After Witch Trap, Hunk had sat on the edge of his bed and made Lance swear he would never take risks like that ever again. Lance had been barely conscious, his eyes hooded and his pale skin slicked with cold sweat, but he promised. He must have seen the worry in Hunk's eyes because he had wrapped Hunk's clenched fist in his own clammy hand and apologized. Now, he did the same as Hunk caught him as he staggered forward, trying to avoid the shards of glass embedded in his jacket. There was blood coming from his head somewhere, Hunk noted faintly, but he couldn't tell where the wound was.

"Lo siento," he whispered, currently, "Hunk, I'm so sorry, but I'm gonna pass out now. Don't call Abuelita."

"Lance, do not close your eyes," Hunk ordered, "Stay awake, you dick, or I swear to God I'm gonna call her!"

Hunk could hear Allura yelling at a maid to fetch a doctor, Shiro frantically telling Keith what bag their med kit was in, Coran and Pidge crunching through the shatter remains of the window to their sides, but he paying more attention the shaky laugh coming from Lance.

"No, really," he rasped, "Its nap time."

And he was out. Hunk almost felt offended.

The trees where whipping past him, around him, as he sprinted through the forest. Not the pines of Romania, but droopy willows and pale aspens of Witch Trap. In the wind he heard Pidge calling. He remembered this. He knew where he was going.

Lance's legs burned and his heart raced, but it was different than the first time, he could tell. There was no frantic urge to get away, get it away from them, but his body moved on its own.

The trees parted and he broke into the same clearing Hunk had found him in that first time. The same Cottonwood stood proud, in full bloom under a heavy moon. There was no apparition under it boughs. Lance was almost disappointed. A warm wind shook the cotton loose and it drifted over him like a midsummer snow.

He slowed to a walk and enjoyed feel of tall grass brushing his fingertips as he approached the tree. There was a sense of peace in the very air which starkly contrasted his memories of terror. He reached the tree, turned to investigate the area around him. Finding nothing, he plopped himself down settling in between the roots.

"Why am I here?" He called out, "Are there any spirits attempting to talk?"

There was a long stretch of silence.

"Come on, now. I'm never alone in these… dreams."

"…hush…"

Lance's head whipped up to the branches above him. Despite the voice, he saw nothing. The branches above him were empty of anything except the breeze.

"Shy!"

Lance averted his eyes from the branches quickly. There was no point in agitating the spirit by looking for it if it didn't want to be found.

"Sorry, sorry!" Lance called back, "I'll be quiet if you want to rest, I'll be listening if you want to talk."

"…rest…Lance…heal."

"I should rest?" Lance asked, feeling a sudden heaviness in his limbs and eyelids, "Yeah, you right."

He let his heavy eyes close, and drifted away to the feeling of chilly fingers running through his hair.

"We need to wake him up!" Allura said as Coran laid Lance face down on a bed in the room adjourning the HQ.

"No!" Hunk said. "Don't!'

"What? Why?" Shiro asked as the resident doctor moved forward to start cutting Lance's clothes away from his back.

Hunk found himself firmly in the gaze of the entire room. Only the doctor ignored him in favor of his patient. The student turned to Pidge to explain.

"He said 'nap time.'" Hunk said weakly.

Pidge's eyes widened in understanding. He turned to the others trying to find the words to explain.

"Nap time?" Keith asked.

"Let him be unconscious while the shards are being removed," Grumbled the doctor in heavily accented English, "Then let him rest until he wakes up on his own."

Hunk and Pidge traded a relieved look that didn't escape Shiro's notice. Allura and Coran were speaking in rushed Romanian with the doctor as he worked over Lance. Keith laid a hand on Shiro's arm, nodding his head toward the door. Shiro followed him into the hallway.

"Nap time," Keith quoted, "That sounds like a code word."

"I thought the same." Shiro agreed.

"Think they'll let us in on it?"

"Maybe," Shiro said, "Let's not push it, though."

Keith nodded his assent, though he looked unhappy about it. The door next to them opened and Coran peaked out.

"The doctor just finished up, gentleman. Come on in, Allura wants to speak with everyone."

Shiro and Keith followed him back into the makeshift infirmary, moving to join the loose circle of people standing around Lance's bed.

"Oh, good!" Allura said as they joined.

"The boy will be fine," The doctor said, "He has shallow scratches here and there, also a deeper cut there that will need watching, but that is all. His heavy jacket took a majority of the damage."

The doctor pointed to where a large bandage was taped to the crux of Lance's neck and shoulder. His back was littered with standard band aids and one wrapped around the shell of his ear.

"His head was bleeding," Hunk recalled.

"A small cut on the temple. Bleeds much, harms little." The doctor replied, "Now if I may?"

"Of course, Rax," Allura said, "You must be anxious to get back to Shay. Thank you for your assistance."

Rax nodded and hurried out of the room. Pidge and Hunk sagged with relief.

"This incident was… unexpected. And… quite terrifying," Allura said, "But If you would, I'd like you to stay and continue, er, begin investigating."

"I don't like it," Hunk said, "But it's up to Lance. There's no way he'll leave after such an intense start."

Pidge nodded before adding firmly, "I would like to stay."

"Then let's get set up!" Shiro said, "That way when Lance wakes up we can jump right in!"

"He'll love that," Hunk sighed morosely, "That reckless idiot."

After all the excitement, set up with the ease of a long routine. Allura and Coran both had duties to attend and took their leave after posting a guard to watch over Lance. Shiro stepped up in Lance's absence as the order giver and was grateful when the GUPRS followed his lead. Keith ran cameras to their determined locations and positioned them while Hunk trailed him with miles and miles of power chords. Pidge was running around like a madman with an armful of mics and sensors and gadgets far more complicated than Shiro's basic meters. Shiro followed them around logging where each piece of equipment was placed.

Though they were only setting up wide shots in important areas (more specific camera placement would be decided upon reviewing witness testimonies for activity hot spots) the feat ate up quite a bit time. By the time they had finished the setting sun was flooding the windows with orange light and the smell of cooking sausages creeping through the halls. Keith and Hunk bemoaned their sore muscles with Keith nodded along. Shiro passed out cold water bottles to his exhausted investigators and encouraged them to take a break.

"Those cameras might seem light," Keith was telling a sympathetic Pidge, "But carrying eight of them through a half mile of winding hallways and upstairs? Yikes."

"I feel you man," Hunk chimed in, "Those cables had to weigh, like, a million pounds! Plus, I think they were actively trying to trip me."

"I accidently dropped an infrared camera I was fixing to the wall." Pidge said rubbing at a bruising lump on his forehead, "And it fell on me."

They all turned to Shiro.

"Uh, my hand cramped while writing… the logs…" he trailed off feeling more than a little awkward in the ensuing silence.

Shiro jolted at the sudden snort of laughter. Pidge and Hunk both turned to Keith and watched as he broke down into a fit of giggles.

"What the fuck, Shiro?" Keith wheezed, tears leaking from his eyes.

Hunk and Pidge joined in after that and Shiro couldn't help grinning abashedly. He tried to remember the last time he saw Keith so happy, but came up blank. In the year since he had met Keith and formed the VPI, Keith had been… not cold, but serious. The few smiles Shiro had coaxed out of the kid had been soft and fleeting, nothing like the vibrant grin he had now. He was almost certain that he hadn't ever heard him laugh if the bitter chuckles weren't counted.

Shiro wasn't sure how these two had gotten Keith to open up so quickly in their presence, but he was truly grateful they had met. He could only hope that Lance would be able to let go of his resentment and befriend Keith as well.

"Excuse me? Investigators?"

The laughter died down as they turned to the timid voice in the doorway. There was a tall maid with soft eyes and a neck brace.

"Hey there," Hunk called out to her, "Don't be shy, we don't bite!"

The maid nodded and curtsied.

"My name is Shay! I'm here to lead you down to the dining hall."

"Well you sure know a way to a man's heart, huh?" Hunk laughed, "I'm starving. Lead the way!"

Pidge shook his head at the obvious way Hunk was flirting and trailed out after them. Keith and Shiro followed along.

"So, Shay, do you know of any good places around here to investigate?" Hunk asked lightly as they walked.

Shay looked uncomfortable, running a hand along her brace before turning to Hunk with fire in her eyes.

"I do." She said solemnly, "Do you think you can really rid my home of these… spirits?

Hunk blinked at the sudden change in mood, but nodded.

"I hope to. I can't promise anything, but…" Hunk looked back at Pidge, whom nodded in encouragement. "Want to know a secret?"

Keith looked curiously at Hunk. Shay agreed.

"Our president, Lance? He's got a… well, we call it a talent. He is particularly good at sending ghosts to the other side. In all our cases, if there was really a spirit, Lance has always gotten rid of it—every time."

Shiro was impressed. Keith looked unbelieving, but Shiro could hear the sincerity in Hunk's voice and apparently so did Shay.

"Then I thank you for coming," She said lightly placing her hand on Hunk's.

Hunk flushed while Pidge and Keith chorused "oooohhhhh!" in the background. Shay blushed as well, pointing to an archway leading into a crowded room.

"There is the dining hall. I must go now!"

She ran off before Hunk could as much as call after her.

"That could have gone better." He sighed.

Shiro ruffled his hair. How could Hunk not see the way his words had instilled hope in her?

"Nah, you totally won her over, champ."

Hunk flushed more swatting Shiro's hand away.

"Thanks, Dad." He muttered sarcastically.

"Come on, let's go in." He replied, herding them into the room.

'Dinner' was more of a feast than anything. The room was lined was long tables crowded with a mix of about a hundred people. There seemed to be no specific seating chart, and the staff and nobles walked and talked among each other like old friends. There was a buffet style table pressed up against one wall, filled with breads and fruits and a wide assortment of meats and cheeses.

"Wow," Pidge said, "That's some dinner."

"Think it's like this every night?" Hunk asked hopefully.

After grabbing plates of food and settling into a table between some chatting maids and Allura and Coran whom had waved them over, a comfortable silence over them while they eat. Allura and Coran were talking about how to organize interviews occasionally calling on them for input.

"Oh!" Pidge spoke up, "Should we call Abuelita?"

"Abuelita? Who's that?" Shiro asked.

Hunk was grinning now, already pulling out his phone.

"Hell yeah! That'll teach him to worry us!" Hunk cried searching his contacts.

"Abuelita is Lance's grandma! We always tattle on him to pay him back for making us deal with his ridiculous personality and all that comes with it!" Pidge explained.

"Tattle on him?" Keith asked looking hopelessly lost, "For getting hurt?"

"We have a clause in the GUPRS rules about Lance and injuries of any sort," Hunk said, "If he's okay, we call Abuelita to give her the gossip! If he's not, we call Abuelita so she can whip him into shape again."

"Didn't Lance say not to call her?" Shiro recalled, "Like, right before passing out?"

"Psshaw! He know the rules!" Hunk dismissed, "Losing consciousness means Abuelita will know."

Once again, Keith and Shiro were mystified by this group of college students.

"It's on speaker!" Hunk told Pidge.

After a few rings the call was answered by what sounded like and elderly Latina woman.

"Hunk? Flaco, aren't you in Transylvania?"

"Transylvania?" Keith mouthed at Shiro, whom in turn shrugged.

"Yup! We just got the castle, like, four hours ago."

"Oh dear, what did that foolhardy child get himself into already? He hasn't been bitten by a bat, has he? Odio los murciélagos!"

"Oh, Abuelita you will not believe this!" Hunk said conspiratorially.

"You're really enjoying this," Keith commented with amusement.

The woman chuckled and asked Hunk to continue.

"We had hardly even gotten into to HQ when Lance was looking out the window, like he was in a trance, and a man touched him and he turned around and shoved him out of the way just before the window behind him exploded!"

"That's my boy, such a hero!" Abuelita praised, with a slight mocking tone, "And let guess, he forgot to dodge himself?"

"You know it!" Pidge cried.

"Ahh, Chiquito! You are there as well?"

"Mmmhmm!"

"Well, if you say he was in a trance he must be 'napping' now, no?"

Keith and Shiro traded another look.

"Yeah, he's still under even though the doctor said he was okay."

"Then he will be fine. Mijo has a talent, and that talent will see him through. I will pray for him even so."

"Thank you, Abuelita." Hunk said.

"No, no, thank you!" Abuelita said, "You know he never tells me when these things happen. Idioto has it in his head that I worry too much."

"He doesn't want to scare you."

"Ha! As if I haven't been speaking to the dead for far longer!" She snorted while a baby started wailing in the background, "Ahh—that's my little Mia crying. I will speak to you soon, mis hijos!"

"Bye!" Hunk and Pidge called as the call ended.

"She sounds… nice?" Shiro said.

"Abuelita is the most badass woman… no, the most badass person I have ever met." Pidge claimed. "She once hit Lance with la chancla from clear across a football field. Dead on. Saw it with my own two eyes. I don't even know how she heard him call Professor Iverson fat from that far."

"I watched her pull out baby pictures to show the girl Lance was hitting on once. They laughed together about his little baby junk." Hunk put in, "Fucking savage."

"I'm confused." Keith told them.

"That's okay, buddy." Hunk told him, ruffling his hair like Shiro had done to him earlier.

"Thanks, Dad." Keith mimicked.

The group erupted into laughter again.

Lance jolted awake, groaning as pain lanced through his shoulder. He carefully twisted himself around to sit upright in bed, looking around the lantern-lit room. It was grand and completely unfamiliar. What exactly had happened? He thought back. The window! He could remember the fear and pain. Talking to Hunk, but before that? Blurriness. And after? Nothing. He must have been moved here. It was night out now so he must have been out for hours. So where was everyone?

He decided to get up, leaning heavily against the bedside table. Now what?

The door flew open and four laughing men walked into the room. Lance was confused. Why were they so friendly with each other all of a sudden? He felt like he had missed something. Like he was on the outside looking in. He immeadiately pushed the thought down as stupid, but it lingered in the back of his mind.

"Lance!" Shiro said once he spotted him, "Lay back down!"

"What? Why?" Lance asked.

"If you need to lean on something to stand then you shouldn't be standing." Shiro scolded rushing over to push Lance back down. "Glad to see your up, though."

"Thanks, Dad," Lance snarked.

Lance was baffled when laughter rippled through the room.

"It wasn't that funny?" Lance commented.

"Inside joke." Keith said, looking at Hunk.

Lance felt a stab of jealousy. That was his friend, dammit. He turned to Pidge only to find him giggling along with them.

"Shut up, Kogane, no one asked you." Lance spat at him.

"You literally just did." Keith retorted, taken aback.

"Chill, bro!" Hunk told Lance.

"Yeah, calm down." Pidge said.

Lance stared at them in disbelief for a moment before he looked away.

"Whatever, I'm tired." He muttered. "Is this my room?"

"I guess it can be?" Shiro said, "I wanted to check on your wound, though."

"Don't bother, I just want to sleep." Lance dismissed him.

Pidge and Hunk shrugged and said their goodnights leaving with Keith in tow. Shiro hung back and eyed Lance suspiciously.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes!" Lance groaned.

"Okay," Shiro said placating, "Okay, I'll leave I was just worried."

He left, shutting the door softly behind him. Great, now Lance felt worse. It was dumb, he knew, but since they meet in high school he had been in thick as thieves with Hunk and Pidge. They hadn't ever really gotten too close with others. Especially not Keith Kogane. What it was about him that sent Lance's inferiority complex spiraling out of control, but watching him joking with his buddies. He hadn't meant to get pissy, though. He would have to apologize later.

Lance threw himself down onto the bed and ignored his back's protests.

He could only hope tomorrow would be better.