It got to the point were Radik was just an extension of Lance. He even started to mimic his speech patterns and body language.

Gen thought this was hilarious and did whatever he could to make Lance do something different so that Radik would do his best to copy.

Heppik thought this was less funny. His first few days after fully recovering he also followed Lance around everywhere.

Hunk, and even Shiro and Allura joined Gen in thinking this was a very funny turn of events. They helped the kids with chores so that it went by faster. That left more time to just play.

At first the kids didn't know what to do. They'd never had much free time before, so they soon ran out of the activities that they would normally do. And there was still so much day light left!

Ulra and Coran had practically adopted each other. They tried to get the other kids to go on hikes with them or to go look at animals, but the others didn't have their fascination or sense of adventure.

Shiro searched the castle till he found what he wanted.

"What's that?" Fir asked.

"It's a ball," Shiro said, "You kick it."

"Why?"

Shiro wasn't prepared for this. Lance sat nearby and watched, a funny grin on his face. He was holding a baby and watching the other one turn over on a blanket spread out next to him.

"Here," He said dropping the ball and bouncing it on his knee. It had been a long time since he'd juggled a ball. The kids all watched with wide eyes.

Lance whistled, "You can do better than that!"

Shiro stopped, "I'm going to teach them simple stuff first!"

"Boooo! Poor demonstration!"

"No one asked you!"

"Real mature Shiro!"

"…if you weren't holding a baby…"

"What was that?!"

"I said you're hiding behind a baby!" Shiro snapped, "Lets see what you can do!"

"Hunk!"

Hunk was already there to take the baby. Lance stood and brushed himself off. The kids shifted, excited to see what their guardian would show them.

"Everyone move to the side," Lance said, "time for some one on one."

"Le's see you juggle," Shiro tossed him the ball and Lance shook his head.

"First goal wins."

"What goal?"

"If I make it into the river, you have to dive in and get it and I win. If you can get it into the tree line, then you win."

"How come my loss is the only one with a penalty?"

"My ball, my rules," Lance said tapping the ball and then throwing it at Shiro. Catching it, Shiro noticed something he hadn't before.

"L.M…this was yours?"

"What do you mean 'was'?" Lance huffed, "That ball IS mine. I don't remember giving it up. You having it right now also means you went into my room."

"Your room?" Shiro had searched a room he thought looked a little odd, but it didn't look like anyone lived in it.

"Yeah, so I'll be wanting an apology as well," Lance stretched his legs and popped his neck, "ready to play?"

()

Keith made sure everyone had food and went to go look for Pidge. He found her on the other side of Green, curled into a little hunched over ball.

They had picked up five more half bloods and still no sign of even one pure blood dradite let alone William.

"Pidge, we should be heading back," Keith sat next to her and tried to hand her some jerky, "Green is full to capacity."

"I've run out of places to look…" She said thickly, "the last facility we went to had no information on any other bases. I thought for sure we'd find another step in the right direction."

"We can go back and you and Hunk can look again. You both started this out together and I'm sure he's had more ideas since we left."

"…fine…" Pidge sniffed, "I don't feel good…"

"None of us do."

A shuffling noise alearted them and Keith had his blade out before he realized it was one of the half bloods. Fear etched into every line on the creatures face as he fell to both knees and lowered his head.

"Sorry," Keith quickly put the knife away and held up empty hands.

"We…we…"the creature stumbled over his words which sounded as though he had quite a few teeth missing, "we do not know why you have…gather us so…we are grateful…but worried..."

Keith looked at Pidge, but she was too depressed to suddenly take over. Squirming in the leadership position he replied.

"We're going to take you guys to a safe place. There are a lot of half bloods living there and will be more than happy to help you."

"It is…safe?" he lifted his head slightly a look of open disbelief on his face.

"It better be," Keith said, "the guard dog is a mean and vindictive bi-"

"Keith," Pidge elbowed him, "don't call Lance names when he can't respond back."

"Yet do I lie?"

Pidge snorted, the barest hint of a smile on her face. No doubt Lance was a class A clown, but they had learned to not piss him off.

"...i do not understand…"

"It is the safest place for you, promise," Pidge said turning her head away again and sinking into her own little pocket of despair.

"…"

"Is there something else?" Keith asked seeing the guy hesitate, "I'm sorry the food isn't much-"

"NO," he shook his head vehemently, "this is more care and food…we've ever had…in a long time…but…I sense a sadness…I wish…I wish to know if I may help?"

"Pidge lifted her head and both her and Keith were at a loss for words. The halfblood trembled under their stares and bowed again.

"My apologies…"

"You wouldn't happen to know where the hunters would keep pure blood Dradites, would you?" Pidge asked crawling closer to the guy, making him even more nervous.

"Pu-pu-pure blood? I…I did not….not know they still…existed…"

Pidge deflated. They hadn't thought to ask the prisoners if they had known anything, but it had been a dead end anyway.

"…but I know…of other harvest bases…"

Keith watched Pidge. This was her call. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, picking at the ground as she did so.

"What's your name?"

"I am called Gom," he said, "I am… one… of the few with a name."

Pidge nodded, "then Gom, I really need those places."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Keith said sitting back.

"I'm not going back without knowing exactly what happened to William," Pidge said, "I hate that Hava person so much…"

Keith nodded. The old woman at the Cradle had not only destroys their records but had killed herself out of spite so they couldn't question her. Pidge had gotten so mad she'd burned the building to the ground with all the erasing and other machinery inside.

"Really? I couldn't tell."

()

Lance groaned on the ground.

"I thought you were going to show me a thing of two," Shiro said hovering over him, but he was breathing hard.

"…that was before you almost broke my nose…"

"Who taught you to catch the ball with your face?"

"I was aiming for a head but…"

"Wrong part of the head."

"the sun was in my eyes."

"No, I'm sure that was the shine on the ball."

Lance glared at Shiro who shrugged back. Then they both started to laugh. Hunk sighed a little and relaxed. Pidge was out looking for William, and Shiro and Lance had stopped yelling at each other.

Finally, things were looking up.