Part 1: Arrival

Every part of him ached and a lethargy that was bone deep consumed all of his strength. Shiro could hear panicked voices – muffled and distant. Familiar voices. He tried to speak, to reassure them that he was okay, but the words wouldn't come. Even opening his eyes was an impossible task. He was completely immobile; frozen and at the mercy of whoever those voices belonged to.

They drew closer. He could almost make out what they were saying, but no matter how hard he tried none of the words made sense to him, as though they were speaking another language. But they were familiar. He knew them.

He knew them. And that was enough for him to let go and slip off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When Shiro awoke, he was cocooned in fluffy warmth, more relaxed and well-rested than he'd felt in over a year. He was in a bed. There were soft, freshly washed blankets. He slowly opened his eyes, able to make out a sparsely decorated bedroom thanks to what little light filtered in past heavy window curtains.

He moved slowly, testing the strength in his limbs. He had to be ready for anything. There was no telling where he was or if he really was someplace safe. All he knew for certain was that he was not in the Castle of Lions, nor any other place he recognized.

The modest furnishings made him think of Earth and a pang of nostalgia rose within him.

Shiro unsteadily sat up, bracing himself with his arms. The blankets slid down his chest, revealing that someone had taken the time to get him out of his armor and the undersuit and into a clean t-shirt. Looking a little further, he found that he was wearing dark gray sweatpants as well.

Shiro eased his legs over the side of the bed and tested to see if they could hold his weight. By all accounts, it didn't feel like he'd been down and out for very long, but it couldn't hurt to be careful until he knew for sure.

He felt good though. Better than good. As though he could take on Zarkon himself one-on-one and come out unscathed and victorious!

Shiro grinned at the thought, amusement briefly chasing away his trepidation. Going toe-to-toe with Zarkon was probably pushing it. He'd settle for having the strength to find out where he was and how he could get back to the team. Keith was likely out of his mind with worry...

The window was the first step. He drew back the curtains and gave his eyes a moment to adjust before looking out into the bright, sunlit world. Shiro sucked in a breath, unprepared for a glimpse at a picturesque, fenced-in backyard.

There were simple flowering shrubs and assorted low-laying flowers, neat and tidy in their mulched beds. A doghouse stood over in one corner and though Shiro could see a handful of toys strewn about the unusual red grass, he couldn't see the dog (dogs? Or a dog-like creature?) they belonged to. A stone path wound along the side yard, disappearing around either corner of the house, perhaps linking the front and back doors.

Shiro backed away, unsure of what to make of his discovery. For a moment he dared to hope that he was back on Earth, but the red grass and the purplish sky confirmed that he was anywhere but home.

Heart pounding, he went for the bedroom door. What waited for him on the other side? Who waited for him on the other side? He swallowed and twisted the doorknob, opening it just enough to look at the room beyond.

It opened out to a hallway. To the left was the front door, made of solid wood and with panes of glass down either side for an easy view outside. A staircase led up to a second floor. To the right he could hear voices and see an open arch which led to what appeared to be a kitchen. There were two other doors that could could make out, one of which was closed. Directly across from him was a second open arch, which opened up into a living room and it was there that Shiro was tempted to continue his exploration, but...

Something stronger drew him down the hall and closer to the voices.

He moved as quietly as he could and peered inside, only to freeze at what he saw. It was a kitchen, like he thought, and there were two people inside – two very human people – who were much too preoccupied with each other to even notice him.

Shiro could feel his cheeks burn as he backed away, but in his haste to give them more privacy, he banged his elbow into the wall with an audible sound. He uttered a quiet curse as his arm gave a painful throb and then he fled back down the hall to the room he woke up in.

It was too late. He heard them speak again and then there were light footsteps padding after him. Shiro slowed and then stopped, knowing there was no point om avoiding them. Yeah, it was embarrassing to catch two strangers heavily making out and hands in questionable places, but they were adults in the comfort of their own home and why was he panicking so much?!

"Shiro?"

Time slowed to a crawl.

He knew that voice.

He could put a name to that voice.

Shiro turned to face them, taking in the familiar shade of auburn hair – admittedly longer than he last saw – and teary amber eyes staring up at him in disbelief.

Pidge.

"It's really you," she whispered, reaching out to him. She had to rise on tip-toe to comfortably slide her fingertips up his cheek until her whole hand was pressed warmly against his skin. "We didn't want to hope, but... it's you. You're really here." Her voice broke at the same time as her tears spilled over to flow down her cheeks.

Shiro didn't know where he was or what was happening, but he pulled her into his arms anyway, his heart breaking a little at the way she sobbed and tightly clung to his shirt.

Just how long had he been asleep?