Written for Day 24 of Sheith Month: Horror.

This is connected/sequel to the story from Day 16 (Bad Idea), titled Closeness, though it should stand alone as well.

Due to some unforeseen delays I only just finished this story; I've read through it for obvious errors but not my usual editing rigour. Apologies for any mistakes remaining.

Also, poleyn is the name for the piece of armour that guards the knee.

"Get back!" Shiro yelled, catching his breath and lunging upwards, swiping his right hand through the nearest of his attackers. "We need to fall back! Get back to the Castle!"

"They were ready for us!" Hunk said almost immediately. "We're cut off here!"

"We?" Shiro asked, panting.

"I'm with Hunk." Lance said, his voice tight. "We're kind of pinned down, but if they don't send any more reinforcements . . . we might be able to pick the rest of them off here and get back to the Lion."

They'd all come aboard in Green, using Pidge's cloaking booster so they wouldn't be seen until they ran into patrols on board the ship itself. Unfortunately that had been unavoidable once they got here, although Shiro had the hunk of unusual space rock they'd needed to reclaim and was almost back to the Green Lion himself now, and Pidge had said she'd already copied the data from the ship's computers.

"Where are you?" Pidge asked, her voice hushed. "Keith and I are near their hangars, we- No!" She screamed, and Shiro's heart sank.

"Pidge! Pidge!" Shiro yelled, echoed by the others, just as strident - but not Keith, who had been nearest, maybe even with her. "Pidge! Where-"

"It's okay, I've got her." Keith said, voice low and harsh. "Pidge get down!"

Shiro swallowed hard, trusting in his friends and his lover, and kept moving towards the Green Lion with his burden.

"Keith!" Pidge yelled, but there was no answer.

Shiro's heart thumped painfully in his chest, even though he reminded himself that Keith was terrible at checking in especially when he was fighting hard, and he was an excellent fighter - better than any of the others, certainly. "He'll be fine." Shiro told himself softly, and Lena woofed a quiet agreement beside him.

He nearly ran into Hunk, barely coming to a stop in time to avoid the collision.

"Shiro! They pulled back," Hunk said quickly, "so we got out while we could."

"They had us cornered, why would they pull back so easily?" Lance asked, looking stressed. "We were taking them down, but not quick enough for them to retreat."

"Where are the others? I haven't heard anything more, have you heard anything more?" Hunk asked, looking around. "We would have gone that way but we didn't know where the hangars are and only Pidge can get their schematics anyway and-"

A harsh caw made him fall silent as all of them turned to look down the nearest corridor. It was Pidge's daemon, it had to be, and now Shiro could hear the sound of light, running footsteps - but only one set, and too light to be Keith's, especially if he were carrying Pidge. While Arvenne ran silently when not in her armour, if Fiore was calling out Shiro would have expected some sound from her, too, perhaps an answering yowl.

Pidge came into sight and for a moment Shiro wondered where Fiore was, before realising that Pidge had him cradled in her arms, one of his wings twisted awkwardly.

Keith was not on her heels.

"Where's Keith?" Lance asked while Shiro was trying to find his voice, resting a hand on Lena's shoulders for support.

"He- He got caught." Pidge said, her eyes wide and wet. "Ar- Arvenne jumped in, they had Fiore and she just-" Pidge's voice cracked and she hugged Fiore's trembling body closer to her chest. "She saved us and then Keith shoved me out of the way and then they hit him and the bastards were strangling her and they were still fighting, both of them, but the Galra soldiers dragged them onto a shuttle and I couldn't stop them Shiro we have to save Keith!"

"They took Keith?" Lance looked shocked, and Rocío stretched up and clung to his thigh, one paw curling around the top of his left poleyn. Hunk made a low sound of shock and Hawea rose up on his hind paws as well. Hunk bent, scooping his daemon into his arms and holding tight.

Shiro couldn't breathe. "They're gone?" Lena said beside him, pressing against Shiro's hip.

"Come on, maybe if we get to Pidge's Lion we can catch them!" Hunk said suddenly, grabbing Lance's arm and moving towards Shiro.

"We- We have to try." Shiro said numbly, holding the rock tighter to his side and pushing himself into movement again, though he looked back the way Pidge had come. "Pidge, can you fly?" he asked. He knew it was hard to move, to focus, when your daemon was injured, but they needed her to be able to do it, to get them off this ship. Even more if they were going to have even a chance of catching up with the shuttle that had taken Keith.

Pidge lifted her chin and nodded. "It hurts," she admitted as she trotted on ahead of him, "but I can fly."

Shiro grabbed Lance and pushed him forwards. "Take point." he said shortly. There weren't likely any more Galra troops in this part of the ship, but Pidge was vulnerable with Fiore injured and held in her arms.

They got to the Green Lion without any problems, and Pidge had them out of the ship and into open space before they were all even settled. Allura's face popped up in a new comm window to Pidge's left, asking how their raid had gone and then, after a moment, her eyes widened. "Where's Keith?" she asked, horrified.

"Explain." Shiro ordered of no one in particular, and Lance stepped up. Pidge was busy trying to get a lock on the shuttle before it was out of range, chasing in the direction she'd seen it, and Shiro just . . . couldn't repeat what she'd told them himself.

"We're on our way to you." Allura said, her jaw set. "Good luck, Paladins."

"Can we even catch up to them?" Hunk asked, his voice low, and Shiro's throat locked.

"Yes." Pidge said harshly. "We're not as fast as Keith," he voice wavered for an instant, then steadied, "but we can catch that damn shuttle. Just hold on."

Shiro didn't bother, though Lena braced herself against his legs. He was already sitting on the floor, anyway, though he wasn't entirely sure when he'd sunk there.

The Castle couldn't reach them in time to help, or allow them to retrieve the other Lions - not without a wormhole, which would have been far too noticeable - but Pidge didn't hesitate, bringing them to the ship the shuttle had been running to. Shiro licked his lips, looking at it on the viewscreens.

"How long ago did they reach it?" Shiro asked, and Pidge rested a hand on his.

"Almost a quintant ago." Pidge said softly, and Shiro nodded. They'd made good time. He still couldn't help but imagine what could have happened to Keith in the several quintants they'd spent chasing the shuttle, or the one he'd been on the ship for.

Pidge guided them in the same way they'd boarded the first ship, the Green Lion cloaked and silent, then settled her down. "Come on," Pidge said, rising from her seat, "we-"

"No." Shiro said, and she looked up, startled. "You stay here."

"What? Shiro I-" Pidge looked stricken for a moment. "I can help, I know it was my fau-"

"It was not your fault, and Keith would tell you the same thing." Shiro said, dragging himself a little more together. "But Fiore is injured," he nodded his head towards her daemon, lying just this side of collapse on the console to her left, "and you're more vulnerable."

Pidge opened her mouth, then closed it, her brows drawing together. "You're right." she forced out. "I'll . . . stay here. Let me know if you need support from Green."

Shiro nodded. "Hunk, stay here with Pidge and the Green Lion. Lance," he paused, "help me find Keith." Lance nodded agreement, solemn, for a rarity. He followed as Shiro led the way out onto the ship, pulling his bayard and forming his rifle. Lena moved up just ahead of Shiro and Rocio moved quick and quiet at Lance's heels.

They moved through the corridors together, but it was too slow, they had no idea where to look. Shiro's heart pounded, dread curling through his body. He looked at Lena and found all her fur bristling.

"Pidge, can you get into the ship schematics and maybe find us a clue here?" Lance said, and it was a testament to how worried she was that there was no flippant comment before her response.

"You stay here and do that." Shiro said as Lance knelt and followed Pidge's instructions, pulling off a wall panel. "I'll keep moving. Let me know if you find Keith."

"Shiro, wait-"

"Stay quiet." Shiro added, and followed his own order as he loped down the corridor, Lena keeping as quiet as she could at his side, snuffling at the air and the floor every time they passed a junction.

They had to throw themselves around a corner to hide from an approaching squad in an alcove Shiro had known was there without looking. Still, Shiro had to pull Lena's upper body close and into his arms to get them both to fit into the shallow space there. Luckily the squad wasn't on patrol, they were off-duty and busy talking rather than looking around, because Shiro was sure that they weren't well enough hidden to pass unnoticed.

He waited until the squad were past the corridor, then released Lena and stepped out of the alcove, his breaths smoothing out a little.

"I know, being assigned when the druids on board is always. . ."

"And that witch . . . she's worse than the General, when she looks at you you can just feel her sizing you up like she'd-"

"Shut up! You want to be the next one in her lab?"

Shiro froze, feeling like his heart had stopped. The witch and the druids were on board this ship? He barely heard the continuing voices as they got further and further away, hushing the complainers and warning them to keep their grievances quiet.

"No. No no no nononono-"

"Shiro!" Lena snapped, barking and shoving one shoulder powerfully against Shiro's side. "Shiro, snap out of it! Keith needs you!"

Shiro jolted, staring at her with wide, terrified eyes. Lena felt it too, he knew - her eyes were wide, edges of white showing around the steel grey and her paws trembling slightly, her tail tucked flat - but she was holding it together, barely. Shiro had to do the same.

"Keith." he said, half panting, his heart racing painfully.

"Keith needs us." Lena said, shivering, her muzzle dipping. "They need us, Shiro, we- We have to go back there."

Back to the hellish environment where Shiro and Lena had been held, trapped, between fights in the arena - when the witch and the druids wanted to experiment on them. They had never been broken . . . because they were the only specimen still there, and the witch had wanted to fully understand them first.

Ulaz had freed them barely in the nick of time, that day.

Keith and Arvenne had no such shelter, flimsy as it was, of the witch's desire for understanding, and her last 'subject' had been stolen away, fled, on the verge of-

Shiro ran, heading for the hell that had been his world for far too long, Lena running strong at his side. He knew where Keith was now; knew this ship because he had once been on it. He reminded himself that Keith and Arvenne could safely be so much further apart than any pair he'd ever met, that their bond was strong and they were strong and-

Shiro shuddered, nightmarish visions of Keith choking as his beautiful eyes went flat and dull, of Arvenne dissolving into golden dust as they died filling his mind. Keith and Arvenne were strong, but they weren't invincible, and the witch was . . . very, very good at breaking people.

He glanced down at his right hand, flexing his fist, already glowing brightly. He swallowed painfully, looking up just in time to raise his hand and slice through two of a sentry patrol suddenly blocking their way as he ran. Lena bounded up and slammed into the third robot, crumpling it into the wall and onto the floor with a snarl.

There was no time. They left the sparking bodies scattered there and kept running.

Shiro surged ahead as they reached a guarded doorway, slamming his flat hand through the throat of one guard and spinning to lodge it in the chest of the other just as he reacted, beginning to lunge for Shiro. Another moment's work had one of the guards' hands on the pad to open the door and Shiro felt bile rise in his throat but he walked inside.

Lena pulled in front of him again, sniffing, her tail held low but twitching with satisfaction from time to time as she picked up the right scent. Shiro trusted her senses and followed, on high alert for any more guards, but more for the witch or her druids.

"Shiro, this way, got him!" Lena said, her steps speeding. Shiro's heart felt like it was beating out its nervous rhythm at the base of his throat. "Shiro . . . he's bleeding. Maybe- Maybe a lot." she said worriedly, her ears pressing back against her skull.

Shiro looked reflexively at his arm, remembering the day it had been taken. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Please no." he breathed, heart aching.

It nearly stopped when Lena finally skidded to a stop and he saw Keith.

He was pale and still, sprawled on the floor with his head tipped backwards and blood coating most of his ashen face, dripping into his hair. It was still wet and vibrant, and it wasn't the only place Keith was bloody. There were bright smears everywhere Keith's white armour hadn't been broken or removed.

Surely- Surely they hadn't managed to- Not already.

"Keith?" Shiro said, dropping to his knees outside the dully glowing bars. His voice was weak and barely-there. "Keith, love, p-" His voice broke.

Keith stirred, and Lena whined with relief and distress. His bloody face crumpled and he tried to move, taking a few tries to roll over and lean on his elbow, looking at Shiro. "Shi- Shiro?" he said, blinking as though confused, his voice raspy and wet. His eyes weren't focusing and they looked less bright than they should.

"Keith, where's Arvenne?" Shiro said, suddenly panicked.

Keith winced, pushing himself upright and pointing weakly. There was a grate in one wall of his room, and Arvenne was pressed against it, one paw poking through as Shiro watched, claws flexing. Shiro sagged against the bars in relief.

Lena pressed herself against his side, and Shiro draped his left arm over her shoulders for a moment, squeezing tight. Then he forced himself to let go, pushing up to his feet. "Can you get up?" Shiro asked, looking down the corridor past the door to the cell to see if Arvenne's opened onto the corridor as well. It did not. He would have to free her from inside the cell. Shiro swallowed, raising his hand to slice into the control panel.

"I can." Keith said, although Shiro wasn't entirely sure it was the truth. He tried, anyway, shaking like a leaf as he slowly dragged himself upwards. He was halfway there when Shiro got the barrier to drop, the control panel smoking and melted. He put out a hand to stop Shiro when he darted forwards to help support Keith - he skidded to a stop - then pointed away.

Arvenne.

Of course.

Shiro eyed Keith worriedly, then went to the grate, where Arvenne pulled back, tucking her paws in close. She was panting, her bright little tongue curled in her mouth and her eyes a little dull, just like Keith's.

Shiro cringed and fought with the grate, finally getting it loose and dropping it aside.

Arvenne slunk out, avoiding Shiro, and then ran for Keith, not moving so smoothly as she should be. Keith reached, though he stopped as soon as he began to bend down to her - he couldn't keep on his feet if he leaned over at all.

Arvenne gathered herself and leapt, and Shiro winced. Keith caught her in his arms, though he half-stumbled at the weight, and crushed her to him. She purred, tiny and rough, a comfort-purr, not a happy one. For them both, no doubt.

Shiro led them out of the little cell, trying not to touch, since they had both pulled away. Lena whined and hung back beside them. Shiro did the same on their other side, though he knew he should lead the way.

"Shiro!" Lena said softly, harsh and urgent. Shiro heard it too, after a moment. Footsteps, rushing and much lighter than a Galra soldier or robot.

"Keith we need to run, if you can." Shiro said, looking at his lover apologetically. Keith nodded, loosening his arms. Arvenne slid down to the floor rather than jump, and she landed with a small pained sound, but she rose and steadied herself quickly. "I can carry you, if you need help. . ." Shiro offered, but wasn't surprised when Keith waved him off.

"Pidge and the others are waiting for us." Shiro said, moving ahead a little and trying to keep an eye on Keith as he did.

He jumped when slender fingers slid over his hand, Keith's grip weak but steady as he squeezed Shiro's hand. Shiro tried not to squeeze too hard in return, but it was difficult, especially as instead of keeping pace with him easily - or outpacing him - Keith was barely able to keep moving at his side. Arvenne, too, was moving slowly and lacking her usual sleek grace, and Lena kept breaking stride to check on her.

Shiro realised belatedly- He triggered his comm. "Lance, get back to the others if you haven't already. I've got Keith and we're going to have to leave in a hurry."

"You got him?" Pidge's voice cut in first, loud and sharp. "Is he okay?"

Shiro looked at Keith, tuning out most of the noise coming through his helmet. "I think so." he said, then disconnected it. Shiro gently tugged at Keith's hand, hoping they could move a little faster.

The noises behind them grew louder, and Shiro's breath caught. Keith's fingers folded between his own, and Keith dragged in a rasping breath. Lena cocked one ear towards him and whined, steps faltering.

Arvenne's pace hitched, then sped, her muscles bunching as she threw herself into running. Keith ran faster at Shiro's side, his fingers tightening. Shiro forced himself not to look back, paying attention to the corridors ahead as they neared the Green Lion.

Then she came into sight, head lowering to invite them in, and Shiro felt his knees go weak with relief. He pushed Keith ahead of him and looked back only once he was already inside the Green Lion's jaws. There was an eerie light visible through the doorway, but nothing more, and then Keith was dragging him upwards. It was a weak pull, but Shiro followed immediately.

"Keith!"

"Buddy, you're okay! Holy quiznak Keith are you okay?"

Shiro followed Keith into the cockpit just as Pidge craned around. "Keith!" she cried, then her eyes widened as she took in the sight of him.

"Pidge, we need to get out of here. Now." Shiro ordered, his voice coming out a little harsh as he looked at the viewscreen, waiting for the druids to come into sight.

Pidge nodded, turning back with a last glance at Keith and bringing them up.

"Arvenne!" Fiore cried, struggling sideways and hopping gracelessly to the floor. He spread his unbroken wing for balance as he hopped towards Arvenne. She folded her legs and collapsed to the floor, her chest fluttering with her quick, pained breathing. Fiore leaned near and gently preened one of her ear-tufts. "Thank you." he said quietly.

Keith rested his head against Shiro's shoulder, and Shiro pulled him down to the floor gently. Keith curled into his lap willingly, leaning heavily against his shoulder and twining their hands again.

Rocío skittered across the floor and curled up against Arvenne's shoulder, followed more slowly by Hawea, settling to lean against her side. Arvenne folded her ears back and hissed, her ribs heaving more deeply. "Get off!" she yowled weakly.

Lena paced over to them, lowering her head and licking between Arvenne's ears. "Shush, just let us." she said softly, and folded her legs carefully, curling around the heap of the others. Rocío shifted over a little to make room, and Arvenne hissed again, shifting one foreleg. The other daemon's thick tail thumped into her leg, falling just short of Fiore's splayed, awkwardly dangling broken wing. "We were worried." Lena said, nuzzling behind one of Arvenne's ears.

"What did they do to you?" Shiro asked softly, smoothing his hand over Keith's ribs, covered only by his undersuit in most places, his armour broken and largely gone.

"Ow." Keith said, swallowing audibly. "I'm okay, Shiro." he said, which was one of the most unconvincing lies Shiro had ever heard him tell.

A warm streak oozed over Shiro's fingers. He glanced down. "You're still bleeding." he said in a harsh whisper. "No faking, no trying to make me feel better. . . Are you going to be okay until we get back to the Castle?" he asked, squeezing Keith's hand.

Keith took a couple of shuddery breaths. "Yes." he said simply.

Shiro drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. "All right."

"It hurts, but they . . . didn't do much." Keith said, tipping his head back a little to look at Shiro. "Mostly they were trying to get Arvenne away from me." He shuddered, ducking his head and turning his head aside. Shiro kissed his temple and held him closer, and he leaned into the embrace, his breathing a little unsteady.

Once they returned to the Castle, it actually took more time to coax Pidge to let Keith go, and out of her sight, than it did for his injuries to be looked at. He was mostly correct about their severity - the cartilage in his nose had a micro-crack in it, explaining why it had bled so very much, and there was a horizontal slice just below his cheekbone on one side, only slightly narrower than the one across Shiro's face. His ribs were bruised but not broken, and there were some shallow slices on his chest, sides, and legs.

A few of them had been from Arvenne's claws as the two of them struggled to stay together. Arvenne had purred her apologies curled on the table beside Keith's thigh, Fiore panting on her other side with his wings splayed awkwardly. Keith waved it off and explained it hadn't been the first time they'd had to fight being dragged away from each other, and Shiro wanted to hit something, remembering Keith and Arvenne as they had been walking into the Garrison, withdrawn and proud and wary.

Keith refused to be put into a cryo-replenisher, and his injuries weren't dangerous - though they were ugly and alarming now his dark undersuit was no longer hiding them - so there was no real argument. Shiro would have felt better to see him healed, but couldn't blame him for his reluctance.

Instead he helped him up and planned to make sure he at least rested in his room. If Shiro had to sit on him.

Pidge hugged him gently. "You could have- Because of me." she said, pushing back and looking a little angry. "You shouldn't do that!"

Shiro noticed both Keith and Arvenne flick a glance to Fiore, wing now splinted and incredibly awkward. Even when he was uninjured, he was so much more delicate than any of the others - and his flying didn't exactly keep him safe, as Arvenne had pointedly proved months ago by catching him down from near the ceiling during one of Pidge's distressed rants.

"We're all right." Keith shrugged it off, and though Shiro ached to see him like this, battered and stiff and still a little bloody, he knew just how bad it could have been. Keith really was fine, no matter what could have happened. "And we didn't know what they were doing when they attacked you, either. It's not like I chose to be dragged off." He shuddered, then winced minutely, putting a hand over his ribs.

"All right, come rest." Shiro said softly, catching his arm and pulling him away. Pidge nodded, and Keith rested a hand on her shoulder, smiling slightly before he let Shiro take him towards his room.

When they were alone, Keith showed a little more how much pain he was in, and he whined a bit as he settled on his bed, leaning back, Arvenne curled up at his shoulder. Lena hopped up on the bed herself, gingerly, and carefully settled herself over Keith's legs, her head resting against Keith's bare stomach, shy of any of his injuries.

Keith rested one hand on her head comfortably, the contact between them a low and agreeable burn in Shiro's chest. Keith opened his eyes again and held out his other hand in invitation.

Shiro nodded and went to his side, sliding onto the bed and gently nudging Arvenne aside so he could lie down. She grumbled, but only quietly, and once Shiro was settled she curled herself a little higher, resting against both of their shoulders.

"I was so afraid when Pidge told us you'd been taken." Shiro admitted softly, taking one of Keith's hands in his own, stroking his thumb over slightly battered knuckles. "And then when I got to the ship and I knew who had you. . ."

"I was scared." Keith said, and Shiro's eyes widened. Keith smiled crookedly, pressing a little closer to Shiro. "I'm okay now, but I was scared. Thank you for coming to get me."

Shiro swallowed, leaning over and kissing Keith's brow lightly. "Always, love."