So this picks up right at the time of the flash backs in season seven episode one. Different choices lead to world altering consequences. Yes, the first couple paragraphs are essentially unchanged from the episode. Give it a chance... please?

"When were you going to tell me?"

Shiro startled at Keith's voice and turned from the engine he was repairing to see the kid stomping toward him with his hands in his pockets. He could see them balled into fists through the material of his jacket. Keith said, "I was outside your office." His voice broke, but he went on, "I overheard you talking with Sam Holt and Admiral Sanda. Tell me the truth. If there's something wrong, I can handle it. I'm not a little kid anymore!"

Shiro looked away and sighed before wiping the grease off his hands on an old rag. He'd put off telling Keith and now it was biting him in the ass. Of course Keith would have figured out something was wrong with him. He'd only hoped Keith would have been more independent before bringing it up. Shiro looked back at Keith and gasped. The boy's eyes were shining with tears and now he knew the reason Keith had hid his hands as the bottom of his uniform trembled.

"Keith," Shiro said gently before kneeling. "I- I wasn't sure how to tell you this. I wanted you to be a little older... less reliant on me."

Keith was nearly in tears now. His lower lip trembled and he repeated with less conviction, "I'm not a kid. I can handle whatever it is, Takashi."

Shiro held his breath for a few seconds before he put his hands on Keith's shoulders and squeezed, rocking Keith slightly. Holding Keith's dark eyes in his own, Shiro answered, "I have a disease, Keith. The muscle stimulants, the doctor visits, the physicals... They are all to judge how quickly my condition is advancing... and it's getting worse. I'm only going to maintain my peak condition three years... maybe five, then..."

Keith was crying now and Shiro bit his lip before wiping his own eyes with the heel of one palm. He took a steadying breath and continued, "Admiral Sanda doesn't want me on the mission and neither does Adam. Sam still had faith in my abilities and technically the doctors have granted permission, but now I'm having second thoughts. Adam... Adam threatened to leave me if I go to Kerberos. I... I don't know what to do, Keith. I thought I did, but now..."

Keith yanked his hands from his pockets and wrapped them around Shiro. This wasn't like his other hugs where he was soft and tentative, hesitant to get close. This was hard and bone crushing. The kid was squeezing him with his full strength. Keith fell to his knees and buried his face against Shiro's chest. Shiro choked up as his tears fell into Keith's hair. It took only a moment after that. His mind was made up. Kerberos could always find another pilot, but he was needed here. Keith needed him and he needed Adam. He held Keith more gently and whispered, "It's alright, Keith. I'm not going anywhere."

"Don't leave me," Keith whimpered. His voice was muffled by Shiro's uniform as he went on, "Everyone always leaves me."

Shiro wiped his nose on his sleeve and gently pried Keith off his chest. Cupping Keith's cheeks with his hands as he would a child, Shiro held eye contact and said, "I'm not leaving you. I know this... this... disease will take me from everyone I love, but until then, Keith, I will always be here for you. Do you understand?"

Keith nodded, barely tipping his chin. Shiro smiled weakly and pulled Keith against him again. "I'm sorry I scared you like this. I wasn't thinking about how my actions would affect the ones around me, you and Adam. I'm sorry, Keith."

Shiro held Keith there on the hot asphalt with the setting sun making them sweat for another hour before another teacher approached. "Mr. Shirogane, we have to close the hangar in twenty minutes."

"Adam, you..." Shiro squeezed Keith one last time and stood. Lifting his chin, he said, "I've come to a decision about the mission."

Adam kept his posture loose, but the corner of his lips twitched slightly the way he did when he was trying to hide his emotions. "And?"

"And," Shiro steeled his resolve. Then Keith bumped his arm with a shoulder. Shiro raised an eyebrow and half smirked at the kid then to Adam. "I'm declining the mission. I haven't told Admiral Sanda or Sam yet."

"Oh... That's... I," Adam cleared his throat. "I know how important this mission was to you, Takashi."

Shiro walked toward his boyfriend and rubbed his tears away. "Yeah, I guess there's just something more important to me here."

"Something?"

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" Shiro reached out and tentatively put his hand on the side of Adam's neck, relaxing when Adam didn't pull away. "I love you, Adam. You are more to me than anything and I won't lose you before I have to."

"Takashi, you idiot. I love you too." Adam closed the distance and kissed Shiro once before hugging him cheek to cheek. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, jerk. I'm sure." Shiro whispered, "Will you take Keith back to the apartment while I make a formal report?"

Adam stepped back and looked at the kid with red rimmed eyes standing sheepishly where he stared at the ground. "Keith, you alright?" Keith glanced up then away and nodded. Adam's eyes crinkled and his chewed his lip. "Come on, kid. You're staying with us tonight."

Keith looked up suddenly, mouth slightly open as he looked between the two of them. Shiro jerked his head sideways and Keith jogged toward them. Adam wrapped an arm around Keith's shoulders and Shiro ruffled his hair. Then Adam led him around the side of the hangar toward the main compound where garrison staff were housed. A weight he hadn't noticed lifted from his chest and Shiro breathed in relief. Now to tell Sam the bad news.

Two years later

Keith woke up to an explosion that shook the building. Then the alarms began blarring. He jumped out of bed and reached for his uniform when the PA system said, 'Warning. Compound breach. Level 1 security risk. Students are to remain in their dorm rooms and follow lock-down proto-' The recorded message ended in static which abruptly cut out. At the same time, the emergency lights lining the walls went dark and the hum of electricity that always set him on edge vanished.

Keith reached for his knife and went to the main room where Shiro and Adam were strapping their pistols to their chests over bulletproof vests. "What's going on?"

Shiro checked that his gun was loaded and the safety was off as he said, "We don't know, but the base is under attack. Go to your room and lock the door. Don't open it for anyone."

"What? Shiro, who-"

"Do as I say, Keith," Shiro instructed without any chance Keith could change his mind. Another explosion rocked the building and dust filtered through the air. Keith tensed as the hair on his arms stood on end. Shiro demanded when he didn't move, "Keith, now!"

Keith held out a hand. "Wait... This is something different. I-"

An explosion down the hall made the three of them jump. The sound of heavy metal marching echoed in the following silence. Guns went off as the other teachers defended the cadet dormitories beyond their own living quarters. The attackers were right outside! Adam ran forward and grabbed Keith's shoulder, shoving him back toward his bedroom. Then their front door flew inward with enough force to blast it off the hinges.

Keith covered his face where he fell behind the couch as debris rained throughout the room. In the gap between the floor and the couch, he saw Shiro set his stance with Adam at his shoulder. The rhythmic marching stopped in the doorway while the rest of the invaders kept walking down the hall. The other teachers were heard retreating by the sound of their gunfire growing distant. The click of the snap securing Shiro's pistol in its holster was followed by him demanding, "Stand down or we will open fire!"

Keith watched the boots enter the room. They had only taken a step before Shiro and Adam began firing. Whoever had entered was unfazed. They emptied their clips. Without bothering to reload, they moved to attack in close combat. The clang of metal was a weird reaction.

Keith crawled out from behind the couch to get a closer look. Shiro and Adam were fighting hand to hand with two assailants that stood close to eight feet tall, the top of their helmets brushing the ceiling at times. Their armor was shining in a way he'd never seen metal reflect and their visors glowed purple in the dark. Adam drop-kicked his attacker into the fish tank which exploded. Shiro's punches did absolutely nothing.

Then another shadowy form appeared in the doorway. They were humanoid in shape, but that was where all resemblance ended. Keith shivered in fear while the strange alien with purple skin and dark hair surveyed the room with glowing yellow eyes. His blood ran cold when those piercing eyes landed on him. The alien looked to their right and called out.

Keith grit his teeth and leapt out of hiding drawing his knife. The alien's attention snapped back to him as he rushed low and fast. He swiped with his knife, backhanding it before tossing it to his other hand. He kicked, but the alien blocked with an arm. Their other hand reached to their waist and drew a glowing purple sword curved like a scimitar. Keith panicked as he realized he'd brought a knife to a sword fight.

The alien swiped with their sword and Keith bent backwards to dodge before catching the edge of the sword with his knife. The alien was strong and pushed him against the door frame with his arms pressed to his body as he struggled to keep the sword away from him with his knife. Then the alien backed up and Keith flew forward as the pressure was suddenly gone. The alien used the pommel of their sword to strike the back of his head and Keith crumpled against the other side of the door frame. When he turned, the sword edge was placed beneath his jaw against his neck. With one boot, they slid Keith's dagger away from him and slowly bent to pick it up.

Keith froze in fear and anger, desperately trying not to breathe too hard lest the sword slip and slice his jugular. He met the luminous eyes of the alien filling the doorway. They blinked slowly, a cruel smirk revealing sharp canines. Then they looked into the room and Keith remembered Adam and Shiro.

Keith watched as the alien drew a strange piece of metal similar to the armor of the other attackers from a holster on their thigh and aimed it at the mirror. A blast of violet energy shot from the barrel and hit the glass, shattering it into a million shards and drawing the attention of Adam and Shiro. "Surrender or the kit dies."

Keith shivered again at the strange lilting accent that spoke their language. Shiro blanched when he saw Keith pinned beneath the alien on the floor. Adam glared and shouted, "Let him go!"

The alien twisted their wrist and Keith straightened up against the wall as the blade pushed closer. Cold sweat ran down his back. He lifted his chin as much as he could and glared at the alien. Luminous eyes blinked down at him once more. The alien smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Such defiance... is refreshing, though ill advised." Turning back to Shiro and Adam, the alien deadpanned, "It means nothing to us whether the kit lives or dies. Make your choice, primitives."

Shiro and Adam shared one panicked glance. Then Shiro threw away the table leg he'd been using as a weapon and raised his hands. "Alright, we surrender. Just don't hurt him."

"No! Shiro-" Keith whined as the alien reached down and wrapped one large hand around his throat. It was a show of force and it was working. Keith struggled to keep the ground below his toes as the alien carried him from the room like some misbehaving kitten. Keith tried to scratch the arm that held him, but sharp talons dug into the sides of his neck. Keith whimpered and cried out, but the alien simply chuckled.

"Keith, don't resist. It's going to be alright." Keith could barely hear Adam's instructions over the blood pounding in his ears. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a nightmare! Any minute now, he expected to wake up.

Then he was dropped to the ground. He crawled toward the corner and turned. More of the aliens were here. Their chests were lit up with emblems different from those on the armored aliens, though what they could possibly mean, Keith had no idea. Adam and Shiro were cuffed, each held firmly by the arm by one of their attackers. The alien who had taken Keith said to the other two like them, "Guard this one. The kit is a fighter." Talking to the ones watching Shiro and Adam, the alien instructed, "Take them to holding bay alpha."

"No! Keith! Let go of us!" Adam tried to break free, but whoever those armored aliens were, they weren't yielding.

Keith screamed, "Adam! Takashi!"

Shiro yelled, "Keith! We'll find you! I swear it!"

Keith hugged himself and pressed into the wall as their voices faded away. When he looked at the aliens, they shared a glance before returning blank stares to him. Keith shivered beneath their apathetic gaze. Aliens. Why did it have to be aliens?

Originally this was going to be a oneshot, but I like it too much. Can I get a review?