Chapter twenty

The team stood there staring at Shiro their mouths agape and their eyes wide. None of them believing what they'd just heard. Some of them thinking they were hearing things. Shiro stood at his full height once more, a quizzical look on his face.

"What?" He said. Keith stepped forward, he signed something him. "Why are you still signing I'm not-" Shiro then realized something. He could hear his own voice!

"Are you... hearing us?" Pidge asked hopefully. Shiro's eyes flashed.

"I...I..I think so!" He gasped staggering back a couple of steps, a sudden wave of relief overwhelming him. Keith couldn't hold back, he lunged forward with Pidge and hugged Shiro. The Black Paladin grunted at the sudden ambush of the Red and Green Paladins, also having not fully recovered from his physical wounds.

"The infection from the gases in something I remember from my time in Zarkon's prison. I can't believe I didn't think of it in the moment." Shiro was saying, after the realization of Shiro's newly recovered hearing, they'd all headed to the lounge to relax; since now they truly could. "The Galra use it as a way to slow prisoners down in case they somehow manage to escape. But they usually regulate it so that it doesn't become toxic. It's a lot like carbon monoxide, but isn't as deadly. There's no scent to it and you can't see it. It's generally undetected unless you really know how to detect it."

"So that infection was just part of its purpose?" Allura implied, recapping all he'd said.

"Yes." Shiro confirmed. "And it takes effect faster with open wounds. Which is why Keith and I got infected so quickly. The more open the wound is, the less time it takes to get infected. Keith's wounds were mostly burns... mine was a deep open wound."

"So that's why you got sick so quickly." Pidge's realized, relieved for finally having an answer.

"That's right." Shiro answered, further revealing the truth. "Keith may have been exposed to it longer. But because his wounds were not as open as mine, he wasn't infected as quickly."

"But then,... why'd it take us so long to notice it." Lance wondered aloud, his arms tucked across his chest thoughtfully.

"I think the adrenaline from the battle and the rescue was enough to mask the symptoms." Pidge replied, adjusting her glasses. "And his concern for Keith after we rescued him didn't help. It was after that adrenaline wore down that he finally started to feel the effects, which resulted in him passing out from exhaustion. Essentially he was so focused on Keith and getting him back that nothing else mattered. I guess, it shows just how resilient he is."

"Something." Lance agreed, shrugging one shoulder and looking at Shiro.

"I had to learn how to survive while in Zarkon's prison." Shiro told them, grinning. "I guess, I still get in the habit sometimes."

"Well at least you don't have to worry about just 'surviving' anymore." Keith emphasized beaming.

"I guess not." Shiro responded with a chuckle. "Cause I've got a whole group of protectors right here." The team smiled proudly, their relief of the resolve clearly demonstrated by their faces.

"So what was it like?" Lance asked, looking down, then up at Shiro again; his smile fading. "Seeing you're uncle again?" Shiro's face flashed.

"It- was...uh... different." Shiro admitted, his eyes dropping down to the right, then straight to the floor as he spoke. "It was a lot of things, I guess. I'm still trying to process all that has happened. The explosion, the training,... Keith disappearance and my near death experience. And my battles with Zarkon for the Black Lion... its all... so much."

"It's ok." Keith told him, his hand finding Shiro's shoulder. "We get it... it's a lot to deal with at one time."

"I know..." Shiro breathed, closing his eyes for a moment. "And I also know I'm not alone." Shiro's grey eyes met Keith's directly. The Red Paladin was taken aback by this, but knew his meaning instantly.

"Uh... Yeah... I guess." Keith slumped in defeat.

"It's ok. I know how it is." Shiro responded placing his right hand up on top of Keith's.

"And now I know what it was like for you." Keith responded, he turned toward him. "How did you survive that and have the strength to keep going after escaping?"

"I don't know." Shiro told him honestly. "I guess I'm stronger than I thought."

"Yeah,..." Keith agreed softly dropping his gaze again. "Maybe."

"Look, I know that what you saw was horrible, but you don't have to let it get to you." Shiro told him, placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Many times I almost lost my mind, but I didn't because I knew I had something to live for. Something to hope for... getting back Earth... and you."

"Even after all the struggles of your life, you still had hope?!" Keith couldn't believe what Shiro had said.

"Yes." Shiro replied simply. "Because that one thing was worth living for. That one person was worth fighting for... you are worth fighting for." He took Keith's hand and pulled him into a hug. Keith slowly returning it.

"So... wait." Allura began, as they parted. "Your saying that without Keith... you might it have survived the Galra prison?"

"I guess,..." Shiro shrugged one shoulder. "Yeah." The Princess sat back thoughtfully. She could tell Keith and Shiro we're close, but she hadn't realized just how close they actually were; until now at least.

"So Pidge." Shiro went on. "What was that noise that brought my hearing back?"

"Oh, just another one of those un-decryptable radio frequencies." The Green Paladin sighed, rolling her eyes in frustration. "I pick up several of them, I've never been able to get them decrypted to a point where I can understand them. But I guess the sound was enough to reverse the effects of the ro-beast blast." Her voice lightened at this one fact.

"Then I guess it doesn't matter. Since it helped." Shiro smiled. "But Keith, why would you go and try to take on Zarkon alone?" His smile faded, as he looked to the Red Paladin once again. Keith's face lit up at the question and than softened in despair.

"I thought I could take him by surprise..." Keith answered slowly. "I thought that-.. I could finish him... right then and there."

"Keith, Zarkon is too powerful for any one of us to take on alone. That's why we're a team. So that together we can defeat him... but we can only do that if we work together. We can't just go solo all the time. That only makes us vulnerable." Shiro's tone was gentle yet firm, his corrections, Keith knew, were valid ones. And he realized now that he wasn't ready to take on Zarkon by himself.

"Yeah... I know." Keith answered finally, keeping his voice low.

"I understand that this war has been difficult. But if we're going to take Zarkon down, we need to work as a team. One unit remember." Shiro told him removing his hand from his shoulder.

"Yeah..." Keith dropped his chin slightly. "I'm sorry." He kept his gaze fixed on the floor.

"I know how you feel. A younger version of myself would have done the same." Shiro dropped his eyes to the floor as well, but Keith looked up at him in hearing this.

"Really?" The Red Paladin had known Shiro for years, but never thought he'd ever have been like him; not by a long shot.

"You'd be amazed at what I was like back then." Shiro smirked. "You probably wouldn't even recognize me, as a teenager... or child." Keith managed a smile. 'Maybe he understands me more than I think.' He thought.

"At least now we're back on track." Shiro concluded turning to the others. "We still need to find out how Zarkon keeps finding us. So we can stop it and then go and find, and talk to, the Blade of Marmora. Hopefully, then we'll have a new alli that will help turn the tide in this war."

"Is that our only focus?" Allura questioned innocently.

"Yes." Shiro confirmed, then continued on after rising from his seat. "Figuring out how Zarkon is finding us and gaining allies is priority one. Or we won't stand a chance in taking him out. We need an edge, and without a little help... we just don't have it."

"You're right, Shiro." Keith agreed, standing up as well. "We will figure this out. And when we do, we can go find the Blade of Marmora and hopefully get them on our side."

"Then we'll be one step closer to finding a way to take Zarkon down... for good." Pidge added confidently, joining them.

"Yeah." Lance also agreed, standing up with them. Hunk and Allura rising together. The team stood gazing around at each other, confidence radiating from each one of them, and almost amplifying the others'. Each person's energies feeding off the others, a gentle growl in their ears reminded them that they were not alone. Then they all filed out of the room, heading to the bridge to get to work; all feeling more ready to get to work than they ever had before.

~Let Hands Be My Voice~

Well guys here it is... the last chapter. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the support on this story. And I'm sooo glad you guys enjoyed it!! As before I would love to know if you guys are interested a sequel for this fic. And don't worry I have other ideas besides that! Thank you guys sooo much for the amazing comments! I seriously appreciate them!!! You guys have been awesome and here's to hoping many more good stories come after it. Thx!!!