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by jalpari

As Keith and Noor make their way back to the team, Noor surprises him with her new abilities.

A/N:

Bit of a (long) filler chapter and some cheesy fluff but I couldn't resist! Hold on for just a bit longer. The next chapter is going to do a deep dive. YAY!

Noor was stunned. She was overcome with emotion and didn't know how to respond. She gazed at Keith as he smiled and shrugged at her. She had seen a lot over the last year. Things she couldn't have ever imagined in her wildest dreams.

But what he had said, a vision of her floating in the quantum abyss several years before they would even meet, still seemed unbelievable. She was amazed by the mysterious ways in which the universe worked. The invisible threads that connected them all.

Her fingers slowly found their way to his and intertwined them. She stared at their hands and pressed them together. Keith didn't flinch. He rested his other hand on hers.

"Noor…?" he spoke when she hadn't spoken for several seconds.

"It's so...I can't believe…", she sighed and looked up at him finally. "Thanks for finding me...again", she smiled gratefully. "How many times are you gonna have to find me before all this is done", she giggled.

Before he knew what he was saying, Keith replied earnestly.

"As many times as it takes." He froze at his own words. "Uhh…", he fumbled, "I mean…"

"I know what you meant", she chuckled softly and wrapped his arm around her, leaning in for another hug. "Thank you."

Keith was surprised at himself and the warm fluttering that was spreading through his chest. He was trying to sort through his thoughts when he felt Noor sobbing against him. His shoulders dropped as he felt the weight of everything lift off - the worry, the uncertainty, the fear.

It was all going to be okay. He was glad to have found her. He was glad she was alive and fine. He pulled her closer as Noor hid her face in his chest and wept. After several minutes, Kosmo finally came over to them and licked her arm. Noor laughed and wiped her tears when she saw the pup looking at her expectantly.

"I missed you too, boy", she leaned forward and kissed him.

"He didn't allow me to teleport you", Keith petted the pup.

"Ahh...thank you", she kissed Kosmo's nose. "You knew where I was, didn't you?" Noor rubbed his neck.

"Where were you?"

"I'll tell you everything once we're back at the Olkasihip", Noor turned around to face Keith and grinned.

"Alright let's go then...Kosmo can telepor…"

"We don't need to teleport", Noor interrupted him.

"Uhh...then how are we going to…"

Her grin grew wider as she retrieved something from her pocket and held it out in front of him.

"Is this the whistle you stole at the swap moon mall!?" Keith's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yep! I knew it would come handy!" She smiled smugly.

"Sure you did", Keith rolled his eyes. "And how exactly is this going to help us?"

Noor stood up and reached for the hatch. She opened it and began climbing out of the pod when Keith yanked her back.

"Noor where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Ouch!" Noor winced and glared at Keith. "Calm down, will you. Just trust me."

He let go hesitantly. Noor climbed up and half her body emerged outside the pod. She could feel his hands still grabbing onto her legs, much to her amusement. She looked around and then blew into the whistle.

Keith watched bewildered as the whistle made no sound. He wondered if she had gone crazy in the abyss. But then he heard a long deep moaning sound surround them and within seconds a cosmic whale had appeared. He saw her make a few swift moments with her arms, and felt the pod move towards the creature and eventually land on its back. She returned inside and closed the hatch.

"Umm...how did you…"

"Told you", she smirked as she sat beside him once more, "the trip was worth it!"

"Uhuh...uhuh…", he nodded bewildered, unable to wrap his brain around what he had just seen. "But...but I've been on this animal before...this can take forever."

"Not when you know how to talk to them", she beamed.

"You can...talk to it?"

"Soooo much to tell you", she winked and laughed. "We should be there in a few hours."

Keith dropped his head in resignation and chuckled.

"You're a weird idiot", he looked at her.

"You're an idiot too", she nudged his shoulder.

"That's probably true", he nudged her back.

"Wow", she gasped, "I never thought I'd see the day when Keith Kogane would accept that he is an idiot."

"Never thought I'd see the day when I'd have to chase someone into the quantum fucking abyss", he grinned.

They laughed and let out a deep sigh. Then they fell silent and looked at each other. Noor saw a somber expression replace the laughter on Keith's face.

"Why did you leave, Noor? Was it because of the fire? None of us were injured and I was fin…"

"I had to", she interrupted him. "I couldn't wait around for something worse to jump out of me."

"You left without saying anything."

"If I had said anything, none of you would have let me leave."

"But you didn't need to go alone", he frowned. "If you needed to get answers, I could have come with you."

"I didn't know where I was going, Keith."

"I would have still come with you!" Keith nearly yelled.

Noor flinched back in surprise. She looked away with guilt and frustration.

"I'm sorry", Keith muttered and turned her back towards him, "I just...I felt helpless."

"You felt helpless?" Noor grunted, "How do you think I've been feeling ever since I got abducted? When I saw other people being experimented on. When I was being experimented on. When they blew up the base. When I unleashed so much destruction and nearly killed all of you in my rage. I couldn't do anything to control it...I felt so so helpless!"

Noor looked at him in anger. She could feel the tears building up but she wasn't about to let them fall. She wanted to be angry. Not hurt.

"This is not just about you or me. This is about something much much bigger than we realized! And I needed to figure it out. And I have, Keith. I HAVE figured it out! I'm NOT going to say sorry for any of it!"

Keith stared into her eyes. There was a fierce determination in them. It was then that he noticed the changes in her. She seemed more confident and self assured than he had ever seen before. Whatever she had been through during her year in the abyss, had changed something deep inside her.

"You're right", he sighed finally. "You did what you had to...I can relate to that."

"Good." Noor relaxed.

Just then, she heard a buzzing in the distance and in the blink of an eye, a strong bright beam blinded her.

"What the fuck was that!?" Noor exclaimed.

She felt Keith's body hunched over her protectively. She straightened herself and looked at him confused.

"It was the solar flare I told you about", he replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I guess. Just a little shaken. What...what did you see in your vision?"

"I'm pretty sure we saw the same thing", he whispered as he looked away. "It's called dream sharing."

"Hmm", Noor glanced at him hesitantly. "I saw...I saw you...but you were a child. And you were at a funeral."

"It was my father's funeral."

"Oh…", Noor placed a hand on his arm, "I'm sorry. How did he..."

"He was a fire fighter...a true hero. They told him not to go back into the building but he…"

"He sounds like an amazing person. That's where you get it from, huh?"

"Get what from?" Keith finally looked at her.

"Your compassion. And your courage", she smiled and squeezed his arm.

Keith smiled and leaned his head against the wall. Noor looked at him and saw the lost child she had seen in the vision. The child who had sat on the stairs as the guests bid his father farewell and left the house. The child who had wept silently and planted a kiss on his father's cheeks. She had seen him lean forward and whisper ever so softly.

Please don't leave me.

"Umm...is that another one? So soon?" Noor gasped as a bright light expanded in the distance.

"Guess we're passing through an active solar zone. Brace yourself", he yelled as he pulled her close and covered her with his body once more.

Noor remained frozen and hunched when she snapped back to reality. Her breathing grew shallow and she wrapped her arms around herself when Keith pulled back. She shut her eyes tightly.

She hoped and prayed that he hadn't seen the same vision as her. She felt a pain shoot through her chest and the familiar panic emerging from a void within her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched.

"Noor...I…", Keith was at a loss for words. "I...didn't know…"

He felt her shrink further into herself. He adjusted himself so that they were face to face.

"Hey…", he whispered, "...I'm sorry….your father…"

"He was no father to me", Noor grit her teeth as she stared at the floor. "My real father...the only man I will ever consider a father, adopted me several years after this monster repeatedly raped…"

She paused and gulped. She was shaking and found it hard to keep a steady voice. Keith waited patiently and gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"He got what he deserved. A bullet to the head. The only regret I have is that she...my mother...lost her life trying to save me."

"She was a brave woman."

"Yes...she was", Noor felt hot tears slide down her cheeks.

She leaned forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Keith rested his chin on her head and sighed. They sat in silence for several minutes.

"Ugh…", she groaned and sat up, "For god's sake. Here we go again!"

She scowled and covered her eyes as another flash exploded towards them.

Noor looked around trying to figure out where the visions had brought her this time. She heard screams behind her and turned around startled. There was chaos everywhere. Distant figures fought from the land and sky. Flashes, beams, shots, explosions erupted from every direction.

Her body floated closer to the action but everything remained a blur. A battle was unfolding and suddenly everything went silent. It was like she was watching a silent movie. From the middle of the chaos, emerged a body. Her body.

She watched in shock as her body radiated a purple glow. As the body in front of her shone with greater intensity, she could feel her own body suffocating. She clutched her throat desperately, trying to take in deep breaths and fight the choking sensation.

All the air was being sucked out of her as she watched her other self bursting with the strange energy. Before she knew what was happening, the purple light turned red and black and soon it exploded in all directions. When she could see again, she stared at her limp, lifeless body fallen on the ground.

The next second, the sounds returned and she could hear the battle once more. People were screaming, weapons were being fired, but amidst all the fighting, her body remained still. She cried out and tried getting closer. But the harder she tried, the farther away her body seemed to move. Until finally, she was sucked out of the vision and back into the pod.

Keith opened his eyes and was in a place similar to the planet in the Quantum Abyss where he had found Romelle. Except this place was even more tranquil and beautiful. Everywhere he looked, there were lush trees of every shape, flowers of all colors, shimmering green grass, and a beautiful blue sky.

There was a soothing hum in the air all around, like distant birds singing a joyful song. He walked towards a meadow of purple and white flowers that swayed daintily in the breeze. It had only been a few seconds, but he was already more relaxed and happy than he had ever been.

Beyond the meadow, he could see a lake by which sat two figures. He squinted to get a clearer view but they were too far away. They seemed to be engaged in a lively conversation. One figure was speaking rapidly, their arms moving all around them animatedly. The other person seemed to be enjoying the little performance as they threw their head back several times in laughter.

As he made his way through the meadow to get a better look, he felt rustling nearby. He turned to see a shadowy figure sprint by him.

"Kosmo?" Keith exclaimed. "Kosmo! What are you doing here?"

But the pup didn't hear him. He kept running towards the two figures. Keith watched in surprise as it jumped around them. The second figure petted and massaged the pup, while the first one leaned back giggling to avoid Kosmo's licks.

"What is going on?" Keith whispered to himself.

He inched closer hesitantly and then his eyes opened wide. The figures became clearer and he noticed a familiar jacket on the second figure. It was his jacket. He focussed on the first figure and thought he recognized the hair which was tied in a familiar ponytail that swung about in the breeze as she continued talking and giggling.

"Is that…"

Before Keith could finish his thought, he felt himself sliding back the way he had come. He had no control over his movements. And finally, he was sucked out of the vision and back into the pod.

When Keith opened his eyes again, he saw a terrified Noor staring ahead. He tapped her arm to get her attention. When Noor turned to face Keith, his smile turned into a concerned frown.

"Noor...what happened? What did you see?"

"I...I...umm...what did you see?"

"It was kinda nice...I was on a beautiful planet. So green and peaceful and pleasant. I thought I saw Kosmo and myself and…", he paused and glanced at Noor who once again, seemed lost in her own thoughts. "Are you okay? Didn't you see the same vision as me?"

"Huh?" Noor snapped out of her thoughts. "Uhh...yeah", she was unsure of what to make of her vision. "I...yes, me too. The green...planet. Yeah...it was gorgeous", she decided not to reveal her disturbing vision.

"Are you sure? You don't look like you had a very...positive vision", his frown deepened.

"No...I did. I did. I just...I couldn't tell who the people were so I was confused", she lied and managed a smile.

"Hmm", Keith muttered.

"Look", Noor jumped up and looked outside the pod. "I think we're out of the abyss. Is that...the Olkaship?" She pointed at a small object hovering far away.

"Looks like it." Keith stood beside her and leaned forward.

Noor tried starting the pod and to her relief, this time, it turned on.

"The controls are back!" She exclaimed and reached for the comm.

"Comms are still offline!" she sighed as she tried to tune it to different frequencies. "Doesn't matter...we can get off this whale now. Take the controls and wait for me", she stood up and gestured to Keith.

She walked back to the hatch and stood up once more. She pulled out the whistle and blew into it, this time in short bursts in a specific pattern. Then she waved her arms in a circle and then upwards and Keith felt the pod rise and hover over the whale.

"Now…", she peeped back inside at an astonished Keith. "Let's go."

As they flew away, Noor sighed and looked back at the magnificent creature.

"Bye, whale", she waved sadly.

She thought of all the friends she had made over the last year and how much she had been through with them.

"Thank you for everything", she whispered and took a seat beside Keith.

"Ready to go home, Noor?" he smiled.

Noor leaned back letting go of the disturbing vision she had had and looked forward to seeing her team again...her friends...her home.

"They're here! I can detect the pod", Pidge jumped out of her seat and yelled.

Hunk's snoring ended abruptly and he nearly fell off his seat.

"They're….they're on the back of a giant rocky moving thing…", Pidge muttered.

"Is it a planet?" Luten gasped.

"Maybe an asteroid?" Pidge muttered.

"No, it looks like a…", Shiro stood beside Pidge and stared at the object.

"It's a giant cosmic whale!" Bani gasped. "So they are real!"

"They're flying off it now. Open the hatch", Shiro ordered.

They watched in disbelief as the pod left the whale and made its way to them. The whale let out a long moan and turned back.

"So…", Pidge turned to face the others, "that happened."

They rushed down and when they entered the hangar, they saw Keith helping Noor off the pod.

"Noor!" Pidge ran forward and jumped at the girl, embracing her with all her might.

Noor stumbled back, tired and unsteady. Keith supported her and chuckled. Noor sighed and hugged the girl back. When she looked up, she saw Shiro standing behind her. She took a deep breath and walked to him. She noticed the bandages on his forehead and shoulder.

"Shiro…", she looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorr…"

"I'm glad you're alright", Shiro pulled her in for a hug, "That's all that matters."

"I'm glad you're alright too", she sniffed and leaned into the embrace.

The rest of the group exclaimed in relief and soon she was enclosed in a group hug.

"Slow down, guys!" Keith pulled Hunk back and then reached for Pidge. "She has literally not eaten anything since she left."

"What!?" Hunk exclaimed. "We have to fix that immediately! I'll cook Indian food today."

"It's good to have you back", Luten smiled and placed his hand on her arm.

"Thank you", Noor gave him a quick hug. "It's good to be back."

"Let's get you inside", he began intertwining their arms when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay…", Keith stepped forward, "I can take her."

There was an awkward silence as Keith and Noor left.

"That's rough buddy", Hunk patted Luten on the back.

After dinner, everyone sat around Noor in the lounge. She was wrapped in a cozy blanket with her legs up on the couch, and was sipping on hot tea that Hunk had prepared to help her fatigue.

"So…", Pidge sat in front of her expectantly, "...you were lost...and a glowing cloud spread all around you...a giant cosmic whale like the one we saw back there appeared and your pod...got stuck on it."

"Yep", Noor nodded. "And then it took me to the quantum abyss", she rested her feet against Keith's thighs who sat beside her on the couch.

"What happened there?"

"My pod floated around and then it just stopped, frozen in place. I could feel a powerful force calling out to me. I didn't know what it was at the time but it grew stronger and eventually, I felt like I was being sucked out of my own body."

"Woah…"

"The next thing I knew...I was in a whole other world...a spirit world."