It was after dinner and it was the most silent dinner Keith had ever witnessed with so many people in the room. Before dinner Lance had argued with Marco about hiding his bayard. Lance had put it on the end table where it was supposed to have stayed and then the 'intruder' came he didn't have his weapon.

Keith and Shiro stood by the stairs. the three younger kids were 'upstairs'; so in actuality they were sitting on the top step listening in. Paul sat in the arm chair and Lance and Vic shared the small couch while their mother ranted and paced back and forth where the coffee table used to be. The paladins had no idea what was being said. But the twins looked suitably chastened.

"The point is," Paul said slowly when his wife took a breath, "is that you should have called us sooner. waiting until we were about to come home anyway is not EVER going to be ok. I am going to go and file a report, Lance come with me."

"A report isn't going to do any-"

"Lance," Paul stood and pointed to the door, "come with me."

"k," Lance sighed and stood. He hugged his mother, told her that everything was ok, and they headed for the door.

"Keith," Shiro jerked his head and Keith scowled.

"fine," he sighed and followed Paul and Lance out the door.

"You are Shiro?"

Shiro jumped a little as he turned to face Lances mother. Victoria passed by and went up the stairs without looking at him.

"Yes, yes ma'am, i'm sorry-"

"Thank you so much for looking after my boy," she beamed at him and he figured out where Lance got his smile, "he can be a handful, but he is a good child."

"He works hard, ma'am," Shiro said as she lead him further into the living room now that the family meeting was over, "he's saved my life a fair few times."

"That is to be expected," she sighed, "never had a sense of danger and then it got worse as he's gotten older. But you and all the others are more than welcome to our home and anything that we have."

"Oh, that won't be necessary-"

"I will determine what is necessary. I also insist you tell me your favorite meal."

"I'm not a picky eater-"

"Nonsense! boys do not become so large and strong as you without eating. And you must have come across SOMETHING you like more than others, that's just logic."

"Just give up."

Shiro looked over and peaking over the end of the couch were two heads. One with light brown hair and the other with the red hair of his father.

"You won't win."

"What are you two doing," their mother snapped, "I told you to go to bed."

"we're covering for Lance," Mary said peeking from behind the armchair, "he would want us to look after his friends."

"thanks for the advice," Shiro said leaning over to the boys, "what do you guys like? I need some ideas."

"Pizza," they said together.

"that sounds good,' Shiro nodded, "Its been a long time since i've had pizza."

"It isn't for you," their mother sighed, "I'm sorry."

Shiro chuckled, "not sure why you're apologizing ma'am since i'm the one that asked them."

"Call me Layla," she said, "I insist."

"alright, Layla," Shiro said putting what he wanted to say in order before he spoke, "I may have to talk to the garrison in a few days, but i want you to know that if i leave, Keith and one other paladin will always be here; whether its hunk or Pidge."

Lance's moms eyebrows shot up. She had not been expecting this. But she smiled after it sunk in.

"that truly does put me at ease," she said, "thank you."

()

Paul had called and said they would be late getting back to the house. Who knew Thursday night would be so busy at the police station?

Shiro insisted he take the couch since he was a light sleeper and would wake up if anyone tried to come in. So it surprised him a little when woke up and found Lance hovering over him with only the street light outside as a light source.

"What the heck, Lance?"

"I'm not Lance," Victoria said, "they're not back yet…"

She was twisting the end of her shirt and, as far as Shiro could tell, she hadn't blinked since he woke up. He sat up, but she didn't back away.

"they should be back," she said quietly.

"Have you tried calling them?" Shiro asked and she nodded.

"Not picking up…dad always picks up when i call."

"Ok," Shiro took a deep breath, "is your mom awake?"

"she took a sleeping pill," vik said, "i woke up first."

"Let me make a call of my own and then we'll see what we can do next," shiro said pulling out his communicator.

"Pidge, hunk, I know you guys are awake."

"Yeah, Shiro, whats up?" Pidge asked as her face appeared, "Hunk is taking a nap; being grilled by the admin really drained the poor guy."

"I need you to scan for Lances and Keiths Bayards…you still have them chipped, right?"

"Yeah, but its hooked up to the castle systems…is everything alright?"

"…when this is all done we need to work on our communication skills."

"There is nothing wrong with MY communications skills," Pidge huffed, "Now spill, what's going on?"

"I might need you to come watch the house if i don't get the answer i want," Shrio yawned, "Think Coran is up?"

"He's been pinging me messagess every few minutes, so he better be…"

"Thanks," Shiro hung up with Pidge and called the castle.

"OH! Shiro, i wasn't…un…what-what do you need?" Coran with his innocent doe eyes. Victoria giggled.

"Let me guess," Vik said sitting next to Shiro, "Bors?"

"What?"

"Oh, Lance, i'm glad you're ok," Coran beamed, "I've had to reroute the geriform without you! but now that you're here, you can help me clean out the vents!"

"Coran, thi-"

"Oh man!" Vic sighed, "that sucks, can't wait to clean out those vents man, anyway, you know where Keiths weapon is located? we're having a hard time locating him."

"Sure thing," Coran said and started to punch keys on the console.

Shiro gave Vik a look and she grinned back. In the half light she looked almost devilish. she mouthed 'why not' and went back to the screen.

"I am sending you the map now. Thanks to Pidge hooking us up with your earth information database, i've been able to pull up all sorts of maps, AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO SCAN ANYTHING!"

Vik laughed and even Shiro grinned. Coran continued to rant about Earths information highways when he stopped.

"did you give your bayard to Keith, Lance?"

"No, why?" Vik answered.

"I mean, its not like you to let Keith touch anything of yours but-"

"Coran," Shiro said, "Are the blue and red dots together?"

"Yes, they are," Coran said completely perplexed, "Why would Keith steal Lance's bayard?"

"Never mind that Coran, please send me the map now?"

"Sure thing," he said, "Oh, and Lance, i've kept the box you said was important intact. Its in your room by the bed."

"Oh…ok, thanks…Coran," Vik grinned and when Shiro hung up she giggled fiercely. Shiro looked at the map closely.

"Well," I have their locations," Shiro said making the map bigger, "It looks like they're at a gas station…correction…they are behind the gas station…what?"

"That's our cue to leave, right?" Vik asked, "I can worry now, right?"

"No you can't worry now, and there is no 'our'," Shiro said calling Pidge again.

"I'm already heading over," Pidge said, "I needed a walk any way."

"Fine, just hurry up, k?"

"Yea," she dropped the call and Shiro began to pull his shoes back on.

"I've already got my shoes on," Vik said as though that settled every argument in the history of ever, "I'm ready before you, therefore you are actually following me."

"That's not how it works," Shiro said.

"Yes it does," Victoria said with a straight face, "because my face is the key to getting what we need."

"And what's that?"

"If they're hiding from the Beast, then by showing my face, the Beast will go after us, which will give them an opening to escape. Lance told me you were an amazing fighter so i'm not too worried about being the bait so long as you intercept."

"You're mother-"

"My mother doesn't need to know," Vik hissed, "the less she knows, the better. I'm the only one that knows the whole truth. Most of what Lance told you today was just what other people told him about what happened. That Beast nearly killed him and i'm not gonna let him have another shot at it. I panicked today and now that i've had time to process everything, i will NOT lose."

shiro sighed, "fine, but the story is that you followed me, got it?"

Vik rolled her eyes, "yes, your majesty."

()

Shiro sat outside the ICU.

Vik was on the phone with her mother and Hunk was running down the hall with Coran and Allura.

"What happened?"

"What's going on?"

"You said Keith was hurt?"

"Lance! What happened-oh you're on the phone…"

Shiro didn't move. He sat with his fingers laced in front of his face. the three of them held back and quieted when his lack of response spoke loud enough. Allura sat next to him and held his arm.

"I'm sure he will be fine," Allura said, "We can take him back to the ship and…the healing pods will work just fine."

"I took my time getting there," Shiro said thickly, "I don't know what's wrong with me. On any other planet i'd've ran there without thinking, and here…"

"It makes sense to let your guard down at home," Hunk said, "we all forget danger isn't relative."

"Mom is on her way," Vik said and reached out to take Lances bayard from the other chair.

"Put that down," Shiro said more sternly than he'd meant, "That's not yours."

"Lance and I share everything," She replied loftily.

"Oh…so where is Lance?" Hunk asked, "And i'm not sure i like your hair cut like that."

Shiro sighed. when he and Vik had arrived, Lance was gone, Paul had been shot twice, and Keith was fighting off three people at once. All three men were in police custody with injuries the size of Shiros fist.

Vik gripped the bayard and it transformed into more of a shotgun like weapon.

"You stay here and mope," she snapped, "i'm going to find my brother."

"You should wait for your mom," Shiro stood, "I'll go-"

"Mr." Victoria turned and glared at Shiro, "our papa killed people. That was his job. The fact that there are people helping him means that he's not really the one in control. All prison did was give him a friends list! He's after something and i'll be hanged before i let him get it!"

"I understand that-"

"No you don't! Why do you all think Lance never told you anything! All we have is each other! If i don't go after him then no one else will!"

"Lie," Allura stood and marched forward, "your brother is my paladin and i'll do anything to see him back safe."

"Oh step off Guinevere," sneered Vik, "before i shoot your face off."

"Excuse-"

"Victoria," Hunk stepped in between her and the others, "we will look for Lance. How about we all go back to the castle and do some searching. He didn't take his com unit, but i'm sure there are other ways to track him."

"Yeah, its called following the smell of tequila and Jagger," vik rolled her eyes, "Tell me you guys can at least track without your high and mighty tech from another world."

"Of course we can-"

"right, you guys do whatever," Vik backed up, "I'll be doing what Lance and I used to do for fun down in Cuba~ First one to find them gets to shoot them!"

And she was gone.

"Hunk, you follow her," shiro said, "Quickly."

hunk nodded and ran after victoria. They watched them until they turned the corner.

"What is a Guinevere?" Allura asked, "It doesn't sound pleasant!"

"Are you sure Hunk can handle that…Lance clone?"

"She's his twin sister, Coran, and if Hunk can handle Lance, then i'm hopping he can handle his sister. And Allura…You're just going to have to look up Guinevere cause i can't tell you why she called you that."

()

"Only follow if you can keep up," Victoria snapped as she hoofed it out of the hospital.

"Where are you going?" hunk panted.

"To the library."

"But the library-"

"Opens in twenty minutes," Vik sighed, "Do try to keep up."

Hunk looked down at his phone and it really said 08:40am.

"Have you slept at all?'

"Not really, but that doesn't matter," Vik shrugged as she picked up the pace. "I made promises and i'm going to keep them."

"If that's the case, then you need a better hold on that gun," Hunk said snatching it out of her hand and bringing her to a halt, "You're shaking."

"So what," she stampped her foot, "i want to help! I want that beast to die! I want to be the one to do it! I. WANT. MY. KNIGHT. BACK!"

"And we will get him back," Hunk said calmly, "Lance has been in sticky situations before-"

"If you only know how stick-"

"QUIZNAK!" Hunk finally lost it and grabbed her shoulders, "victoria, sister of my best friend, sister of my heart, I need you to understand that all five of us have been in really dangerous situations. We get that this is different and that this is a higher risk, but PLEASE, we have to do this calmly…i never thought i'd be the one to say that…"

"Yeah, you look like the jumpy one," victoria grinned, "I can see why Lance latched onto you."

She started to walk again and Hunk hesitated before hurrying to catch up.

"Wait, what do you mean? I was the one that latch onto him…i'm sure of it."

"Exactly," Vik laughed, "you were needy and Lance is needy, so you guys naturally meshed together."

"You're not needy?" Hunk tried to get back at her.

"Oh, i don't hide the fact i'm needy," Viks grin widened, "I ripped a door from the wall and nailed his door shut while he was asleep. I painted the living room red and glued his shoes to the front porch…in hindsight i cringe at the things i do, but at the time i remember quite clearly that it was a good idea."

"What did you do after he left," hunk asked and hurried as she took a sharp turn down a different street.

"…i called the garrison every five minutes…after the fifth time they stopped picking up the phone. mom got really mad because if there was an emergency our number was now black listed and they wouldn't pick up no matter what."

"Wait didn't you guys call for his birthday that one time?"

"Yeah, that's because Paul used his cell phone to call…he may always pick up when we call, but he never lets any of us touch his phone…because the previous reason."

"If you guys were so close why didn't he say he was a twin?"

"If you find out you find out," vik sighed, "I'm not gonna tell. Lance and I have our code and part of that code is to not let outsiders in. Its between us and only us."

"So the reason he didn't tell us he's a twin is because he's a twin?"

"About time you caught up," she laughed.