Disclaimer: I don't own VLD!

A/N: Have another AU. I apparently cannot avoid them. Basis: The Galra invaded Earth fifteen years ago, and Lance, Shiro, Keith, Hunk, and Pidge, along with their families, live in a rebel camp in the mountains.

Chapter 1

"Hey. Wake up, buddy."

Lance blinked and stirred as someone gently shook his shoulder. It was still dark out, everyone knew he didn't wake up until dawn, what… Batting away the hand on his shoulder, he burrowed down farther into his blanket. Too early— Oh, wait.

Before he could drag his sleep-riddled brain into full awareness, his blanket was ripped away. The frigid mountain air mercilessly attacked him, and Lance uncurled, sitting up and giving Hunk a tired glare.

Hunk didn't bother looking apologetic as he tossed the blanket up onto the top bunk, far out of Lance's reach. "Sorry, but we don't have time for luxurious your morning routine."

"Dude. Rude."

"I know," Hunk said. He grabbed a long-sleeve t-shirt from the room and tossed it at Lance. "We're rolling out in an hour, and Shiro wants everybody to get breakfast first. I took one for the team and offered to wake you up."

"Because you're just that nice, right?"

Hunk rolled his eyes and grinned. "Well, it's not because you're such a pleasant morning person, that's for sure."

"Well, mission successful. I'm up." Lance tugged on his shirt as he got up, forcing his long legs into action while Hunk headed back into the living room of the McClain cabin. Gear, right, get that. Tug on jeans, jacket, socks, boots…his sniper rifle was at the weapons locker.

For a moment, he stopped and looked at the empty bunk over his before grabbing his blanket. Normally Theo would've been up there, hanging over the edge and demanding that Lance and Hunk take him along with the team. Now… Well, Lance would visit him before the team headed out. It would help him focus on why this particular supply run was so important.

Hunk was standing near the door when Lance walked out of his room, pulling on a toboggan. It was still early fall in the Black Mountains, but he couldn't stand the cold.

"Your mom's still up at the infirmary," Hunk said before Lance could ask if he had seen her, "Or at least she was there I saw Pidge and Keith at Main."

That made sense. She was practically living there right now. "Is everyone already up besides me?" Lance asked, making a face.

"Pretty much. I think Shiro's already done a perimeter check and everything."

Awesome, now he felt like a slacker. Hmm, wait, if everyone was already up… "Hold on, we have to take Josie with us. Montez is out on watch, and I don't want her to wake up all alone."

"Do you want to drop her off at my place?" Hunk said as Lance headed to the six-year-old's room on the other side of the living room. Hunk and his family only lived a few cabins away, and they would've been happy to look after Josie. However, Lance knew his mom would rather have her dropped off at Main so she could keep an eye on her and make sure she did her chores. Hunk's family was far more likely to spoil her.

"Nah, that's okay," Lance said. He tapped on the doorframe before stepping into Josie's tiny, makeshift room. She was all wrapped up in her blanket, so he let her keep sleeping while he tossed a change of clothes and a couple books into a bag. Looping the pink pack over his shoulder, he scooped his baby sister up, blanket and all.

Josie made a few disgruntled noises and pushed the blanket back, bleary eyes narrowing at Lance. "M'sleeping."

"Yeah, I know, pajarita." He hugged her and headed back into the living room. "All right, good to go."

When Josie saw Hunk, she gave a sleepy wave and dropped her head back onto Lance's shoulder.

Hunk waved back and opened the door, letting in the crisp wind. Lance adjusted Josie and pulled the blanket up over her head, keeping her out of the cold. The last thing they needed was for her to get sick on top of what they were already dealing with.

The camp was dark, but they had both been along the path to Main so many times they could've walked it with their eyes closed. Some of the cabin windows were lit as people started to get up and prepare for the day. Hunting, scavenging, farming, scanning for other rebel units, patrols, teaching, working in the vehicle or weapons shops, almost everyone had a job at the camp.

Only a few people were on away teams, and you have certain skills sets to get placed on one. Lance's talent with a rifle and reputation as the camp's best shot had gotten him onto Shiro's team, though it helped that Shiro was his friend and had requested him when he was building the team.

He and Hunk turned onto the path that lead to Main, which was the oh-so-original name for the camp's main building. It was where the mechanics shop, garage, mess hall, infirmary, and intelligence headquarters were located. Tucked into the Black Mountains, their camp had once been an old abandoned college campus, complete with cabins and buildings. Dampener fields and electronic shields had kept them off the Galra's radars for years, but their defense tech and shields needed constant updates.

When they reached Main, the sky was starting to lighten in the distance, so dawn wasn't too far off. Once he had some coffee and food, Lance was sure that he would be fully awake and ready to go. He had more reason to be invested in this mission than anyone else on his team, anyways.

"I'm going to drop Josie off with my mom, I'll be in the mess in a minute," Lance said, peeling off and going down a hallway. The infirmary was quiet and mostly empty when he stepped in, but there were a few lights on. At the far end of the infirmary, one of the beds was curtained off. Lance headed that way, and Josie stirred, dropping her arm over his shoulder.

"It smells bad."

Lance chewed his lip and nodded. It did smell terrible, like disinfectant and something worse. "Yeah. Look, go back to sleep, okay?" He sat her down on a cot opposite of the curtained bed and pulled the blanket up over her head. She fussed, pushing it away, but she dropped onto the pillow.

Sighing, Lance touched her shoulder and then went over to the curtained bed. "Mama? I brought Josie. She's asleep…"

The curtain peeled back, and his mother's exhausted, worry-lined face appeared. Her iron-streaked hair was messy and unkempt, which wasn't like her. "Hey, sweetheart." As one of the camp's leaders, she usually presented a formidable if warm appearance, so seeing her disheveled was unsettling…

Lance reached out and hugged her, pulling her close. He knew this was hard on her. She let her forehead rest against him for a moment before pulling back, patting his arm. "I'm okay, Lance. Really."

"How is he?" Lance asked, glancing past her at the boy in the bed. His little brother Theo was curled up on his side, his face pressed into the pillow. The blankets were pulled back around his left leg, revealing the bandages that couldn't quite cover up the fact that the wound on his calf was infected. He and Isaia had been scavenging two weeks ago when Theo had gotten caught up in barbed wire. It had been healing fine at first, then…

"Colleen says he really needs those antibiotics," Mama said. She ran her hand over her forehead. "I don't want you to have to go."

"My team's the fastest," Lance said, mustering some enthusiasm and confidence, masking his own concern for his brother. He sat down on the edge of Theo's bed, careful of the medical equipment. "We'll meet up with Evans and be back before you can even miss us."

"I miss you the moment you're out of my sight, mijo."

"That's so mushy oatmeal's laughing at it."

His mother chuckled, a tired sound. She brushed her hand through his brown hair before cupped his cheek, making him look up at her. "You'll always be my little boy, no matter how old you are or what team you're on. So I'll miss you whenever I want to, understand?"

Lance gave her a half smile. "I'll be careful, Mama. I swear."

"Yes, you will be, or I'll skin you alive when you get back." She gave him a sweet smile and kissed his forehead.

Bejeezus, she was scary sometimes.