' for the rest of your life."

Pidge froze. Half of her knew this was stupid and a threat that held no water whatsoever, but then somewhere in her mind she could actually see this happening. It was terrifying to think that such a silly threat could endanger her sanity to this extent.

"Or," Lance said after seeing his words sink in, "I go to Coran and the others and explain that you just need a few more days to fine tweek it and that you've locked yourself in your room. If you stay in bed, Pidge, then once your fever goes down, I promise I'll bring you your computer and you can work on it in bed; I just have to insist that you eat what I give you and rest when I tell you."

"I can take care of myself," She grumbled.

"Coming from a sick body, that argument isn't very convincing," he countered. "Lie down and sleep."

He stood with the trashcan and headed toward the bathroom. She heard him wash out her sick without a word of complaint. Scowling, but realizing she'd lost this round, she tucked herself into the covers.

When Lance came back he forged a path between the door, bathroom, and the bed. When he got to the bed he placed the can on the floor within easy reach for her and held out his hand again to feel her head.

She let him this time.

"Fever isn't too high," he said, "You should have your computer back sometime tomorrow."

"Better…" she muttered, still irritated in her submission.

"Just get some sleep."

He turned to leave, but she grabbed his jacket. He looked back, a little surprised.

"I'm really sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to call you an idiot. I'm just really angry."

He laughed.

She glared.

"Sorry," he said, chuckling, "If I got upset every time someone called me an idiot, I'd live a miserable life. So I'm not bothered by it at all; in fact I embrace it~ My idiocy will save me one day when we meet aliens that want to suck everyones brains out. One look at me and they'll just move to the next person~"

How could he go from almost poetic to complete and uncontested stupidity in one go! But the image of brain sucking aliens giving Lance a pass was funny, and it did make her laugh.

()

She slept deep and when she woke she found Lance placing her computer on the desk.

"How long?" she asked groggily. She could probably sleep for another few hours.

"It's lunch time," he said, holding out a plate of toast and something that looked like applesauce. "This should be easy enough on your stomach."

"No butter?" Toast without butter was a crime.

"I'm stretching it enough with the fruit," he said, "I shouldn't be giving you anything acidic, but I figured just toast would be sad."

She accepted the food and the glass of water he held out next.

"Sip that, don't gulp," he ordered, "unless you want to see everything again. Also, small bites and chew well."

"Gee, when did you become such a mom?" she said in good humor, but Lance paused for a moment to think about it.

"Both my parents worked," he shrugged, "I have siblings to take care of. They were notorious for trying to go to the beach or going to play outside even though they were sick. If we didn't keep a sharp eye on them they'd pass out in the middle of the street, wake up, laugh, and then do it all over again."

"Jovial family you got there," Pidge said, picturing a mini-Lance doing exactly that. It wasn't hard.

"Yeah, well, we're one of the lucky ones," Lance grinned and patted her laptop. "After you're done eating you can work on this. I'll be back in a few hours to see how you're doing, k?"

"Thanks," she said, and actually meant it. "How did the others take me needing a few more days?"

"Lotor got a little pouty, but that's all. No one really expected it to be done in just one week; if you needed more time, you should have said something at the beginning."

"Yeah, but I got caught up in the energy and a part of me saw it as a challenge…I really have a hard time when challenged."

"Obviously," he grinned at her. "But I've got to get going now. I got wrapped into helping Coran with some do-hicky or other."

"Try not to brake it," she called after him as he left.

()

"I'M BACK BABY!" Pidge cried as she entered the bridge. She hurried to her seat and uploaded the program. "Man, this problem was tougher than I thought, but thanks to everyone I was able to figure it out. But as an artist and professional, I just couldn't present it to you without it being glitch free and in working order."

She grinned up at the group and paused.

Coran and Hunk were standing very close together. Allura looked tired and slightly grouchy. Lance had his arms folded and looked like he had when he was pacing the week before.

And Shiro looked done. His arms were also folded and she could tell that he was upset.

All in all the atmosphere in the room was tense and almost unwelcoming.

"Hurry up, Pidge," Shiro said, and smiled at her. "this is going to help us a ton."

Her excitement back (now that she knew he wasn't mad at her) she showed off her latest brain-child. The extra two days had really given her the time to make it how she'd wanted it. She loved showing off her work and she did it with zeal.

"Every ship in the Galra Empire is tagged," she said wrapping up her show and tell. "so I used the information Lotor gave us to match ship with commander and all its corresponding intel. The only problem we face now is if and when the 'bad Galra' build their own ships and bases outside the empire tagging system. So, the genius that I am, I left a part of the program open for those necessary changes."

"Awesome!" Hunk was so excited as he looked at the new map. "This is so cool!"

"I feel like we can breathe easier now that we have something a little more concrete to look at before heading into a fight," Allura said, her relieved smile making her tired look disappear.

"Well done," Shiro said, all grins and praise.

Pidge looked at Lance, who never failed to praise her as well, but he wasn't even looking at her. He was looking from the map to Shiro, then back at the map.

"Lance, you ok?" she asked and was surprised to see him jump a little.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, and the grin was back on his face. "This looks amazing! You always know how to make these things easy to use."

They talked about their next course of action and then dispersed. She followed Hunk to the kitchen, starving and ready for a real meal. Making sure they were completely alone she leaned over to him.

"Sooo, what's with the weird vibe in the meeting earlier?" she said conversationally while shoving food into her mouth.

Hunk pulled a face. The peace keeper that he was, he didn't even like to talk about confrontations. Right now, he would prefer to focus on his bread dough.

"When Lance came and told us you were taking a few more days, Shiro wanted to talk to you," Hunk said, his voice super low. "But Lance stopped him and said that you wanted to be left alone."

"I did," She said, and added to herself, not like Lance listened to that at all.

"Yeah, but Shiro said that he needed to hear it form you," Hunk continued, his face showing more and more discomfort as he did so, "Lance even grabbed his arm and held him back to keep him from bothering you. But then it turned into a shouting match. Shiro thinks Lance is getting too cocky and sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong; Lance thinks Shiro is…"

"What?"

"He called Shiro crazy," Hunk said, and shuddered. "Said he must've taken too many blows to the head because…"

"Oh my gosh, Hunk, just tell me!"

"…Because, he said, Shiro has been acting weird lately. Then he told Shiro that he -Shiro- should take a few days off to chill and get his game back. Shiro looked like he was going to start throwing punches, but then he forced himself to calm down – you could really see the effort it took – and he left the room without another word. He and Lance haven't spoken to each other since."

Pidge couldn't believe it.

"I asked Lance how you guys took the news and he told me that Lotor got a 'little pouty' and that's it!"

"Well, Lotor did get pouty," Hunk said nodding, "It was pretty funny. But he probably didn't want you to stress about a fight he practically initiated. I mean, they can't be in the same room without thunder clouds forming, and I swear the temperature drops to below freezing if they happen to catch each other's eye."

This is my fault, she thought, suddenly not so hungry anymore. If I had just taken better care of myself and had been a bit more honest about the amount of time I would need, this wouldn't have happened.

"Oh don't blame yourself," Hunk gave her a little shove. Pidge swore up and down that Hunk could read minds sometimes.

"Why not," she challenged, "I'm the idiot."

"Lance will not thank you for trying to take his title away from him," Hunk chastised, "And truth be told, I kinda saw this coming a while back."

"What do you mean?"

"I've known Lance longer than any of you and I know when he gets uncomfortable. He's not been feeling very comfortable around Shiro since he snapped at him a few months back."

"I heard Shiro had apologized, though," Pidge said, "So why all the build up?"

"You're guess is as good as mine at this point," Hunk said turning his attention back to his food preparations.

"Still doesn't feel good being a catalyst," She said, picking at her food.

"Remember that next time you do chemistry," Hunk grinned childishly as he added Yeast and sugar to his bowl.