Keith paced outside the med bay in the one functional re-fabricated ship they'd completed. "I don't get why they're keeping me out."

Krolia explained, "They need to give him an unbiased physical. Your input could sway the results."

"But he doesn't understand, Krolia! I couldn't tell him everything and now he's with two galra he barely knows and no way to communicate." Keith stopped to slam a fist against the wall. "I... Krolia, he was hurt because of me. He followed me when I ran off and Sendak hurt him. And now this!" He covered his face with his hands and slid to the floor. "It's all my fault."

Krolia sat beside him and pulled him into her side. "Do not blame yourself. What happened wasn't your fault and I'm sure Lance shares my opinion." She kept silent for a minute before broaching cautiously, "Keith, I know you're worried, but I need to know what happened in the castle."

Keith shrugged. "Not much. I snuck in because I wanted to be with him. I didn't want him to wake up alone and scared. I couldn't do that to him."

Krolia clucked her tongue and wiped his hair off his forehead. "You sweet boy. My request was so cruel. I'm sorry you were compelled to disobey me." She cupped his cheeks with both hands and kissed his forehead. "But the princess... she didn't hurt you?"

Keith shook his head lightly and looked down. "She insulted me at first. When I realized she was only acting out after losing her father... I... I knew she just needed a friend."

Krolia looked up and blinked back tears. He was so much like Dal. "And then?"

"And then we waited together for Lance to wake up," Keith muttered with a shrug. "She answered a few of my questions and I comforted her during her time of mourning."

"Questions? Keith, sweet one, why would you ask her what I would have told you?" Krolia felt him tense slightly beneath her touch and he rubbed his arm self consciously.

Keith asked unwillingly, "Krolia, why are you taking care of me?" She twitched in alarm and he rushed, "I get that Ulaz and Thace found me by mistake, but you showed up and helped me like you already knew. Is it just because my mother is one of you?"

Krolia knelt and pulled Keith's back against her chest, crossing her arms over his chest. "I-"

The door of the med bay opened and Coleen walked out. "You can see him now, Keith."

Keith asked, "Krolia?"

Krolia kissed his hair and whispered, "We can speak more of this later. Go on."

She dropped her arms and he pushed to his feet. He said as he entered the room, "Lance?"

"Keith!"

Krolia pushed her self doubts aside and stood. Coleen stood beside her and whispered, "How's Keith handling this?"

"As well as we can hope for. Lance?"

"He's scared, but that's expected for anyone who suddenly loses their hearing. Ulaz is filling them in on his findings since my sign language is not very practiced. The good news is that Ulaz can make a prosthetic hearing device. The bad news is that we have no idea why Lance was able to hear the princess and Keith."

Thace exited the room then and gestured Krolia and Coleen to follow him. When they were outside, Thace said, "He's been asking about the girl in the castle and the blue lion. It seems your suspicions were right, teacher. Lance is the Blue Paladin."

"Paladin? Like what the others call Keith?" Coleen asked.

Krolia looked at the castle where the lions slept as watch hounds. "His hearing is tied to the alteans. I will seek answers."

"Teacher, they will never-"

Krolia shut him up with a glance. "I go not as a blade, but as a parent asking for aid. If I do not return in three vargas, take them both and go. Keep them safe." Then she ran toward the castle.

Allura sat on her bed fuming. When they'd been discovered on the castle bridge, Coran had dragged her to her room and locked the door. After screaming obscenities and banging on the door yielded nothing, she'd taken to silence. Now the hour was late, but she was still far too angry to sleep. Not even the mouse in her pocket could quell her rage.

A soft knock was followed by a key turning in the lock. Light framed Coran from the hallway, leeching into her darkened chambers. He carried his tray to the bedside table saying, "I wish you would light the room if you're going to sulk." Allura refused to look at him and remained silent. Coran sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Allura scooted further away. "Allura, my dear, please do not be angry with me. I keep you here for your safety." He waited for a reply before standing. "At least tell me why you disobeyed my request."

When Allura kept her silence still, he went to leave. When he was almost gone, she finally said, "He lost his father too, Coran, in a fire when he was but a child. He understands my pain and comforted me. He's not the monster Zarkon or his armies are and neither are his friends!"

Coran seemed to contemplate her words, but looked straight ahead and answered, "In two quintants, the ship will be ready for flight and we will find the locations of the other lions. You will stay here until then, Princess. Am I understood?"

Allura seethed, "You are as clear as a Balmeran crystal."

Coran glanced sideways at her, regret in his eyes. "In time you will understand. I'm sorry to do this, Allura."

She tried to mimic some of the anger she'd seen in Keith's gaze, but there were tears in her eyes. She practically snarled, "If I never see them again, I will never forgive you."

"I can live with-" Coran cut himself off as an alarm went off. He checked his pocket for the micro tablet that monitored the castle.

Allura asked, "What's happening?" Coran cursed under his breath and left. Allura ran to the door as it shut. "Coran, tell me right now!" The lock clicked as she twisted the door handle. "Coran, let me out! Please! Coran!" She bit back a frustrated sob and slid down the wall to the floor. Two quintants. Two quintants and she would be across the universe, but she had no idea if the red and blue lions would stay true to their paladins or follow their leader.

Coran maintained what dignity and composure he could while he ran to the front entrance. He checked the camera footage on his tablet on the way. That galra woman was walking up to their door. Even more worrisome was the fact that the red and blue lions simply permitted her passage. He cursed under his breath and stopped to catch his breath.

Fixing his hair and mustache, Coran opened the door and walked to the threshold. "That's close enough."

The woman paused and turned her body slightly, one leg in front of the other. "We need to talk."

"I beg to differ," Coran countered. "Your child is healed and has left the castle. We have nothing more to discuss."

The woman worked her jaw and lifted her chin. Her eyes were focused on him. The lions watched silently from their place at the end of the bridge. Coran shivered. The woman forced herself to relax and said, "I do not know why you insist on this tenuous ceasefire. I and my kindred are enemies of the empire. It would prove beneficial to form an alliance." Coran remained stoic and still. The woman went on, "He told no one of his ventures into your castle, as she did not tell you of his trespass. We are the same in this."

"And what is that?" Coran questioned.

The woman lowered her gaze. "Simply concerned for the well being of our wards. When the boy your castle healed returned to us, it was apparent that something was terribly wrong. His hearing is altered, and I believe it has to do with your altean mystics."

"I haven't heard alchemy being referred to as mystics in a long time, woman," Coran replied. What was she getting at? The pod wouldn't have done anything to change the boy.

"It is the name my order has used for millennia. Yet the name does not matter. I'm only here to look for an answer to what has happened to him."

Coran narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly did happen? You've been dancing around the subject long enough."

Krolia looked up to meet his gaze again. "That's what I'd like you to explain."

Keith and Lance walked side by side toward the castle. Ulaz had left them with an uneasy hope, but for now, there wasn't much to be done. Keith had expected Lance wouldn't be able to shut up when he finally woke. Since they'd left the cruiser, he'd barely said a word. Keith kept a careful watch on him.

Lance looked around the world with wide eyed wonder. Everything from the bugs in the grass to the strange animals that loped through the vast praries made him pause and stare. Keith let him. He had been too upset to take it in when they'd first crashed and watching Lance made him find a new appreciation for this planet. A pair of arusian stags locked horns in the moonlight. Keith grabbed Lance's hand and pulled him forward. "Come on. I'll teach you how to track those antleropes in the morning."

"Antleropes?"

"Those deer things. That's what Krolia calls them. Though, I think it's a generic term for animals that look like that. We've been hunting them to sustain our camp. Thace taught me how to preserve the meat and Ulaz how to track and hunt them." Keith helped Lance climb over a low hill and rubbed the back of his neck. "They've been teaching me a lot, actually."

"Seems like you've kept busy," Lance pointed out.

Keith looked at his footing. "It... was the only thing to do." He felt Lance's eyes on him and sighed. "I was a bit messed up when you went into that healing pod. Krolia was injured and Thace needed a third set of hands. The other prisoners were terrified of them. I was the logical choice. Except... I wasn't."

"Keith?" Lance bumped shoulders with him. "Don't stop there. Fill me in."

"It's so bad, though," Keith rebuttled. "I was so distracted I couldn't do anything. I couldn't help with the ships, I could hardly focus on anything I was told. Krolia eventually took me aside and had me constructing explosives. You know, those things Ulaz had hidden in the cabinet when we escaped." Keith groaned and wiped his hands down his face. "It should have been easy. Three steps, but I fucked the order and only Ulaz noticing kept me from blowing myself up."

Lance sucked a breath through his teeth. "How are you now? I don't think I've ever seen you that flustered."

"I'm fine now that you're awake," Keith admitted with a smile back at Lance. "Eventually they realized I wasn't going to be any help. I was lethargic, for lack of a better word. After a week, Coleen told me I should leave camp for a few hours. I went for a walk and tried to clean up in the waterfall under the castle bridge, but I passed out. When I came to, Thace was resuscitating me. He'd found me unresponsive half submerged downstream in the creek. He carried me back to camp. Apparently I'd been missing for almost a day. Coleen and Krolia were both wrecked. When they called Ulaz back, he wasn't much better. I had caught a fever. They didn't leave me alone until it broke three days later."

Lance stopped and gripped Keith's hand in his. Keith looked back and followed Lance's gaze to the stars. Lance murmured, "So much happened. I can't believe I was asleep for a month. What else have I missed?"

Keith squeezed Lance's hand. "We can't see Earth from here. And these constellations are completely unrecognizable."

Lance rubbed his necklace pendant between his fingers. "Do you think they're doing okay? Veronica and the admiral and everyone?"

"I hope so. I have to believe they're still alive... otherwise, I think I'd go insane," Keith muttered.

"When can we go back?"

Keith watched a shooting star cross the night sky and answered, "I don't think that's a possibility right now. The empire is looking for the lions. It's our job to keep them safe and if we go home now, we'll only be handing them over again."

"Oh. That... that makes sense." Lance cleared his throat and looked away.

Keith reached for Lance's other hand and said, "Hey, sharpshooter, it's okay. We'll find a way to go home and save everyone, but until then we'll stick with Krolia and the blades. They're closer than anyone to taking down the empire. If we can help them, we should."

"Heh," Lance sniffled. "You're always three steps ahead of me, mullet."

Keith hugged Lance. His taller friend slumped against him to hide his face in his neck. Keith whispered, "I promise we'll return. You'll see your family again."

The wind circled around them on this strange planet. When Lance finally let go, he resumed walking and asked, "So where are we heading?"

Keith pointed to the lions. "I have a separate camp set up there."

"They let you have your own camp? Such an emo child, putting so much space between you and them," Lance teased.

Keith gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah... Coleen and Krolia were relentlessly against it until Red... wait, what's Krolia doing at the castle?" He picked up his pace and jogged to Red. Peeking around her leg, he spied on Krolia where she spoke to the princess's advisor.

"What're they saying?"

Keith pushed Lance against Red and covered his mouth with a hand whispering, "Shh! She'll hear you."

Lance raised an eyebrow and looked down at Keith's hand and then to Keith's eyes. Keith felt a rising flush creep up his neck and burn his ears. Fuck. Keith slowly took his hand off Lance's mouth and held a finger to his lips. Taking a deep breath, he looked around Red and looked at the castle entrance.

"Are you checking up on me?"

"Yeep!" Keith flinched as Krolia's hand landed on his shoulder.

Krolia giggled and moved her hand to the side of his neck to pull him into her. "Aw, Keith, don't be embarrassed."

"Krolia!"

She laughed and fluffed his hair. "I'm sorry, kit. It's just so easy when you're flustered. Are you two catching up?"

Keith flushed and looked at Lance for help. Lance shrugged and pointed to his ears. Groaning, Keith answered, "Yes."

Krolia smiled at Lance and then kissed Keith's hair. "I'll leave you to it, then. Tell Lance I said good night. Love you, Keith."

"Will do. Love you, too," Keith answered on reflex. Lance made a strangled noise and Keith realized what he'd said. Whipping around to face him, Keith pointed a finger and demanded, "Don't say anything."

Lance held his hands up. "What do I know? All I heard was you confess affection for a woman old enough to be your mother."

"She's not my mom, okay. She just... takes care of me." Keith folded his arms as his defense crumbled.

Lance wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Hey, I'm not making fun of you, mullet. I'm happy you've made a connection. Even if you had to travel halfway across the unknown universe to do so. Besides, even Blue likes her."

"Oh. Okay, then." Keith climbed over Red's foot and fell into the nest. The mice crawled out of the grass and Keith let them crawl into his lap. "Wait, where's the little guy?" The angry one stood and circled before looking at the castle tower. Keith followed its gaze and murmured, "She's still with Allura?"

"Keith? Now who're you talking to?" Lance slid over Red's foot and plopped into the nest beside him. Keith shielded the mice with a hand as Lance's thigh fell across his knee. Lance leaned on Keith's shoulder and cooed, "Aw! You got a few pets?"

"They're not mine, but they've been staying with me and Allura." He looked up at the tower again. "I... I hope she's okay. I don't want her to be punished for what I did."

Lance hmmphed and laid down in the grass with his hands behind his head. "You really care for her. From what you said earlier, I doubted she was the same girl who walked us out of the castle."

Keith slid down in the nest and rolled up on his side to look at Lance. "I guess... I understand her, a strange thing for a change. I've always struggled to make 'connections', but with her it wasn't all that hard."

"Hmm," Lance repeated. He watched the sky and chewed his lip before mentioning, "By the way, Blue said something strange earlier..."

Keith yawned and scooted closer to Lance. Pillowing his head on Lance's bicep and closing his eyes, Keith mumbled, "What was that?"

Lance's turned on his side so he was facing Keith, his hair falling over Keith's face. He gently rubbed Keith's head, making him smile, and said, "It's probably nothing. We can worry about it in the morning."

"Mmkay." Keith sighed in content. He'd missed this.

"You missed sleeping with me?"

Keith mumbled, "Hmm? Did I say that out loud?"

"Yeah, ya did," Lance chuckled. Red let out a low rumble and Blue curled around them. Red's warmth seeped over their nest and she laid over them. "They're... like my sisters when that college chick hit on me."

Keith wrapped an arm over Lance and muttered, "Shut up and go to sleep already."

"I've been sleeping too long, but I'll let you get your beauty rest."

"From what I remember, you already called me beautiful, Lancey-Lance. To prove your french," Keith teased. The blue lion pulsed with laughter and Lance snorted. Keith smiled again. Yeah, this felt so much better than sleeping alone."