Do not own Voltron, it's plot lines, characters or settings. All Characters are adults.

The alarm sounding caught Pidge's attention with a start. She dropped her tools and picked up her screen. The alarm was coming from the far west lab. The one Coran was using. She dropped the screen and ran.

She reached the lab just in time to see Coran through the window backing away from what looked like Keith, but different. His skin had grown fur and fangs protruded from his lips. His eyes had turned yellow, his pupils became slits and pointed furry ears had popped from his head.

Her eyes widened as Keith growled at Coran preparing to attack the Altean. Without thinking she ran into the lab and stepped between them.

"Pidge! What are you doing in here? I sounded the alarm."

"I know that's why I'm here. Back away slowly, towards the door Coran."

She kept an eye on the dangerous looking Galra in front of her as she and Coran slowly moved towards the doors. Coran took one final step back, the door swished open and Keith growled crouching to pounce. Pidges eyes widened as she turned and pushed Coran through before hitting the lockdown button on the side of the door to prevent them being opened again. She quickly stepped to the side as Keith pounced, barely missing being tackled.

"Keith. It's me Pidge. You've got to snap out of it!" His ears snapped back and he glared at her, a growl slipping past his clenched teeth. Her own eyes narrowed in response to his threatening stance. "Don't you growl at me Keith Kogane, you are not an animal!"

She watched as a tail twitched behind him and absently wondered if he was as soft as he looked. Her anger seeped out of her as she realized he was acting like a cornered animal. Reacting on basic instincts. He was scared and that simple fact broke her heart. Matching his anger was not going to help the situation at all. She needed to be calm.

Putting up her hands in a gesture of surrender she softened her voice. "It's okay Keith I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Hesitantly she took a step toward him and watched as he took one back. Sighing she slowly removed her lab coat and looked him in the eyes.

"Please Keith."

His tail still twitched but his stance relaxed slightly. She took a tentative step forward and inwardly celebrated when he didn't retreat. She took another step forward and another until there was only a metre of space between them. He was frowning and she thought he looked hesitant but not like he was going to hurt her.

"There you go. I won't hurt you. I want to help you Keith." She lifted a hand towards him hesitantly. "Please let me help you."

His ears slipped forward curiously as he sniffed the air then looked at her strangely. She watched with curiosity as his tailed lowered from its frustrated state and he cocked his head to the side, studying her. He slowly reached out his hand and touched hers careful of his claws not to hurt her.

She smiled softly at this but was surprised when he lowered his head leaning towards her. She stood completely still as he nuzzled the side of her face and neck, sniffing her. His fur tickled her and she couldn't help but giggle.

"That tickles you know." She murmured.

Her only response was a purr that started deep in his chest. She was surprised and a little confused but relaxed and enjoyed the feel of his soft fur and hair. She raised her arms and hugged him lightly.

"Please come back to me." She whispered into his ear. He embraced her as well but alas nothing changed.

After a moment someone knocked on the glass. Keith tensed and in a flash she was placed behind him as he stood protectively in front of her looking for the threat. Noticing the others on the other side of the glass immediately she placed a hand on Keith's shoulder.

"It's okay Keith, our friends are here and they're worried about you. We need to let them in so they can help."

Keith growled low in his throat. An action she knew was a warning. She huffed and prayed for patience.

"I won't let anything happen to you. They want to help, please?"

There was a low sound she understood to be as close to a grumble of agreement she would get and she smiled. Turning she indicated to the others to come in. Matt pressed the final key to bypass the lockdown and the door swished open. Coran, Shiro, Lance, Hunk and Matt walked in carefully.

Lances brows raised as he got an up close look at his friend. "What happened to the Mullet? He looks like a, a-"

"He looks like a Galra." Hunk finished for him in wonder.

Keith glared at them his ears back as they took a step too close for his comfort. Pidge held up her hand to tell them to stop and glared at her friends. "He is Galran. He's also Keith. Don't get too close. I can't predict him fully."

"Is he speaking?" asked Coran curiously.

She shook her head. "But he seems to understand me."

Shiro looked at his brother with concern. "What happened?"

Coran tweeked his moustache as he burst into a long and complicated explanation about a new sort of potion he was in the midst of creating. Keith had been keeping him company for a while until the others had finished work since he was on leave from the blades. The mice had tipped something over and caused an explosion that Keith had been caught in since Coran was on the other side of the room. He had pressed the alarm which had initiated the air purification system but it hadn't been quick enough and when the small amount of smoke had cleared Keith had been purple.

Immediately the team got to work cleaning out the lab while Coran and Hunk, with Pidges help, took samples from Keith to detect the substances in his body that had caused the change. Keith, for the most part was fairly docile during the experience. Though he had hissed and growled at Coran and Hunk as they had done so, Pidge had managed to keep him calm enough to prevent any injuries.

When they had taken the necessary samples and the lab was returned to a semi clean state the discussion began about what to do with Keith.

Pidge blushed as the general consensus was the same. Keith would need to stay with her. She was the only one he seemed to tolerate in his space and he seemed strangely affectionate with her, protective even. They all agreed, he would be less likely to escape and she wouldn't be in danger. Pidge sighed as they managed to get him covered enough not to get stares while they moved him from the lab to her quarters.

She made sure he ate and tried to settle him in the spare room but he simply followed her when she left the room. After going back and forth for a while she gave up and let him follow her into her room. She drew the line when he tried to follow her into the bathroom. She emerged in fresh clothes for bed and didn't hesitate to climb in to her bed. It was only a moment before Keith climbed onto the bed next to her and curled himself around her. She took a breath, closed her eyes and relaxed at the sound of his purring, drifting off to sleep with a small smile on her face.

The next morning Pidge woke encased in Keith's warmth. He had remained curled around her all night. She couldn't tell if it was a primal thing or a protection thing. She knew cats and dogs tended to curl around each other for warmth and comfort but they also did it to protect smaller or more vulnerable members of their family.

Carefully Pidge tried to extricate herself only to have Keith tighten his hold on her, nuzzling the juncture between her shoulder and neck he growled low in her ear.

Rolling her eyes she reached back and scratched behind his ear. "Don't be so grumpy, I need to pee."

He growled again less threateningly but let her go. She returned to find him cross legged on the bed, tail twitching. To her it looked like he was checking out her room while he waited. He was curious about her space. She watched him look around and take notice of different things before he turned back to her and watched expectantly.

"Come on, I'll call Coran and Hunk, see how they're progressing while we get breakfast."

She turned on the coffee pot and pulled some ingredients from the fridge to make breakfast while she patched into to Coran's lab.

"Hey, how's it going over there, any luck?"

"We're getting closer but the trouble is refining the antidote to make him the exact version of Keith he was before the explosion. We need to be very careful otherwise his Galran genes will be unbalanced with his human genes."

Pidge frowned. "What would that mean for Keith?"

Hunk and Coran shared a worried look. "We're not exactly sure. It could be surface level like his appearance could stay the same."

Her eyes narrowed at Hunks worried expression. "Or?"

Hunk sighed. "Or it could cause a complete breakdown of his genetic sequences and kill him."

Pidge felt her insides go ice cold at the thought of Keith dying. "He's not a flight risk as long as I'm with him. Keep working, get it right and let me know if there's anything else you need from him or me."

She signed off and served breakfast. Because of his unusual appearance they had to stay inside her quarters. It wouldn't be very smart to take him out anyway. The way he had reacted to the others showed a clear mistrust for the human and Altean races. She was not about to put anyone in danger because she wanted to get out of the house. She knew he wouldn't want or mean to hurt anyone but he was currently running on the most basic level of his reptilian brain and genetics. She couldn't risk it, he would never forgive himself if he ended up hurting someone in this state.

So they stayed inside. Keith seemed happy enough as long as she wasn't far away. He didn't like it when she was out of sight but she had made it clear that the bathroom was not a shared zone and he had reluctantly obeyed her wishes. She honestly didn't even mind being stuck in her apartment with him. He was still Keith, only he looked different and was way more affectionate with her. He'd curl up next to her while she worked on her laptop or played with her hair. He also really liked smelling her and nuzzling her.

She recognized the actions as gestures of affection that cats and dogs exhibited to their trusted companions, family members, mates or owners. The possibilities were confusing her but the actions themselves she was enjoying immensely. It was nice, to be treated with such care and affection without hesitation, especially when Keith was the one being affectionate. He wasn't one to be touchy feely or show any kind of affection physical or verbal so to have him so open with her physically was a pleasant and welcome change.

Three days. It had been three days since the accident in Coran's lab. Keith was starting to get cabin fever and so was she if she was being honest. Coran and Hunk were close but not quite willing to dose him with what they had yet. On the upside they were confident that one more day should do it. On the downside, she wasn't sure if Keith would sit in her quarters another hour let alone another day.

He was currently pacing the living area and seemed to be agitated. She activated her communication link and contacted Shiro.

"Hey Pidge how's it going?"

"How hard would it be to get Keith off base for a while?"

"What? Why?"

"He's been cooped up in my quarters for three days and he's getting cabin fever. I need to do something or he's going to escape."

"Okay, okay give me ten minutes to check the status around the base and I'll get back to you."

"Thanks Shiro."

Eight minutes later Shiro gave her the go ahead and told her where to find Keith's old bike. She signed off with Shiro and got the blade cape from the hall closet.

"Come on Keith, we're going for a ride off base."

They made quick work of the corridors and before long they were racing across the desert. The cape covering Keith's head fell back and she felt him lean back slightly to feel the air around them as she drove deeper into the uninhabited parts of the terrain. They stayed out for most of the day driving and exploring. She took him back to the shack and let him roam around the area on his own while she sat on the porch in the shade. He liked it out here, she could tell, even if he hadn't left her eye sight the whole time. She had a feeling that had more to do with him watching her than the other way around.

Eventually she told him they had to go back. His ears flattened and he looked at her with displeasure, growling low in this throat. She sighed.

"I know you don't want to go back but we have to. We can't let anyone else see you and you need to be safe."

He stopped for a moment before his stance relaxed and he turned back towards the bike. They got back to the base just in time for everyone to be at dinner. They quietly slipped through the hallways back to her quarters. Finding dinner and a note on the table when they got in Pidge silently thanked the food gods (Shiro) for making sure they had food.

They ate and showered, separately. It had taken a while but she had managed to get him to bathe. He still wasn't overly keen on the hair dryer but it was a necessity if she didn't want her quarters smelling like wet animal. After he was squeaky clean he curled up next to her on the couch like they had the last three days; and when she eventually yawned he nudged her until she got up and followed her to bed, curling around her as he had every night since his change.

The next morning her tablet ringing woke her. Fumbling for the device on her side table she connected the call.

"What?" she grumbled.

"We did it! Oh…"

Pidge squinted into the bright light of the screen before the words connected and she sat up, disturbing Keith behind her. "You did?"

He growled quietly at the screen as their friends looked at them curiously.

"Uh, yeah we finally got it, we think."

"That's great news Hunk!"

"Is Keith in your bed?"

"Oh! He wouldn't leave me alone so I just let him sleep in with me." She shrugged.

Hunk nodded slowly. "Uh huh."

"Bring him down as soon as you can Pidge and we'll treat him then he should be back to normal in no time."

Pidge nodded at Coran's words and signed off before contacting Shiro for a clear path to the lab. He got them the all clear and she managed to get them there without incident. And that was where the trouble had started.

Keith was currently snarling at Coran who was holding a rather scary looking needle. Hunk had jumped backwards muttering about not getting bitten and Pidge was currently trying to get him off of the filing cabinet.

"Keith it's just one small little needle and then you'll be back to normal. It won't even hurt and I'll be right here with you I promise." When he didn't move but his tail lowered slightly she knew he was listening. "Please, Keith."

He sighed and dropped his head for a moment before jumping down from his perch and standing beside her. She turned to Coran and nodded. Keith's ears went back and he bared his teeth as Coran stepped closer.

"Pidge you'll need to keep him calm or he's just going bolt again."

"I know Coran. I know." She redirected her attention to Keith and captured eye contact with him. "I'm right here."

She felt his tail curl around her and smiled. Keeping eye contact she muttered a go ahead to Coran. Keith winced when the needle went in but otherwise stayed completely still. After the injection was administered everyone watched with bated breath but nothing happened.

"Maybe it didn't work?" Hunk questioned with a frown.

It was then a pain filled sound echoed through the room. Keith's whole body when rigid and his teeth clenched with such force Pidge was afraid he would hurt himself.

"Keith?!" she pleaded taking hold of his arms. "Focus on me okay, it's okay. Why is this happening?!" she directed the question to Coran and Hunk as she struggled to calm Keith down.

He gripped her upper arms and distantly she felt his claws digging into her skin but she couldn't care when he was howling in pain the way he was. She felt it to her core and it made her unsteady on her feet. She felt tears gathering in her eyes the longer the moment lasted. She was dimly aware as the rest of their friends entered the room but Keith didn't seem to be able to notice. He was so overloaded with pain that he couldn't see or hear anything. No matter how much she tried to reassure him nothing was getting through to him and the longer it went on the more distressed she felt. Eventually she lost the battle with her tears as they trekked down her cheeks.

It had been ten minutes so far and nothing was working. Hunk and Coran were frantically going over their equations and calculations. Shiro, Lance and Matt were standing to the side ready to step in if Keith needed restraining.

"Everything is correct, I don't see why it wouldn't be working." Hunk yelled out frantically.

"What if this is the way its supposed to happen?"

"What are you talking about Coran?" Lance asked suspiciously.

"I mean the initial transformation was fairly quick but transforming back is a different matter and because his genetics and DNA are rearranging it's going to be painful. I'm surprised he hasn't passed out yet actually."

"Then do something and knock him out!" Pidge cried.

"Oh right!" Coran quickly retrieved a sedative and dosed Keith, effectively knocking him out cold.

They put him on a bed behind the privacy curtain to let him rest. Pidge quickly wiped her eyes and checked on him. Everyone watched silently as she pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. It was another fifteen minutes before she noticed his fur receding.

"It's working." She murmured in wonder.

Once the fur receded his claws retracted followed by his fangs and finally his ears. She imagined his eyes had returned to normal as well and she couldn't wait for him to wake up and so she could see them. She settled in and held his hand as the changes took hold of his body.

It was three hours before Keith stirred. Pidge jumped when she felt the change in pressure in his hand. Leaning forward she watched closely as his eyes fluttered and opened. Onyx. His eyes were his again and she felt herself smile softly.

"Hey stranger."

He frowned and looked at her, focusing on her face. "Pidge? What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

He shook his head slowly and winced. "It's a little hazy."

"There was an explosion in the lab when you were here with Coran."

"Is he alright?"

"He's fine. You were the only one affected."

"Affected?"

"Yeah, um your DNA and genetics were affected." His eyes widened as he looked down, lifting the blanket to check himself. Pidge giggled. "It's okay they made an antidote and you're back to normal. Well normal form what I can see anyway."

"What do you mean?" when she didn't respond he narrowed his eyes. "Pidge."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. You were slightly purple and furry." His eyes widened. "And your eyes went yellow, you grew claws, a tail and you communicated using snarls and growls."

He was comically shocked as she explained. Blinking twice he took a moment to respond. "I went full Galra?"

She shrugged. "I guess but more primal."

"How the hell did you guys manage to keep me from killing anyone?"

"Oh it was easy really." When he merely raised a brow in disbelief she shrugged and ignored the blush on her cheeks. "You uh seemed to like me well enough so you were essentially harmless as long as I was calm and with you."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Why do I smell like flowers?"

Her eyes widened and she bit her lip to fight a smile. "That would be my shampoo."

"Your shampoo?"

"You've been staying in my quarters. It took me a couple of days but I managed to get you in the shower and showed you what to do. Don't worry I let you wash yourself."

"How long was I in that state?"

"Four days."

"Four days?!"

She crossed her arms. "We had to make sure that we got it right or it could have permanently left you purple or killed you."

It was then that he noticed she had been holding his hand. Instantly he missed the warmth. A foggy memory of being wrapped around her in bed teased the edge of his mind. Trying to process the memory and not go red in the face he took a moment to breathe.

"You looked after me that whole time?"

"Well you wouldn't let anyone else near you so yeah."

"Thank you Pidge."

She froze slightly and nodded. "Right yeah no problem. I should go get Coran to come and check you over."

She basically sprinted through the curtain leaving a confused Keith behind. Coran checked him over then gave him a clean bill of health and showed him the footage from the security cameras so he could understand what had happened. He watched in shock and slight horror as he changed and almost attacked Coran and Pidge. He watched as she calmed him down and watched in mortification as he nuzzled and sniffed her. He groaned in embarrassment and stopped the footage.

"Tell me I didn't hurt anyone."

"You didn't. Pidge made sure of that. She kept you in her quarters and when you started climbing the walls she took you off base for a ride so you could be out in the open without danger of being caught."

Keith nodded absently.

Once they were done with the check up and had gone over much of what had happened and any possible side effects Keith wandered aimlessly down the halls for a while. With Kosmo with his mum he didn't have the option to just blip out to the middle of no where so he wandered. The longer he wandered the more his memories cleared. By the time he had a clear account of the last few days events from his own brain he realized he had made his way to Pidges quarters.

When someone knocked on her door the last person Pidge expected to see was Keith.

"Keith? Is everything okay?"

"I remember."

Her cheeks coloured under his intense gaze. "Oh, well I guess you have a couple of questions then."

He nodded.

"Come in then."

He closed the door behind him and followed her into the living area. It was awkwardly silent in her space until Keith broke it.

"Did I really purr?"

She laughed and the ice was broken. "Yes, quite a lot actually."

He sighed and shook his head. "If you ever tell anyone."

"You'll what? Purr me to death?" His eyes narrowed and she froze. "Wait, Keith." Her own eyes narrowed in challenge. "Don't you dare go all primal on me again."

He stalked toward her. She back up until her back came into contact with the wall and he leant forward nuzzling the side of her neck. "I seem to remember you liking my more primal side."

Her jaw dropped as she tried to form some sort of argument. "No!"

"I told you, I remember, everything. I know you liked the nuzzling and the cuddling and all of the affection I seemed to shower you with over the last four days."

Something clicked then. "Why did you shower me with so much affection?"

He sighed into the juncture between her neck and shoulder. "Come on Pidge, you're smart. Figure it out."

She bristled and turned her head to look him in the eye and tell him where to go when she noticed how close they were. Her nose brushed his as she got caught in his gaze, so close. They were so close. Her breath stuttered in her lungs at the look he was giving her.

"Oh."

Her eyes lidded as she tilted her chin slightly up giving him the sign he needed to close the distance between them. Her hands reached into his hair as their lips danced and she made a small surprised sound when he pulled her closer until they were flush.

When they finally parted she took a deep breath. "I feel like I'm fifteen again."

"You had a crush on me when you were fifteen?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh don't get a big head."