Meanwhile, Allura and Shiro sat at home, awaiting Keith's return. Quiznak sat in Allura's arms, just barely healthy enough to come home. On the kitchen counter sat a bottle of pills, with instructions to give the cat two each day. Shiro held an empty beer bottle in one hand and had his other hand wrapped around Allura, who watched as Shiro finally fell asleep.

"Shiro?" she said, trying not to laugh. "Hm, yes, no, what, that's me!" he answered, bolting upright and dropping his bottle. Allura laughed and pushed back the tuft of hair she loved so much. "Go to bed," she told him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

The doorbell rang. Allura got up and placed Quiznak on a pillow. She brushed some of the cat hair off of her leggings extended a hand to Shiro. He smiled, took her hand, and let her pull him up. Together, they walked to the foyer. Shiro pulled the door open, to see his brother spinning in dazed circles on the front steps.

Lance looked at Keith, then at Shiro, and back to Keith. "I swear he didn't drink or do anything like that! He just sort of got like this and asked me about snakes and if they got sad that they didn't have legs!"

Allura and Shiro looked at each other and smiled. Allura put a hand on Lance's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, he does this when he gets overtired. Sorry about that, we'll make sure he sleeps tonight!"

Lance shrugged. "Nah, I don't mind. It's cute."

He froze, realizing what he had just said. "Not, like that though, I mean, I don't, but I prefer- well, his hair, but still..." Lance trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck, dying to get out of this situation.
Lance spun around to make sure Keith hadn't heard him. Keith was still spinning.
"Look, I'm gonna go, but-"

Allura took Keith by the wrist and began to gently pull him inside. "He'll call you."

Lance turned around to leave, but before he took a step, he said over his shoulder, "Make sure he sleeps, too?"
Allura nodded, smiling, and closed the door.


With hands on her hips, Allura tried to figure out how she would be getting both of her boys to bed. She walked upstairs and into Keith's room. Allura opened one of Keith's dresser drawers and pulled out flannel pajama bottoms and a black shirt. She walked over to Keith and hugged him. "I'm so proud of you, Keith!" she told him, and lifted the red polo shirt off of him. "Allura, what are you doing..." Keith muttered. She put the black shirt over his head and handed him the flannel, directing him to the bathroom. "Brush your teeth."

Next was Shiro. He was downstairs, on the living room couch again with Quiznak on his lap. Allura lifted the cat up, and held him like a baby, carrying him up to her bedroom and putting him on the foot of the bed she shared with Shiro.

Shiro walked up the stairs, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He walked towards her and leaned in for a kiss. "No, brush your teeth and get in bed."

"Ugh, Allura!"

"If I kiss you will you come to bed?"

"Yes," Shiro promised, and walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth.


Keith woke up the next morning and at first didn't remember much. He picked up his phone and was in the middle of stretching when it came back to him. "Oh, shit!" he said. "Shit, shit, shit!"

Allura walked in, rubbing her eyes. She yawned. "What's with all the language?"

"I can't believe you let me go out after not getting any sleep!"

Allura looked offended. "Excuse you?" She was about ready to slap him upside the head.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You'd better be."

"Ugh!" Keith screamed.

Allura hugged him. "Oh, I know it, lovie."

"Don't call me that."

"Well we're going to breakfast. Get dressed."

"Allura, I can't today."

Keith was depressed, and a little worried he had messed up everything with Lance. Not that he cared, or at least wanted to care. Allura wasn't interested. She knew how to deal with depressed Keith. He wasn't depressed to the point where he would start drinking or actually not get out of bed. He just needed a gentle push. "Keith, get out of bed and get dressed. You need to work opposite-to-emotion."

"You sound like my therapist."

"Get up."

Keith rolled his eyes.

"I'll sick the cat on you."

"Quiznak is too sick to scare me." Keith answered. Allura had her hands on her hips, looking expectant.

"I will get dressed if you leave my room, Allura!"


Keith had put on jeans and some shirt Allura had bought him. It was flannel. Keith would never admit it, but it was one of his favorite shirts.

"Get out here, Keith, or we're having pancakes without you!" Allura yelled, and Keith heard her start up her Mercedes Benz. "You wouldn't dare!" Keith yelled back as he ran out the door and jumped into the car. "I knew you couldn't resist pancakes," Shiro said.

Allura's phone rang and she picked it up. "Hello? Are you kidding me? Right now, you're sure? All right, I'll be there."

She let her phone drop out of her hand and rolled her eyes back into her head."Dammit! They need me at the firm." "Why?" Shiro asked her. "Some big case they need me for."

Keith got out of the car. "I probably have work to do," he said.

Well, there go my pancakes, he thought to himself.
Keith made his way upstairs to his bedroom, where he opened the textbook that sat on his desk.

Functional Brain Imaging and Bioelectromagnetic Measurements

Noninvasive functional brain imaging has made a tremendous impact on improving our understanding of the human brain.

Keith slammed the book shut. "Dammit!"
He already knew all of this.

Textbook segment taken from Electromagnetic Brain Imaging: A Bayesian Perspective