A/N: Happy Birthday, Mari! Here's an extra chapter for the week to celebrate!

**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender (duh)

CHAPTER 33: SORRY

Adam was dead, much to Keith's shock.

Despite his broken relationship with Shiro, Adam had been a good man. He'd always been nice to Keith. He'd been a great teacher. And he'd never had any qualms when Keith had stolen his boyfriend for the weekend to squeeze in some extra hoverbike lessons and rounds in the simulator.

But now, he was gone. He and many other pilots had been killed by Sendak when the invasion had begun.

Keith could only imagine how Shiro was feeling. Even if their engagement had been broken off, Adam had still been family. Guilt and grief stormed in Shiro's dark eyes all throughout their debriefing, the news of his ex-fiancé's death still weighing heavily on his shoulders, even if he'd never admit it. Beneath the mask of calm bravery he forced himself to wear as they pushed forward with their plans to face Sendak, Keith could see the tired and troubled man that was hidden from sight.

To make things worse, the Garrison higher-ups were treating them like outsiders, speaking to them if they were ignorant about the state of the world and the terrifying strength of the Galra army (even though they so clearly weren't). Admiral Sanda and her colleagues were seriously considering sacrificing the lions if it meant Sendak would leave Earth (even though it so clearly wouldn't), and that had sparked a fresh round of indignation from Allura.

First Hunk and his missing family, then Shiro and his deceased ex, and now the rising tensions between Team Voltron and the Garrison leaders…Sendak was already dealing mental and emotional blows to their team, threatening to shake them up and break them apart before even a day had passed since they arrived on Earth.

Patience yields focus, Keith had to remind himself. Don't lose hope. Sendak would get what was coming to him, he promised himself that much. They just had to focus on one thing at a time.

Finally, when their meeting was over and they had reached a plan of action – Pidge and Allura would search Sendak's memories from the Castle to see if they could figure out what he was planning, and Shiro, Scarlett, and Coran would see what they could do about the MFEs and the Atlas' power situation – everyone was dismissed. And the first problem Keith decided to tackle in their bout of free time before their next round of discussion was finding and talking to Hunk.

He wandered the halls in search of the big guy, who had quickly made himself scarce after the debriefing. He passed by plenty of rigid officers and doey-eyed cadets, but there was no sign of the Yellow Paladin. Then, just as he was hurrying by an out-of-the-way storage room, he heard Hunk's irritated grunt from inside. Keith pulled to a stop and paused in the doorway to see him with oil splashed on his face from the machine he'd been fiddling with on the table.

"Is everything okay in here?" he asked.

Hunk glanced at him, his usually kind and bright eyes now full of frustration and gloom. "Yeah," he groaned. He turned his back to him, wiping the black liquid from his face and indicating he was not in the mood for a conversation.

But Keith stood his ground. He wouldn't be shaken off that easily. Still, he'd hardly ever been on the opposite end of these sorts of situations, where he had to broach the touchy subject of talking about feelings, and then provide comfort. It made his skin prickle as awkwardness took hold, and he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame, steadying himself and bracing for the uncomfortableness that was to come.

"Look, I'm not really good at talking with people," he began, slowly and unsurely. "And I don't expect you to open up to me, but…if there's ever anything on your – "

"This situation stinks!" Hunk snapped, cutting him off as he slammed his fists against the table. "I-I can't believe we finally get back to Earth and it's taken over by Galra."

He looked back at Keith, a helpless fury burning in his gaze. Keith blinked at him, surprised by the rare and straightforward expression of anger from the usually mellow gentle giant who was Hunk Garrett. At least he was still being honest, as always. It would make their conversation much easier.

Keith lowered his arms. "I guess there is something on your mind," he said, venturing deeper into the room to stand by Hunk's side.

"I-I know it's stupid, but I used to daydream about coming home to a peaceful Earth. And that would've been great," Hunt continued, stammering as he vented and put it all out there for Keith to hear. "But I realized that nothing – nothing would been greater than seeing my family. But I can't. And all I keep thinking about is that I wasn't there for them. And I don't even know if they're okay. And I-I see Pidge and Lance and Shiro and Mari with their families, and I-I mean, I'm happy for them. I am. But it just…it makes me miss my family more. I-I just…I've never felt so alone and scared."

Hunk let out a shaky breath, biting his lower lip as his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Keith was left to mull over his words, his heart aching. The loneliness, the guilt of betrayal and abandonment, the fear of never getting to see your most important people, your family, ever again…He understood it all. He knew exactly how Hunk was feeling. And he wouldn't let him be eaten away by guilt and swallowed by despair, not when any of this had been his fault. Not when that was the last thing he deserved.

"Look, Hunk. I never told you this, but of all the paladins, you're the one I'm most impressed by," he said, honest and gentle as he spoke. Even as Hunk looked at him, doubtful, Keith pressed onward, really and truly meaning every word. "It's no secret that you've been the most scared, but you've never backed down. Never. And to be brave is to go on in spite of fear. And that's who you are, Hunk. I know you're scared, but your family…they need you to be strong right now."

Hunk stared at him in stunned silence, eyes wide as he absorbed the truth. His gaze dropped to the floor, and Keith could see a newfound resolve spark and burn brighter and brighter behind his eyes. He was relieved to see it – the courageous and loving Hunk he knew and trusted with his whole heart was coming back to him. Maybe this talking-about-feelings stuff wasn't too bad after all.

Hunk lifted his head, his smile wide. Then without warning, he wrapped Keith in a tight hug that squeezed the air out of his lungs and nearly lifted him off his feet. It sent a shock through his system, his skin prickling again and his body whimpering in protest. Clearly, physical touch was still something he had yet to get used to. But he made no move to shove Hunk away, especially not when this was his way of expressing affection and gratitude.

"Okay. All right," he wheezed, forcing himself to just let it happen. He smiled helplessly in Hunk's iron hold, tentatively returning the embrace. "Now we're hugging."

"Thank you, Keith," Hunk said, a renewed happiness in his voice.

Keith nodded as best he could. They stood there like that a couple seconds more before Hunk set him down on the floor and pulled back. Then without another word, he raced for the door.

Keith scrambled to stop him, confused by his sudden urgency to leave. "Where are you going?" he called after him.

Hunk paused in the doorway. "I'm going to get my family."

His expression was set with an unwavering determination, practically screaming, "Don't try to stop me!" Keith smiled again. Like he'd even think of doing that.

"Not without me," he said, and he followed Hunk, the two of them walking side by side down the hall.

"Curfew starts in three hours," Hunk said, quickly going over his makeshift plan as they swiftly navigated the Garrison facility. "We'll take a car, search my house and my sister's place and maybe the city if no one's home, get them, and come back before anyone ever notices we're gone."

Keith grimaced. He hoped it would be that easy. But things never were for the Paladins of Voltron, now were they? There were a lot of potential dangers and holes in Hunk's plan, especially in the event they couldn't find his family at their houses. But it was a starting point. And Keith couldn't come up with any better course of action.

"We'll need our armor and bayards," he pointed out. Their plan may be vague, but at least they'd have their weapons and protection and a way to communicate with the others if things started getting hairy.

"I know where the decontamination room is," Hunk said, picking up speed. "Come on!"

He led Keith to an empty hallway in the main building. He marched right up to one locked door in particular and crouched down to inspect the keypad. Then he promptly pried the panel off, exposing the wires keeping it attached to the wall. He began to fiddle with them, creating little sparks as he hacked their way in.

Keith stood watch over him, looking up and down the halls in case a cadet, or worse, an officer, rounded the corner. But this area of the Garrison was, thankfully, quiet at this hour. Until two familiar sets of steps sounded to his right, growing louder by the second. He almost let out a sigh of relief knowing it was just Kosmo and Mari.

She did not look pleased though as they came into view. Her eyes widened at the sight of them in the midst of breaking into the room, and she made a beeline for them, frantic.

"What are you two doing?" she hissed.

"We're getting our armor," Keith said simply, and he pet Kosmo as he rubbed against his leg in hello. "We're going out."

"Going out where?" she pressed.

"I'm getting my family. I don't care what Mister Holt says, I need to find them now," Hunk piped up. He paused, casting her a pained look. "Don't try to stop us."

The tension in her shoulders faded, visibly relaxing at his response. "I won't," she promised him. "Go get your family, Hunk."

Hunk smiled. "Thank you, Mari." Then, the keypad chimed and the door slid open. "I've got it!"

He barreled into the room and Keith hurried to follow him. There were a couple minutes left on the sterilization chamber's timer, but that didn't stop Hunk from unlocking and opening it, making it cheep in warning that the cleaning process hadn't been completed. Mari and Kosmo lingered in the doorway as they shed their cadet uniforms in favor of their paladin suits, and when they were dressed, she stepped aside for them to leave.

"I'll cover for you if anyone asks where you went," she said, glancing at Hunk as he fixed the keypad to proper working order.

God, Keith loved her. "Thanks," he said, and she rewarded him with a small smile. "We'll be back before curfew."

"What are you doing?"

Even Keith jumped as (ugh) Aaren rounded the corner, catching them just as the door slid shut. He'd ditched his hazmat helmet, revealing the full extent of his tousled hair and angry eyes. He looked like he was on the verge of strangling the water pouch in his hand as he marched up to them.

"The sterilization process isn't finished yet!" he snapped, and Hunk rose to his full height to face him.

"We didn't bring back any space germs, man," he said, his tone friendly but firm. "The machine was almost done anyway. The timer had, like, two minutes left on it."

Aaren's scowl didn't even waver. "I'm not taking any chances. You guys aren't even supposed to be leaving the premises." Then facing Keith he growled, "Just because you're Voltron doesn't mean you can do whatever you want here. I'll report you."

Keith clenched his jaw, his own irritation flaring. This little…Would it be wrong for him to punch a medic? Maybe. Probably. It'd give Aaren even more of a reason to run crying to Iverson about his and Hunk's unpermitted escape from campus. Maybe he could just scare him into submission. Keith was bigger, stronger, and, frankly, physically more threatening than him. Even if Aaren wanted to start a fight, he had to know he would lose, right?

Keith put on his nastiest glare and took a step forward, staring down at Aaren. He had to give him credit when he didn't even flinch. His hands were curled into fists at his side, ready to defend himself in case Keith tried anything. But before the tension could rise any higher, Mari stepped in.

"Okay, that's enough," she intervened, her voice sharp and commanding and making even Keith go rigid. "You two, get outta here and go," she said, looking at him and Hunk and jerking a thumb down the hall. Then glaring at Aaren, she added, "And you, you aren't going to report them. You're going to stay here and keep your lips zipped."

Keith exchanged a worried glance with Hunk, neither of them wanting to leave her with him. But after one look at her narrowed eyes, brilliant with their fiery and protective fury, they knew she'd be okay. Besides, Kosmo would be with her to keep Aaren in check. They'd handle things here.

So, without another word, they ran down the hall towards the vehicle hangar.

As they'd hoped, the hangar where the Garrison kept their vehicles was empty as the evening hours approached. It made sneaking inside all the easier, and they hurried to snag a car close to the exit. But before they could even think about opening the doors and hopping in, the headlights of the truck behind them flicked on, illuminating them in a stark white light.

Keith whirled to face the cadet or officer who had discovered them, only to swallow a groan. It was James, leaning casually atop one of the wheels, and Veronica McClain, Lance's older sister and one of the Garrison's top analysis officers.

Damn it. Of all people to find them, why'd it have to be these two ?

"You two heading somewhere?" James asked, and there was no missing the hint of accusing and overbearing authority in his tone.

Hunk hesitated, frozen in the spotlight as the hope threatened to drain from his heart now that they were caught. But Keith wouldn't let him give up that easily. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing dangerously at James.

"This doesn't concern either of you," he stated lowly, warning them to back off. Even if they were allies, they didn't give him orders. This was purely paladin business. It didn't involve two Garrison personnel who had refused to rescue just one more innocent family at Hunk's request.

If Veronica was fazed by his hostility, she didn't show it. "No, but you'll probably be concerned with the patrol drones that will spot you within seconds," she said with a shrug, a small and friendly smile tugging up the corners of her lips.

James hopped down from the wheel and leaned back against it, arms crossed. "And you might be concerned with the blast from Sendak's automated low-orbit, long-range blaster satellite that takes you out," he added, matter-of-fact.

God, Keith wanted to punch him.

Hunk looked just as irritated. He frowned, the warmth gone from his eyes. "What's your problem?" he demanded.

"My problem is I don't wanna see our only hope for saving Earth get hurt," James fired back. Then with a smirk, he continued, "That's why we're coming with you."

Keith stared at him, unsure if he'd heard him correctly. Hunk blinked in surprise, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.

"You – W-Wait, what?" he stammered, dumbfounded as Veronica scaled the wheel and opened their truck.

"You heard us. We're coming with you!" she said, hopping into the driver's seat. "Now, come on, get in! I've already got clearance to go."

Hunk hesitated, before climbing in next to her, forcing Keith to take the back with James. Neither of them said anything, opting to glare out the windows so they wouldn't have to look at each other.

"Veronica, you don't have to do this," Hunk began, a new worry creasing his brow. Nevertheless, he buckled himself in as she started the car.

"Yes, I do, actually," she said, pulling them out of the hangar and bringing them through campus towards the particle barrier gate. "Hunk, we grew up together. You, your sister, and your parents are practically family. Besides, Lance would never let me hear the end of it if I just let his best friend walk out into danger. Do you really think I'd let you go alone?"

"But – but, but, I don't want to see you get hurt," Hunk fumbled for a reason to get her to back out.

James snorted. "If anyone was gonna get hurt, it would've been you two," he claimed, and Keith scowled at him. "You don't know the extent of what's out there. Do you even know where to start looking for your family?"

"Yeah. Kinda…Maybe," Hunk mumbled, deflating with each word, his confidence wavering.

Veronica cast him a sympathetic look. "I've already checked your house, Hunk. There was no one there," she gently informed him. "We haven't found them living amongst our resistance allies in the city, either. If we knew where they were and could get to them, we would've brought them here by now."

"Then – Then where are they?" he asked, his distress from earlier returning. His face paled and his eyes widened as he squeaked, "Th-They're not…dead, are they?"

"You gotta have faith that they're alive, Hunk," Keith piped up, placing a reassuring and grounding hand on his shoulder before he could start spiraling. "Don't give up on them."

"He's right," Veronica tried to encourage him. She paused, throwing a knowing wave to the gate guards before they zipped through the tunnel and exited into the open and unprotected desert. "Most of the people in the city were rounded up at the start of the invasion. There's only one place I can think of where they'd be, and that's where we're headed."

Hunk didn't respond. He chewed on his lower lip until he forced himself to take several deep and steadying breaths. Again, Keith's heart hurt for the poor guy. He hated seeing Hunk like this, so sad and scared. He didn't deserve any of this pain. He deserved to be reunited with his family. Keith hoped wherever Veronica was taking them, they'd find them alive and together, ready to return home to their son.

Veronica took them to the ruins of Plaht City, stowing their car amongst the rubble of a parking garage before she and James led them down a series of back alleys. They climbed to the rooftop of an empty storefront, laying low as they monitored the patrolling sentries in the streets below.

"There's a gap in their patrol schedule in two minutes," Veronica murmured, double-checking the time on her helmet visor. "Griffin, cover me while I send out the signal."

"Copy that," he affirmed, his rifle trained on the ground and ready to go. Then she retreated back down the steps, disappearing from sight.

Using a set of binoculars from the truck, Hunk watched as she inched along the street, ducking behind rubble and cars when sentries passed.

"What's the signal for?" he whispered.

"Veronica's been keeping in contact with members of Earth's resistance group. They're the Garrison's eyes and ears out here," James explained. "If anyone knows where your family is, they will."

Keith was silent, his eyes trailing after her. He and Hunk had no clue about Earth's rebels, nor the patrol patterns of the sentries in the city. Maybe it wasn't so bad that Veronica and James had come along with them. They had certainly saved them a lot of time from checking Hunk's house and wandering aimlessly around the ruins.

Hurrying out from one of her hiding spots, Veronica approached the doors of an abandoned shop. With a piece of chalk, she drew a triangle above the handle and threw them a victorious beam before making her way back towards their hiding spot.

"She did it," James said, letting out a small huff of relief. "The signal's sent."

"Okay, now what?" Hunk wondered.

James lowered his rifle as she ducked out of his viewfinder. "Now we wait."

Stealing down the stairs, they met with Veronica on the ground floor. She pulled up a map of the area on her screens, highlighting a section of road a couple blocks away.

"The rendezvous point is here," she informed them, the dot sitting in the middle of the street blinking soundlessly. "We need to take the sewer tunnels and wait out of sight."

Hunk grimaced at the sound of that, but he made no complaints. They followed her to a nearby manhole, lifting the cover and dropping down into the tunnels below. She led the way down the twisting and turning paths until they reached another manhole exit. She and James scaled the ladder rungs, but didn't remove the grate overhead. They kept watch for their rebel informant as sentries milled by, leaving Keith and Hunk on standby beneath them. Several agonizingly long minutes passed before a flashlight shone down through the grate. A human man stood over them, his brow furrowed with a worried urgency.

"Come with me, quickly," he hissed.

Veronica and James didn't waste a second removing the grate. They all climbed out of the sewers and hurried after the man as he led them to the safety of a nearby apartment complex. He brought them up to a dingy room at the very top and turned on the lights. They weakly flickered on, revealing a wall covered in charts, maps, and notes. Guns were set out of the way beneath them, and a makeshift bed sat in the corner. A table in the very center was strewn with even more maps, stacks of notes, journals, coffee mugs, and a computer. The whole scene reminded Keith very much of his own research mess in his shack, only this place was a lot more frugal and wartime bunker-like.

"Amazing," the rebel said, drawing his and Hunk's attention away from the setup. The corners of his lips had turned up as his eyes raked over their paladin armor. "The rumors are true. Word of the paladins' return has inspired the resistance."

"Thank you for your help," Hunk said, trying for a smile. "Tell the resistance we're gonna get rid of the Galra."

The rebel nodded. "Words we've waited a long time to hear."

Veronica peered out the window. "Is this where they've taken all the prisoners?" she asked, prompting them to join her at the sill.

Just outside the city, a massive Galra structure was being constructed. A giant pit had been dug nearby, and heavy machinery was only working to make it deeper and wider. A few smaller, walled-in facilities had been built right next to it, overseeing the project.

Keith's stomach knotted with dread. "What are they doing down there?"

"They have work camps operating day and night mining ore for Sendak. It's been nonstop for months," the rebel replied grimly, disgust dripping from his words. "He's building something, but no one is sure what."

"I thought the labor force was outside the encampment," Veronica frowned.

"They were, but they've been moved in," the rebel reported.

Hunk glanced between him and Veronica, frantic. "What does that mean?"

"It means…we can't get you to your parents," Veronica admitted, her gaze pooling with remorse.

"No…No," Hunk croaked. His face twisted with desperation, angry and heartbroken and too upset for words. His shoulders hunched, his body threatening to quiver. "Please."

"Believe me, if there was a way, we would do it," Veronica promised, but she was just as helpless and troubled as him. She'd done all she could. There was nothing they could do now to help his family until Sendak was defeated. Keith knew this. And Hunk, reluctantly, had to accept this too.

He sagged, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "Can I at least see them from here?" he asked.

Keith wordlessly brought the binoculars to his face. He adjusted the zoom and focus and zeroed in on the walled-in buildings in the camp below, squinting as the images came into view.

"I see movement," he reported, following the shuffling lines of people as they were herded out into the night. "It looks like the workers are exiting."

He handed the binoculars to Hunk then, allowing him to see. He was quiet for a long moment, watching the activity below and searching for a familiar face. Then he gasped, quiet but shaken.

"That's them," he whispered, sounding unbearably small and thin. "My mom, my dad…Uncle Filo…They even have my sister and her kids…" His voice trailed off, horrified by it all. He forced himself to take a breath, steeling himself. "Don't worry. You just need to hang on a little longer. We're gonna get you out," he murmured. "I'm going to get you out."

When he pulled the binoculars away, Keith could see the tears running freely down his cheeks. His jaw was set and his brow had furrowed with a righteous fury and an unshakable resolve. Sendak had hit Hunk where it hurt the most. He'd attacked their home and the people most important to him. And that had been a huge mistake. Hunk was unstoppable when he made up his mind, and he was more determined than ever now to bring down the Galra warlord. Keith was glad he wasn't on the other side of that unyielding force. He was glad he'd be fighting right alongside it.

Sendak would be sorry he made the mistake of invading Earth. Keith would make sure of it.

They arrived back at the Garrison half an hour before curfew. It would give them plenty of time to find their team and report on their findings with their individual tasks.

Once Veronica parked them in the hangar and they disembarked, she and Hunk hurried to find Shiro and Lance. James was left to make sure the technicians started the process of recharging the car they had used, and Keith lingered by the door, waiting for him. James lifted a brow as he approached, but said nothing. He stopped and stood in front of Keith, waiting for him to start whatever this was.

Keith grimaced through the awkwardness clawing at his chest. James could've easily reported their attempt to sneak off campus. He could've gotten them in a hell of a lot of trouble, painting Voltron in a bad light to the higher-ups. He could've made them look like a bunch of stupid, reckless, and disobedient troublemakers who couldn't really be trusted with saving the world.

But he hadn't. Instead, he'd chosen to help them. Protect them. He'd shoved all of their past differences aside and had shown them kindness by lending a hand. Maybe he was just trying to be a good ally. Or maybe he just felt bad for Hunk after he'd snapped at the poor guy during the debriefing. Either way, he had indulged one ally's personal concern and had been willing to risk their bigger mission as a whole to do it. And it had brought Hunk so much comfort learning his family was alive, even if they were still out of reach. As much as Keith was still wary towards James, he felt he needed to say something to clear the air between them.

"Thank you," he said finally, firm and formal but honest. "For helping us."

James shrugged, as if it were nothing. "It's the least I could do," he said, almost nonchalantly. "We're all in this together, right?"

Then, to Keith's surprise, he held out his hand. He searched James' face for the lie, for the barb of reluctance or insincerity, but he couldn't find one. James simply stared back at him, waiting, his form relaxed and casual and open.

Maybe he really had grown up from the jealous, goodie-two shoes brat that had bullied him. Maybe time and maturity had changed him, just as they had changed Keith.

Keith felt the corners of his lips tug up as he relented. "Right," he agreed, and he took James' hand.

A smile graced James' features. "It's good to see you've changed," he mused. "The leader of the universe's mighty hero…You finally got your act together, Kogane."

Keith smirked, stifling the urge to squeeze his hand harder. "It's good to see you've changed too," he noted. "A top fighter pilot who sneaks out with an unruly drop-out…You finally learned to bend the rules, Griffin."

"Oh, yeah?" James hummed. "Well, I learned from the best troublemaker the Garrison's ever seen."

Keith rolled his eyes, but didn't argue with him as their hands separated. They headed out of the hangar and walked down the hall in silence until they came to a split in the path. It was time for them to go their separate ways for the night.

"Hey, Keith?" James stopped him before he could get too far.

Keith paused in his trek, turning back to face him. "Yeah?"

James' grin had faded and had been replaced with a truthful seriousness. "I'm sorry for everything I did back then. I was a jerk. I shouldn't have treated you like that."

Keith blinked at him, struck with a fresh round of surprise. First Iverson's apology and now James'? Was today his birthday? Had he entered an alternate reality when he hadn't been looking? …Nope. This reality's James was actually apologizing. To him. Right here and right now.

"Thanks," Keith said, a happy sort of warmth blooming inside of him. He managed another smile, adding, "I'm sorry for kicking your ass so many times, too."

"Thanks," James chuckled.

Despite the little jab, he looked relieved nevertheless, like a great weight had been taken off his shoulders. Keith's own chest felt lighter, the dark cloud of tension and turmoil that had been hovering between them for years finally dissolving. Their paths and attitudes in life had changed. They'd both grown up from the arrogant kids they had once been. They could finally get along now. Maybe not as friends, but at least as comrades. And Keith was more than okay with that.

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