It was the rough clearing of Commander Iverson's throat that finally had them separating. Aiko winced at the sound, and as she twisted in Shiro's embrace, she expected to see a scowl drawn across Iverson's face. But he was smiling, his hands resting lightly on his hips, and he dipped his chin at Aiko as if to say that any bad blood between them was settled.

"I hate to interrupt," he said, and Aiko knew he meant it. "But we need to debrief the Paladins on all that's happened while they've been away." Iverson's gaze flickered to Shiro, and there was something akin to nervousness that shone there. "Also, I… My apologies for throwing you in quarantine."

"So you're the one who strapped Shiro to a table." A man leaped from the ATV, his ears pointed just like his female counterpart. His orange hair burned like fire in the sunlight, and a curled mustache concealed the majority of his lower face. He circled Commander Iverson, jabbing at him with a gloved finger. "I heard about that."

A quiet laugh rumbled through Shiro's chest, one that Aiko felt deep inside her bones. She'd missed his laugh, missed the way that she and her brother would spend hours doing so while watching old comedy movies in the Garrison lounge. "You were just following orders," Shiro said, snapping Aiko from her reverie. She glared at her commanding officer, still bitter that he'd strapped Shiro to a table and had not told her he'd been found, and Iverson rubbed the back of his neck. "As any good soldier would. It's good to see you again, sir."

Shiro managed to untangle himself from between Adam and Aiko. The three of them stood together, and with a smile, Shiro turned to look at the strange woman he'd helped from the truck, a second having joined her. "Allow me to introduce you to our Altean allies," he said. "Meet Allura," he gestured to the Altean with white hair, the one he'd assisted down from the ATV. "Romelle," he nodded towards the second woman. "And Coran."

The man studying Iverson squinted his eyes as if that sufficed as a greeting.

A flash of dark hair had Aiko turning on her heels. She quirked her head as she found a boy her age kneeling beside a giant wolf, electric blue threading through the creature's dark fur. Aiko blinked, and at the same time, Keith looked up and met her gaze, his eyes widening in a way that would have been comical if Aiko hadn't gone six years without seeing him.

"Aiko," he said, bolting to his feet and straightening his spine. "You're here."

Lost in conversation with Iverson, Shiro and Adam didn't notice her wander away. "Keith," she greeted tersely, crossing her arms as she came to stand before the Paladin.

His armor matched her brother's, accented with red highlights instead of black, and it fit snuggly over the pilot's squared shoulders. Keith was nearly as tall as Shiro now, a far cry from the boy she'd once known as a child. A scar slashed across his face, rising upwards from his jaw to the center of his cheek.

"Still sporting that stupid mullet of yours, I see. I guess some things truly never change."

The corners of Keith's mouth twitched. "Still a dwarf, I see. I guess some people truly never grow."

Aiko blinked away the tears that began to gather along her lashes. She swallowed any harboring resentment and stepped closer, her childhood best friend just within her reach. "It's good to see you again, Keith. I've missed you. You and your stupid, ugly mullet."

"I've missed you, too," he said. Keith reached for her, plucking at the sleeve of her uniform. "A junior officer, huh? Never thought I'd see the day. Every fight I was ever in, every time someone beat me up, you were always right there with me, usually beating them back."

A smile tugged at her mouth. "Shiro regretted introducing us."

Keith chuckled. "I don't blame him." He swept his hand through his hair, brushing back the loose strands that framed his pale face. "Is it lame for me to ask you how you've been?"

"A little," Aiko told him. "But hopefully I've been better than you." She reached for his face, pinching Keith's chin between her index finger and thumb. Aiko turned his head to the side and observed the beautifully wicked scar slashing across his cheek. "What happened?"

He tugged himself free and frowned at her. "It's a long story, one you probably won't be happy to hear." Keith yielded a step back and crossed his arms. "A lot has happened since I last saw you, Aiko. Things have changed."

Aiko stuffed her hands into the pockets of her uniforms. "That's your fault."

The Paladin blinked at her. "My fault? I wouldn't call getting dragged into space by a giant mechanical lion my fault."

"No," Aiko agreed. "But had you not left the Garrison without me, I could have gotten dragged into space by a giant mechanical lion with you."

Keith gritted his teeth. "You have no idea what we've been through, Aiko, and I don't regret that you weren't there for any of it."

She reeled back as surely as if Keith had slapped her. Her chest hollowed out, but then Aiko's temper flared as hurt and betrayal sank deep into the marrow of her bones. "You're a bigger ass than I remember," she said, and the mild frustration eddied from Keith's angled face. "It's good to have you back, Keith. Iverson wants to debrief the Paladins. I'm sure you remember where the council room is."

"Aiko, wait—"

She spun on her heels and left him standing there, calling her name until she was out of range. Aiko pretended not to hear his apology, the plea in Keith's voice as he tried and failed to call her back to him. They would have time to work out their differences later, perhaps when the wound of Keith leaving her behind hadn't just been ripped back open.

Her brother and Adam were where she'd left them, Shiro smiling at her as she joined them again. He slung his arm over her shoulders, and it was as solid weight that brought her comfort. "Where'd you run off to?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder to find Keith staring after Aiko.

Adam snorted as he too followed Shiro's gaze to the Red Paladin. "He's still breathing. I'm impressed."

"I don't want to talk about Keith."

Shiro turned back to her and frowned, and that was—that was disappointment that shone in her brother's eyes. "Go easy on him," he said. "Keith has been through more than you could possibly understand, Aiko. It's been a long few years."

"In Aiko's defense," Adam began, bristling slightly. "We've been through a lot, too. Aiko's been vital in our fight against the Galra. You'd be proud of all she's done here on Earth."

"I don't doubt it," Shiro said, pride indeed shining through in his words. "You'll have to tell me everything once the rest of us have been debriefed."

Commander Iverson turned from his conversation with Coran. "The council room has been prepared for our meeting, we're just waiting for the lot of you to finish up with your reunions." He turned to Aiko and raised his chin with slight indignation. "Find your squadron and prepare them for the briefing. I want the five of you present for this meeting."

Shiro frowned again. "Squadron?" He asked, and Aiko knew that if he wasn't missing an arm, he would cross them both over his chest. "You were training as a communications officer when I left."

Aiko looked to Adam for help, and the Commander cut in smoothly. "Aiko is one of the best pilots to come out of the Garrison in years," he informed Shiro. "She's the senior officer in a group of five students that we've trained to provide air support for the academy."

"Aiko was meant to fly one of the crafts we've built using Altean technology," Iverson continued glumly. "But we can't seem to get them up and running. We don't have an adequate power source."

"Perhaps I can help," Allura smiled. She turned to Aiko and held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Aiko. Shiro and Keith have told me all about you."

"Please," Aiko said, taking Allura's hand and gently gripping her fingers. "The honor is mine, Princess."

She did not miss the scathing look that Shiro gave Adam as he said, "We should head to the council room. There's much to be discussed. We have intel on Sendak that may provide useful in our fight against the Galra."

Words would be had later, Aiko knew. As a child, she had begged their parents to let her join Shiro at the Garrison. She'd aced her entrance exam, and Shiro had vouched for both her intelligence and character during her initial interview with Admiral Sanda and Commanders Holt and Iverson. But he'd only agreed to look after her if Aiko trained as a communications officer; he had not wanted her flying. It was too dangerous for anyone but him.

Iverson clapped Aiko on the shoulder. "Find your squadron," he said. "Meet us in the council room."

Aiko dipped her chin. "Yes, sir," she said, then turned to look at Shiro and Adam. "I'll see you soon."

Shiro's smile did not reach his eyes. "I'll see you soon."