When Pidge finally got him a list of screenshots of all the prisoners she'd found with long red hair, she just sent it to him through their com units.

He was flicking through the list when Hunk came banging on his door.

"LANCE! WE FOUN- KEITH FOUND SHIRO!"

()

Shiro was a mess and a half. Lance always thought the man looked stressed, but he now looked stressed and unhinged. He was a mess and, looking from Keith to shiro, he respectfully backed off, dragging the others with him.

They needed a family meeting.

()

"No, you need to double back around!"

Lance waited for Keith final say, but when it didn't come he thought he should poke, "You're call, Keith!"

"Che."

()

Since Shiro had come back they were even more busy than before. For some reason there was a new rise in Galra defiance. Even Lance didn't have the time to look through the rest of the screenshots Pidge had sent him. By the time they'd get back to the castle they would barely make it back to their room before they'd fall asleep.

The Black lion no longer saw shiro as its paladin and was not giving up keith as the leader. Lance was fine with this, but he wished Shiro would ease up a little. No one liked a back seat driver.

The ship was strategically stationed on a planet right in the middle of everything going wrong. Lance still was able to send a weekly report, but they were shorter and often he'd have to send it the next morning because he would fall asleep in the middle.

The pull of needing to find answers and not having the time was starting to drive him crazy.

"Keith, i need to talk to you."

Keith opened the door and Lance pushed past him.

"I won't beat around the bush," lance said quickly, "Shiro's back and really, there has already been too many of us. So if you want Red back, then that's fine."

Take it.

"What are you even on about," Keith asked a little put off by how fast Lance was talking.

"I'm saying, that you can take Red back if Black takes Shiro back, I'm just opening the door of possibilities here. Allura is doing fantastic with Blue and I'm NOT opposed to taking a back seat and helping out Coran around the castle."

Take the offer!

Keith let this sink in. Was this what was eating Lance this whole time? …no, he was moody before they found Shiro. But this was obviously the root of what was going on. Keith could see that Lance was desperate, but for what?

"Lance, you're a vital part of the team," Keith said, choosing his words carefully, "before we jump the gun, let's just deal with things as they come about."

SINCE WHEN?!

Lance kept his face still, but in his mind he was screaming. Since when was Hot-head Keith the type to just sit back and wait for things to come about?!

Instead of blowing up, Lance smiled, "thanks…"

"Aren't you fond of saying that everything will work out?" Keith added with a grin on his own.

Having his own words face him was like a knife thrust to the abdomen. How would it all work out? He was a lone agent in the middle of a team he couldn't debrief! His partner could be in danger and, for all Lance knew, his world was ending with every day he was out of touch with the agency.

"Yeah," Lance said and gave a half-hearted chuckle, "but I'm serious. I have no problem with giving Red back to you."

"Thanks, but you're doing just fine with Red," Keith said, still not understanding why Lance was pushing the issue, "But we have a long day tomorrow sooo..."

"Yeah," Lance said again, "Good night."

Lance left and Keith felt like he'd accomplished something and had done a good job.

()

Pidge had found her brother, finally. And what did the sucker do the moment he landed? He hit on Allura. Lance glared and tried to look menacing, but to no avail.

But all in all, Lance had to admit that Matt was a good guy. He watched him with Pidge and thought about how his own brothers and sisters would listen to him prattle on and how they had done everything to support him in his…more than selfish choices.

()

When Lance had gotten back to his room, after a particularly long day, he habitually picked up the issued com unit and glanced at it, then, also out of habit he tossed it back onto his bed before it clicked in his brain that there had been a message in his inbox. And not just one, but dozens!

Diving onto his bed and, with shaking fingers, fumbled with it until he got the messages up, they all said the same thing:

#38 Superior Iverson- Agent B1A5, continue as if assigned. We receive your reports and find them useful. Security is being increased. Give your new team level 4 clearance. DO NOT engage with Agent Frok.

Lance felt a weight lift from his gut and shoulders. He finally had permission and orders. And they knew Frok was out.

Almost sobbing with relief, Lance went to bed, fully clothed, and slept much easier than he had before.