Keith groaned as he sat on a park bench. Kolivan and Farrah were having a heated argument nearby about how forceful one should be in acquiring the information and 'paper work' they would need. the governmental office had not been helpful and Keith had worn himself out in explaining that the building next door, the DMV, was going to be even less helpful.

"You look like you got hit by barney."

Keith jumped and noticed a kid, about his age, sitting on the bench next to him. He grinned and laughed at Keiths blank look. the laugh was easy and his thin black hair moved to cover his eyes.

"Here," the guy handed Keith a coke, "its cold."

"...no thank you," Keith said. Every nerve tensed and he watched the kid for any ulterior motive. But the other just shrugged and placed the can of soda on the bench and opened his own.

they sat in silence and the Galras argument became a little more intense.

"So," the guy said, his grin not wavering, "Which one is the dad?"

Keith scowled, "Its really none of your business."

"Naw," he shrugged, "Of course not...yet."

"And you are?" Keith asked not bothering to hide the note of danger in his voice.

"the name is Frank," he said, "but Shalot knows me by the name Blue22. I owe Shalot a favor, so i can help him get his family together."

()

Lance looked out his window and watched the Castle lift off and leave. He was so focused on it that he didn't hear the doctors question.

"Sorry, what?" Lance said turning back to the two men standing by his bed. One was the medical doctor, and the other was the shrink. They were both looking at him as if they would like to be anywhere else...or saying anything else.

"Based on what you have told us, we think it would be best if we kept you in...isolation. Of course you will then be allowed to have visitors, but until we are sure that you are capable of returning to society, we would like to keep you under observation."

"But i'll be allowed visitors, you said?" Lance asked, "I can send them letters and all?"

Both doctors nodded.

"Then bring on the rubber room," Lance sighed, its not like he cared at all. His friends were dead, it was his fault, he had no idea how the battle actually went. Who killed Haggar? Was she actually dead this time? And who brought him back home?!

()

"Quarantine?!" Shiro was now on his feet, "Why?!"

The doctor shook his head, "he's not mentally sound and on top of that, his constitution is broken. You say he's been captured and hurt before. That can only happen so often before it finally breaks you. You understand, don't you?"

Shiro hesitated, but then nodded. From the state of that base, even he would have had to have some professional help to pull himself together.

"But why quarantine?" Allura asked, listening in, "if he's struggling, then shouldn't we help? I'm sure he'd feel better and have an easier time recovering if he knows he has our support."

"He knows us and we know him best," Pidge said her foot working, tapping against the floor, "if anyone can help him, its us and only us."

the doctor sighed again, "again, this is not my call. Take it up with the state, they already signed off on it all. this is a professional decision. I haven't told you anything specific about his condition because you do not have the right to know. You are not his family. Client privacy is taken very seriously here. But rest assured, this decision is made not lightly, and with the patents health first in mind."

Shiro scowled. His instincts were telling him something wasn't right, but there wasn't anything he could dispute.

()

"We'll see," Frank said as Keith told him that he couldn't help him and they didn't need his help, "this is my phone number and i'm available 24/7."

He got up and sauntered away as Farrah and Kolivan wrapped up their spat.

Keith watched him go, wondering what favor Lance had done for the guy...and how legal it was.

()

Hunk scowled at the note on his work bench. He'd read it about a dozen times and it never changed, but still, this couldn't be right.

then again, a LOT of things couldn't be right, yet here he was. There wasn't much to it; all it said was that one of his friends were in danger and to wait for more information. Hunk didn't like waiting. He either did something or he did nothing. He either had a goal, or he didn't. Being told that one of his friends was about to be hurt and then told to wait wasn't something he...appreciated very much.

In fact, it really made him angry.

He sat at his bench and glared at the note, reading it again.

and again.

Was this a bad joke?

Or should he be running down everyone he knew?

Hunk wiped out his com unit and began making calls.

()

"SHIRO!"

Keith threw open the doors and marched in. The two Galra walking in behind him.

"Keith, where were all of you?" Shiro was about to scold all three of them for wandering around without telling him where they were, but stopped when Keith stormed over.

"YOUR TURN!" he snapped, "I'm NOT baby-sitting them anymore!"

He marched past Shiro without saying another word. Shiro looked at the Galra.

"What happened?"

"We have no idea," Farrah shrugged, Kolivan also shrugged.

()

Pidge hissed in frustration as she tried to contact the Detestibles. Not a single one was answering her.

()

It had to have been weeks.

Lance stared at the blank ceiling as the sun dipped westward. The cubes of light shone through the reinforced, opaque, glass.

this was his new world.

A bed. A nightstand. a very small bathroom on the other side of the room that was no bigger than a childs closet and a sink outside the bathroom door. He did have two rather big windows, but he couldn't see out of them.

and that was it. No dresser. A nurse brought him clothes in the morning and showers were every other day. Doctor Rand, the phychietrist, came almost every day. If he missed a day then he made up for it by staying longer the next time. Occasionally the other doctor, the one who took care of him at the hospital would drop by to see how he was doing.

Lance had written every family a letter. He had expressed his apologies and asked that he be able to do something for them.

Anything.

But no one came to visit.

No one wrote a letter back.

but that was a good thing..right? they should be angry with him. Poor Krolia finally got to meet her son, and Lance had killed him. All the families got to see their kids again...and he'd been the one to take them away for good...again.

()

the door opened and Doctor Rand came in.

"Hello, Lance," he said, "how are you feeling today?"

"Well enough," Lance shrugged as he sat up straighter. He put aside the coloring book that had been brought for him a few days previous.

"What would you like to talk about today?"

Lance asked his normal questions, "Who brought me home and what happened during the battle? If i'm allowed to have visitors, then why hasn't Farrah or GG come seen me?"

Rand sighed. He'd given up trying to be a professional with the boy a long time ago, but that didn't stop Lance from trying to drag information from the guy.

"I am not authorized to tell you," he said softly, "what do you fear? Why do you ask this every time?"

Lance rolled his eyes.

"I'm not affraid," Lance lied, "i want to know about how the fight turned out. did Haggar die?"

"From the sources, i'd say yes," Rand said, but no more.

"who killed her?"

"that one alien that did all those press conferences...Lomer..."

"Lotor," Lance corrected, "and is he dead?"

"I think they said he was in jail," Rand said, "But i honestly don't know any more than that."

"And Where is Farrah?"

"I can't tell you," Rand said firmly.

Lance sat back. This was their ritual conversation, almost word for word. Every time he'd asked the questions rapid fire, hoping that the doc would slip up and answer his questions or at least give a hint.

"Is there anything you would like me to get for you?" Rand asked kindly, as though trying to make up for his lack of cooperation.

"I could do with some music," Lance said, "its too quiet in here with just me."

Rand nodded, "I'll bring you a CD player tomorrow."