Special thanks to:

Haleygur7, Saskiamq, Lauramichca, Katiegunderson, Raxacoricofallapatoreous and guests.

for sending reviews here on I really appreciate them all. =3

Once in town, they pulled over at a gas station Katie was familiar with; one she knew only had a single camera to watch the clerk's area.

Katie walking up to the clerk making sure the camera only ever saw the back of her head "excuse me, do you have a toolkit we can borrow?" she asked politely, her only reply from the tired male clerk was a raised eyebrow.

"I need it to fix my friends bike" she added gesturing to Keith who stood behind her, but still no reply or any sign that he registered what she just said.

Keith took half a step forward to stand next to her "I need it to fix a small l leak in a replay pipe" Keith clarified, it wasn't true, but she was thankful he added to her story in a believable way.

Katie could only assume that was a common request or problem, as he nodded and lifted his head to look at Keith.

"Fine, but I need one of her shoe's" the clerk replied pointing in Katie's direction, "as insurance you'll bring the kit back"

Katie getting the distinct feeling that the dude was being a little sexist towards her, between ignoring her and demanded one of her shoes, instead of Keith whom he seemed perfectly fine with actually speaking words to when he hasn't even spoken directly to her once! She was so tempted to… no, no she needed to stay calm, lashing out now wouldn't do them any good.

Keith looking just as confused glancing towards her, probably waiting to see what she wanted to do. It was strange being treated like the boss of their team up. Katie took a slow, deep breath "Patients yields focus" she softly muttered to herself.

Keith gave her a double take as she bent down, maybe because he assumed she would refuse or something along those lines?

Either way, she got her shoe off with her good arm and flopped it onto the counter, the guy gave an approving nod… towards Keith, and exchanged the shoe for the kit without another word.

Keith grabbing the kit, while she began hopping her way out of the storefront and back to the bike.

One arm still surging with pain, gently cradling against her body, hopping around on one foot, she must have been quite a site.

Keith caught up with her easily, stepping between her and his bike "Stop and sit" he told her.

"I can help" she defended, compared to Keith she may not be as familiar with hoverbikes, but she knew the basic set up of the bikes, and what to look for. "You don't even know what it looks like" she added crossing her arms doubting 'how to find and remove bugs' was something most garrison cadets learned.

Though to be fair; she technically shouldn't have known either… she simply had a long time 'hobby' of taking things apart and learning about every new piece of tech the garrison had; whether or not it was public.

"No I don't" Keith agreed with a slight nod, though his stance didn't show any signs of wavering "but I know my bike. I'll be able to tell what parts belong and what parts don't."

Katie refusing to just sit off on the side and do nothing; he might miss something. She opened her mouth, ready to counter his argument, lifting herself on her tiptoes to be more at level with him. A damning habit in these moments, when she had only one foot to relay on.

Her body Wiggling and wobbling made her lose any ground she had on the argument, and barely keeping herself from falling in the prosses.

Keith carefully grasping her good arm, slowly leaning her upright again.

"Sit" Keith order, his voice firm but his touch surprising gently as his other hand lightly grasped her opposite hip to help rebalance her "you can tell me where to look, and if I find anything I'll show it to you"

It was a compromise Katie could live with "okay..." she reluctantly nodded, he didn't let go of her till she was sitting down on the cement barrier; set between the store and the parking area.

Katie began instructing Keith where to look, mentally ticking off a list of usual spots a sound bug or tracking bug could be hidden without getting fried, muck up any mechanical parts or simply fall off.

A part of her feeling somewhat surprised with how methodical he been looking over each section she told him about, part of her expecting Keith would only do it to humour her 'overactive imagination'.

Thankfully he did find a chip in the fourth spot, Katie starting to worry if they didn't find anything Keith would start thinking she was too paranoid or something along those lines.

Keith bringing over the thumbnail size chip, letting her get a better look at the thing.

"It's a tracker," she told him turning it around in her good hand.

"Can we use it for anything?" he asked going back to his bike, carefully hooking the plating he just removed back into its proper place.

"not really" she replied, it was kind of useless for their current needs "but-" she glanced around looking at the other vehicle around them "we could send them on a goose chase" she suggested.

"Goose chase?" Keith questioned.

Clearly, Keith was not connecting her intentions to her words, so she tried a different way to express her plan.

Katie lifted up the chip, before gesturing her hand towards the muddied truck currently filling up at one of the store's gas pumps. Katie watching his eyes, trace from the chip to the truck, it took a moment but a beat later recognition flashed in his eyes, looking back at her with a slight smirk.

"I'll go grab your shoe," he told her, holding the toolkit in his right hand and plucking the chip with his left.

Katie catching a glimpse of red stem printed on the skin of his wrist, the familiar stem leading up, under the cuff of his fingerless gloves.

It wasn't hard for her to recognize the shape of the stem, after all, she couldn't count the hours she spent studying hers and Shiro's marks; that red stem was a part of Keith's soulmark.

Her eyes watched him as he slipped the chip into a crevice of the dirty truck; it seemed to be an aspect of the truck's design. Her eyes following him till he disappeared around the corner to talk to the clerk.

Katie reminding herself she was working with Shiro's true soulmate... the person that turned her life upside down, that she change so many parts of her life so she could avoid, pretend he didn't exist. Now he was the only person that could or was willing to believe her, to give her help in finding her family and the truth, who protected her and fought for her when someone hurt her.

Her mind still boggled over that part, Keith barely knew her, yet when those guards hurt her, he was there in an instant decking both of them.

She began wondering if he was just the protective type or maybe had a strong sense of chivalry... But honestly, she had no real way of knowing...to be blunt she simply didn't know him. Shiro had talked about Keith a lot but always forced herself not to listen, she didn't want to hear anything about Keith, she pretended to be too lost in her project or something else and 'accidentally' miss what he said.

A woosh of something swinging in front of her face snapping Katie out of her thoughts, her eyes taking a second to readjust and recognize it as one of her shoes'.

"you okay?" Keith questioned, his tone sounded normal almost monotone, her eyes flicking up to him, catching a glimpse of concern in his eyes with one brow raised high.

"Yeah just lost in thought" she answered, taking her shoe, leaning down to try and put it back on, awkwardly trying to do so with just one hand.

Katie saw Keith moving in the corner of her eye but figured he was going back to his bike. She wasn't expecting the feeling of her footwear carefully being pulled out of her fingers, while Keith bent down on one knee.

Keith using his propped up knee to balance her shoe and loosen it. Using that surprising gentle touch of his to grab her ankle and slide her foot into it. Keith paused for a moment to look up at her with that questioning look of his, almost as if he was expecting or waiting for something to happen.

"What?" Katie couldn't help but ask.

"You're not going to put up a fuss?" he questioned.

"It's easier and faster just letting you do it" Katie replied with a slight shrug. With her trying to put a shoe on with one hand, it really was less hassle to let him do it. But with the way both his eyebrows jumped up slightly, Katie could only guess that it wasn't the answer he was expecting. His eyes looking back down again, his hands working on tieing up her shoe.

"Thanks" she added softly.

"Your welcome" he replied, nodding his head a little too fast.

It was the second time he seemed thrown off by her thanking him, she couldn't imagine Shiro not using please and thank you a lot, her curiosity buzzing with questions as to how people treated him back at the Garrison, which reminded her.

"You didn't answer me earlier," Katie said, as he returned her foot and stood up.

"Answer what?" he questioned back, grabbing her good hand with his right hand and putting his other at the small of her back; sending a buzzing warmth through her, as he carefully helping her stand.

"Do you have a place to sleep tonight?" she asked again, this time watching his features.

Keith's face seems to freeze before twisting into a frown and his eyebrows knotting together, Katie practically watching the gears in his mind turning.

She almost wanted to laugh for how bad he was at coming up with a lie on the fly.

"You can stay with me and my mom tonight," she told him, Keith giving her a double take as if he heard her wrong. "I'll text her and give her a heads up, we have a spare bedroom you can stay in" she assured.

Keith started at her as if he was waiting for her to say something else, but she wasn't sure what he was expecting.

Keith's mouth opened, then closed shaking his head "are you sure? Are you sure your mom would be okay with that?" he asked, looking so hesitant and nervous, though she couldn't fathom why.

"Yes, though don't say anything about me breaking into the garrison" Katie pleaded, "my mom would ground me so hard I'll have to become a mole person to survive"

A ghost of a smile brushed over Keith's lips, "I can handle that" he agreed.

"And Keith"

"Yeah?" he questioned looking at her probably expecting another condition but that wasn't her intention.

"Thanks for helping me up but I can walk to the bike on my own" she informed him, Keith still holding her right hand within his, But what got Katie blushing was the feeling of his left hand; the one with his soul mark, still resting against her lower back, unintentionally pressing right against her own hidden soul-mark.

Keith practically jumped away from her as if she suddenly burned him. Katie would feel a little insulted by the reaction if she wasn't too busy biting her lower lip, in a not so successful attempt to stop her from laughing. She had no idea Keith's cheeks could turn into the same shade as his jacket.

It was honestly pretty adorable.

Shiro let out a long breath, a warm comforting sensation starting in his lower back and left hand, the feeling washing over his body. He couldn't express how grateful he was for the feeling, not for only reassuring him that Keith was all right, but it allowed him to feel calmer, that allowed him to keep his mind as clear as possible.

Which if Shiro needed more than anything was going to make sure Matt and him survived this living nightmare. Shiro keeping the holt son as close as possible as they were shuffled onto a ship. The guard's telling them nothing, but Shiro swore he head them mention a Gladiator Rings.

AN: Okay so… you can imagine what's up next for Shiro, but how will Katie and Keith handle this when they start to feel what Shiro's feeling even lightyears away? You'll have to find out next time.