The first to board the ship were medics and their guards. Allura lead them swiftly to the control room where she operated the pods to release their patents.

After the healers exited the ship, the main force entered to evaluate the situation.

Everyone was on the bridge except for Lance who they locked in the lounge. Shiro lead an alien that looked to be in charge to the lounge while everyone else was questioned and filled out their own paperwork.

Lance was siting next to Martle and holding a baby. Alex sat next to him, the little dradite attempting to morph into Lances side as he finched behind Lances arm as they entered. Fear and hesitation etched in the childs face and in every move he made.

"I am Faxix," the alien in charge announced, and removed his hood, reveiling that he, too, had antenna, "I see you are the holder?"

Lance's smile was nice enough, and that worried Shiro.

"I'm Lance," Lance introduced himself, "This is Martle, the baby is Temple, and this one is Alex."

"You have others?"

"Of course," Lance said shrugging, "I think Nomi is in the kitchen with Frae, and the other kids are running around and playing. You all took your sweet time getting anything done, I couldn't possibly keep them all locked up."

Faxix scowled, "you have no control over them? They do not listen to you?"

"Oh, they listen," Lance nodded, "but you all only said I was to be restrained, not the kids."

Splitting hairs was Lances strong point.

"Please gather your kids," Faxix said glancing at Martle, "I need to see you with all of them."

Lance stood, gave the baby to Martle, and shook his head, "you are searching the ship, and you can't do that yourself?"

"Dradites don't listen to anyone accept those they attach themselves to. We couldn't tell them to do anything that they already weren't inclined to do."

"huh, interesting," Lance was now standing in front of the larger alien. He wasn't Galra-tall, but he was wide and didn't seem to have an ounce of fat on him.

"Call your children," Faxix said again. Then the door behind him flew open and three girls bolted around the room.

"PAAAPAAA!"

"Its her fault!"

"She started it!"

Ulra grabbed Lance around the middle the force of it spun him around.

"THEY'RE TRYING TO GET ME!"

The twins scowled fiercely at their sister.

"She stole it!"

"She broke it!"

"It was an accident!"

"I AM NOT A BASE!" Lance shouted, "Ulra! Go help them clean up, and GET RID of that ANIMAL that I KNOW you are hiding! Fir, Una, what have I told you about Fear Chasing? And if you leave your glass jars out, then of course they're going to get broken. Now go clean up, all of you."

The three of them shoved passed Faxix and bickered quietly out the door.

"Guess we'll have to wait," Lance said shrugging, "Glass is dangerous to leave out unattended."

Faxix's antenna twitched. Something wasn't right. It was unnerving. This nest-holders eyes were…dark. Dangerous. The air around him was…tense.

"something wrong?" Lance asked lifting an eyebrow, "you-"

Without thinking Faxix lashed out and hit Lance across the face. Lance staggered back, but quickly recovered enough to shout.

"Gen stop!"

Faxix felt an itch on the side of his neck. Out of nowhere a child appeared. Faxix's antenna twitched uncontrollably.

He hadn't sensed this ones presence at all.

Lance rubbed his face and spat out a bit of blood. He worked his jaw to make sure it hadn't broken and winced as he realized his nose was bleeding. Gen still have the knife out and pressed against the aggressors throat.

"Back off, Gen," Lance said, wiping off his face, "he didn't hit me that hard. I think I just spooked him."

"Mmmm," Gen's eyes narrowed.

"Gen," Lance snapped, and with a 'tsk' Gen finally backed away. He walked over and stood directly behind Lance.

"You take Ollie and get the others," Lance said and Gen shook his head.

"I'll get the others, but I leave Ollie," Gen tried to compromise, but Lanc wasn't in the mood.

"This is not the time, Gen," Lance sighed, "take Ollie with you, and for the LOVE do NOT show that skill to the twins!"

Gen rooled his eyes, "we're not stupid."

The child moved to the side of the room, made quick motions left and right as if corning a small animal and then snatched at empty air.

Ollie materialized as Gen threw him over his shoulder.

"How did you know I was there?!"

"Because only you could show Gen that trick, and we'll talk more about it later," Lance said as he watched the two of them exit the room.

Faxix watched and gripped his hands into fists.

This was wrong.

Ruig said the Holder was odd, but he didn't mention that the children were also strange. He looked past Lance at the dradite who had curled up next to Martle when Lance had stood. The child was staring at Faxix, not daring to blink for fear that he'd do something to hurt them. Faxix was a stranger, as thus had to be watched closely.

That was how nest-children normally behaved. They didn't run into a room with a stranger in it and ignore them completely. They didn't merely threaten an aggressor, they attacked to kill and survive. Normally any half blood could detect another one in the room no matter what, but two had hidden their presence completely from him. Where their others in the room he didn't know about?

Why did these children act so differently from all the others that had managed to make it? Even his own little nest-home was nothing like this.

()

The children filed in, Ulra kept her distance from the twins, and Nomi and Frae had flour on their faces. The others walked in and gave Lance quizzical looks. Except Gen, who still glared at Faxix, making it clear that the other wasn't to make a move.

"Everyone," Lance said quieting them, "this is Faxix. He's here to make sure we get the help we need, so be nice."

"Papa," Geffin and the others were just staring, "you have an owie!"

Lance laughed, "Yeah, I messed up a little."

Geffin reached up and patted Lances arm, "does it hurt?"

"It stings a little, but right now we need to answer Faxixs questions, ok?"

Faxix watched closely, trying to discern the best course of action. The darkness never left the holders eyes, but there was no doubt that he cared for the children.

"Which would you like to be seen first? Is there anyone more injured or sick than the rest," Faxix asked. They all stared at him blankly. Then one, a tall boy, began to hiss almost jerkily; he was laughing. Which caused a few others to start giggling.

Faxix didn't know what to say. What was so funny?

"Kids," Lance gave them all a stern look. They quieted down, but then Ollie snorted and laughter broke out like a dam.

Faxix turned to Lance who just sighed.

"Once you get the giggles, its hard to take anything seriously," Lance shrugged, "How many can you take at a time?"

"…3…since the two we took first require the most attention and have most of our healers kept busy."

"alright," Lance looked his kids over, "take Ollie, Alex, and Temple first."

"What?"

"Nooo!"

Lance nodded and tried to stay standing as Allex ran pell-mell into the back of his legs. He clung to him tightly and cried.

"Ollie, I'll need you to take care of these two," Lance said, "get it?"

Ollie was not happy with being singled out first, but he nodded. He understood why he'd been paired up with those two. With his power he'd be able to protect them better.

"Alex," Lance picked the small panicking child up and held him, "you're going to go with Ollie and get a check up. You remember being here before so don't give me this face."

Alex shook his head and clung to Lance harder. Ollie tried to pry him off, but that only made Alex wail.

Faxix understood the smaller child. That child was normal. It was normal to not want to be separated from the nest-holder in front of potentially dangerous strangers. It was the others- that laughed at nothing and showed no fear- those others, were the strange ones.

Finally they got Alex to cling to Ollie instead.

"You stay with Ollie. You're big brother will keep you safe, ok?" Lance said and Alex nodded slowly, "you're big brother is very strong, so you just go and make sure you're not sick."

"Here."

Faxix jumped and reached for his weapon but a hand gripped his wrist tightly. Shiro said in a low voice, "That would be very unwise."

Martle stood by and held out the baby, Temple, to Faxix. He took the child and the baby seemed more than content to be held by him…which again, wasn't right.

()

As all their guests left the ship, Shiro turned to Lance.

"You're taking this rather well."

Lance gave him a humorless grin and turned to Martle, "How are they?"

"Ollie says to stop being a worry wart," Martle said with a chuckle, then she sobered, "the other two are hurting really badly, but they seem to be doing that they can. They aren't in any danger that I can tell."

Of course he'd have them connected so he could hover, Shiro felt stupid for even wasting the effort.