WARNING – Hey guys, again this chapter does have spoilers for Voltron Season 7 episode 1 – hopefully this will be the last spoiler warning. Enjoy

Shiro and Keith were now out in the desert, each on their own hover bikes. Shiro's was more advanced than Keith as he was still learning to use it.

Flying, diving and generally having fun both of them enjoying their time out from the Garrison guard dogs and following the rules. They both needed a break. Keith from his constant training of becoming a pilot and Shiro… well, he just needed a break from a lot of things. He needed to clear his head. He had a lot of decisions to make in very little time. He wanted to take a break and just have fun… and take Keith with him.

Keith watched as Shiro dived off a cliff and was able to jet off before hitting the ground. 'Wow.'

As Shiro and Keith stopped to watch the sun set Keith asked, "how'd you do that? Back at the cliff?"

Shiro laughed, "It's all about timing... if you pull up too soon and you won't have the momentum you need to create lift. Too late and there won't be enough lift to avoid the crash." Keith was in awe, "do you think I could do that?" Shiro hummed, crossed his arms and looked questionable at Keith, "what do you think?"

Keith lowered his head and thought about his answer. He looked at his bike then to Shiro, "I think, I should…" Shiro hitched his eyebrow and waited for his impending answer, "be patient and focus on learning the basic first. I can't accomplish other things before completing something I can't reach yet."

Shiro smiled, "very good. You're learning." Keith smiled at Shiro, blushing just the tiniest bit. He liked it when Shiro praised him. "So you grew up around here?

Keith looked slyly away and onto the desert "yep, just me and dad." Keith expression quickly turned from pride-happy to somber. "He was a fireman right?" asked Shiro, trying to lighten the conversation. Keith sighed, "yah, dad was a real hero… people told him not run back into that burning building... but he just wouldn't listen. He was so suborn."

"Ha, sounds familiar." Keith turned back to Shiro, hearing his little laugh and lightly smiled.

:Beep-Beep Beep:Beep:

"What was that?" asked Keith as he watched Shiro turned his back to him and press something on his wrist. It looked like a metal bracelet. "Oh nothing," replied Shiro as he pressed a small button on the left bracelet. "What are those?" asked Keith, still curious, "these? They're just some electro stimulators to help keep my muscles loose"

"Does it hurt?" Keith asked sounding cautious; Keith didn't want to pry even though he wanted to know.

"Na, I've gotten used to it." "What do they do?" "They just help my muscles. They can get tired if I don't work on them constantly. Come on, we'd better get back to the base." Shiro got on his bike and started the engine.

"Shiro… you're not old. I mean we're only 7 years apart. I wish you'd treat me like an equal…"

Shiro smiled and looked to Keith, he reach out and patted his head with his right hand. Keith looked up and Shiro could once again see that tiny little blush on his cheeks. "Tell you what; I'll treat you like an equal when you save my life." Keith laughed. "What? When will I get a chance to save your life?"

"I don't know… guess you'll have to grow up a bit more won't you." Shiro removed his hand and revved up the bike's engine. :VROOOOOM" "Come on, last one back at the base has to clean the bikes from the desert dust." Shiro laughed and yelled a "whooooo-hooo" before jetting off leaving Keith behind.

"HEY, NO FAIR… YOU'RE GETTING A HEAD START…"

….[Next memory]…

"No... absolutely not… this man is sick and he's not to go on any other missions, let alone the mission to Kerberos..."

"I'm sorry Mam, but if Shiro doesn't go on this mission, neither do I. I trust Shiro with my life, so you should trust us with this mission."

….[Next memory]…

"You ok?"

Shiro was now in a white room… no, not just any room. He recognised it; the mess hall at the Galaxy Garrison. He was sitting down. He felt tired, not physically but mentally. It must have been the end of a tough day… 'What was that argument, before about?' though Shiro but he didn't have time to think it over as he felt the current conversation continue.

"Commander Iverson said I should be part of the mission... and they called in the big guns. But I'm not giving up…"

"Well… maybe their right." Shiro turned his and saw the back of someone he knew. He was wearing the Galaxy Garrison orange uniform and he felt like he knew him well. "Going on this mission can be really dangerous. Not just for you but the whole crew. Maybe… maybe they have someone better... someone who won't-" the man was cut off by Shiro's sudden outburst. "I'm just as good as anyone else."

Shiro saw the man flinch, maybe he shouldn't have shouted. "Sorry, it's just..." Shiro sighed and fell back onto the seat his was sitting on. "You know how important this is to me. You know that... I push myself above and beyond the job that I do... and just because I have this... this..." "Illness?... Come on you don't even have a name for it."

Shiro looked down and played with the bracelets on his wrist. "It's worth the risk."

The man stubbornly slammed his drinking cup on the table he was sitting beside. As Shiro looked at him it seemed like the man was having a break from his normal duties at the Garrison. He saw that he had a text book in front of him along with the coffee cup he had just hammered down. "Takashi, how important am I to you?"

Shiro blinked and looked in wonder at the man. 'This guy…'

"Every time you leave for a mission I always wonder if I'm ever going to see you again. Don't you realise how much I care about you? I've been right there... beside you. So of course I know how dangerous a mission like Kerberos can become. This is more than a mission; this is your life that you're putting at risk"

Shiro could feel himself getting annoyed, hast he heard something like this before. ""Don't start with this Adam," 'Adam… his name's is Adam. How could I forget?' Shiro quickly thought as his memory continued to play out. "You don't have to look out for me or protect me. I'm going on this mission…" Shiro looked sternly at Adam who still hadn't turned to look at him. Shiro signed, "I understand you're worried, and I'm grateful for that… but this is something I have to do… for myself."

Shiro could sense Adam bitter face "you're so selfish..." Adam whispered and stood up from the high chair he was sitting on, turned his body and looked at Shiro. Shiro could finally see his face. This Adam, who stood as tall as Shiro, had brown hair, beautiful tinted skin and was gearing glasses, Shiro could feel his muscles tighten and his heart begin to pound. This man Adam… he was important to Shiro... but the guy just looked defeated. He looked as though he had fought, for the longest time, but just wasn't getting anywhere. "I know I can't stop you. But I won't go through this again."

Shiro want to say smoothing… he knew what was coming but this was his memory. He couldn't change what Adam was going to say next. "If you decide to go... don't expect me to wait for you…" Adam picked up his book and walk behind Shiro to leave the room. Shiro couldn't watch him leave he just closed his eyes and sighed… he knew their relationship was over.

….[Back with Team Voltron]…

:BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP: "What's happening?" asked Keith. Everything was going fine but suddenly Shiro's healing pod began to signal a red warning light and the monitors started to pulsate and create a loud warning sound.

"His stats are dropping" warned Allura as she tried to figure out what suddenly changed "I don't know what's going wrong?"

Keith, worried and scared, looked down at Shiro's body "Shiro…"

….[Shiro's dream]…

"When were you going to tell me?" yelled Keith as he marched to Shiro. They were now outside and Shiro was inspecting on a fighter jet to make sure it was up to form for its next flight. He was hunched over working on the fighter's engine when he heard Keith approaching. "Huh... Keith?"

"Are you sick or something?" "What do you mean?" "I was outside the office..." 'oh no'

"I heard you and Commander Holt talking about the next mission… Tell me the truth… tell me what's wrong, I want to help. I'm not a little kid; I can handle whatever it is… I just… want to know Shiro. Please"

Shiro looked down at Keith; he'd never seen him like this. The fire in his eyes The determination in his voice. He didn't want another person he cared about start to worry about him… but it couldn't be helped. Shiro jumped down from the jet, cleaned off his hands and face, and caught his breath.

"Uhhh, I have a disease… and over time it corrodes my muscles and makes me weak to do simplest of tasks." He looked down at Keith and saw the look everyone gave him whenever he tells this story… pity, he hated it. "I'll only be at my top physically strength for a couple more years before... I'll become useless. The Garrison doesn't want me to do any missions that are considered dangerous… including Adam."

"So what are you going to do?" Shiro stepped to his side and leaned against a small folding table that had the tools he was working with. "I'm going on the mission. I have to do this. If I don-huh" Shiro as stopped midsentence as he felt some arms go around his waist and the weight of Keith's body pushed against the lower part of his back. Keith was giving Shiro a hug... "If that's your choice then I wish you well."

Shiro was surprised at Keith's sudden show of affection. "But just make sure… you come back... come back soon for Adam and for me." Shiro twisted his back slightly so he can see the boy still hugging his back, it felt like Keith never wanted to let go of him. Keith looked up at Shiro and with watery eyes he smiled brightly "I'll miss you too much…. Besides, who else can I race with?"

Shiro smiled and patted Keith head. He turned around properly and encircled his arms around the boy and returned Keith's hug.

….[Back with Team Voltron]…

The room was silent. The monitors had stopped the loud beeping and it was replaced with light blimps and beeps. Allura was checking every report she could create but it was no use. She looked sorrowly at Keith who was still next to Shiro's sleeping body.

"I'm afraid the clone body is rejecting Shiro's conciseness."

Keith wouldn't give up; "there must be something that we can do to help" he yelled and sternly looked at Allura. Allura lowered her head in defeat. "I'm sorry; I've tried everything I can think of. There's nothing more that I can do."

Keith hissed and slammed his fist on top of Shiro healing pod, cracking the protective screen where his fist landed. "Shiro please..." Keith sniffed as he felt the flow of tears start to leave his eyes, "fight... fight you idiot." Keith pounded his fist again but not as strong as the last. "We're so close. Do leave us…" tears ran down Keith face as he let his emotions out. "Don't leave me…"

A few tears dripped onto the pod as Keith began to cry… 'this is it…'

Suddenly, he healing pod turned green, the monitors started to return to life. "Wh-at?" Keith tightened himself up and the cracked protective screen began to disappear. Keith leaned over Shiro and placed his left hand against his face.

"Shiro?" Keith whispered softly.

Shiro's eyes began to open and he saw Keith face starting down at him, he looked worried. "Keith..." said Shiro, groggy. "I was dreaming…" "Really?" Keith chuckled softly, "was it a good dream?"

"Yeah… the last thing I dreamt was you... asking me to come back." Keith eyes began to water again as he smiled sweetly at Shiro "Looks like you did…" Keith bent further down and hugged Shiro's head. "Welcome home..."

Allura and Krolia looked on and smiled at the two paladins.

As Keith Started to help Shiro sit up the rest of team Voltron returned from their mission.

"Hey," yelled Lance happily as he saw the happy sight. "Shiro's looking better"

"Where were you guys?" asked Keith "we tried to communicate with you but the signal was down."

"Ohh, that… We were shrunk by a magic sunk but we ended using the starkly dust, that make electricity bigger, or whatever, to make us unshrinkable again. So you ready to charge up the lions?"

Shiro laughed tiredly, 'same old Lance,' "It good to be home… "

TBC.

Yay. Voltron Season 7 is now up. Has anyone watched it? I did all 13 episodes in 1 night… and I don't regret it. Anyway, some original stuff will be coming up soon. I can finally start typing this story the way I want to tell it. Looking forward to it, hope you are to.