Chapter 8: Spatial Rift Part 2 – Breaking Down
Life continues on Earth with no new leads on Pidge and Coran's whereabouts, until a possible lead comes to light around Caitlin's 3rd Birthday. Desperate for answers, Hunk and Keith follow the lead on even the slimmest chance it might return the missing. Could they still be alive a year later?
August 25th, 2332
Hunk loaded the last of his personal kitchen items—his favorite knives—onto the supply cart he was using to collect the remains of his and Katie's personal items from the Atlas. His request to transfer back to the Garrison itself full time had been approved. Given that the trip on the Atlas had been meant to be a temporary, special mission anyway, it wasn't even unexpected. However, he had made it clear that he had no intention of taking any off-planet missions, at all, while Caitlin was little.
That was it. Everything else in the kitchens was Garrison property. None of his personal items or touches remained. Hunk sighed, and closed the box into which he had put the knives.
"It will not be the same without you," Shay's familiar tones came from behind him.
Hunk turned around. The Balmeran stood in the kitchen door, looking sad, but not misunderstanding. He nodded. "I wouldn't expect it to, but everything will be fine without me. You're all capable of doing this job without me here."
"I know that is true," Shay nodded, "But it is not what I meant. You are more than our mentor, or a superior. You are a friend. Everyone will miss you. I know I will miss you."
Hunk managed a smile, even though he didn't quite feel it. "I know that. I'll miss you, too. But I know this is the right thing. Besides, with the right being in charge, no one will even notice I'm gone."
Shay looked startled. "And who will be taking your place?"
"You will, Shay." Hunk turned to face her head on. "I trust you with this crew, and with this mission. To spread peace and hope, through a shared love of great cuisine… I know you can do that. That's why I recommended you to Captain Navor myself."
Now she just looked floored. "I… thank you. I know not what else to say."
"Just do me proud." An alarm went off on his phone. It was almost time to get home. "I need to get going. I'm expected. Take care of yourself."
She stood to the side and let him go as he pushed the cart out of the kitchens, heading for the exit. "You too."
January 13th, 2333 (5 months later)
"We know you said you didn't want a big party," Hunk's mother said with a smile, "But I couldn't just ignore my boy's birthday. I had to at least make your favorites."
Hunk looked around the dinner table of his parents' house, and couldn't help feeling touched. Tonight, was just his own immediate family: his mother, father, sister, and brother-in-law, and Caitlin. His grown niece and nephew no longer lived nearby, though they had promised to come out tomorrow for Caitlin's third birthday party. That was the party Hunk wanted to be special. His turning thirty-two didn't seem nearly as important.
Still, his mother had made a mix of foods that could only have been brought together by Hunk's varied tastes: palusami, pulled pork tacos, baked pears dripping in honey sauce, and of course, his mother's banana cake. "It looks great, Mom. Thank you."
She kissed his cheek. "I thought you'd like it. Now sit, eat! And tell us all about what you've been up to, and we can talk about tomorrow's big plans." Then she turned to Caitlin, who had already climbed up into her chair. "Are you ready for birthday tomorrow?"
Caitlin grinned. "Yes! Gonna have a party."
"Yes, you're going to have a wonderful party." She hugged Caitlin and then sat down around the table with everyone else.
Hunk was grateful that no one actually expected him to talk while he was eating his birthday meal. One well-placed question to his father and brother-in-law about how the mechanic shop was doing, and he had them both off and talking about all the recent cars they had fixed, and plenty about the people who owned them to. There were always people who were clueless about the vehicles they owned, or careless with them, or who pretended they knew more than they did. They went on for a good while and, to their pleasure, had a fascinated audience in Caitlin. While she didn't understand all of it, she still listened, and occasionally laughed, more interested in listening to everyone than the food in front of her, though she did eat everything she was given. If there was one thing she would not be, it was a picky eater.
Then an easy nudge, a simple question, and he had his mother talking about how things were going down at the community center, where she worked and spent a lot of her time with the community programs: afternoon reading to children, helping provide food to families who were having tough times in the community kitchen, and whatever else was needed. She coordinated tons of activities for all ages, and it was something he was very proud of her for. It was great to listen to her talk about how all the families in the area were doing. After the Galra invasion, which had thankfully had minimal casualties—since they preferred enslaving races to murdering them—most people had been happy to return to the island. There were also new families, some the natural expansion of the old over time.
Hunk could not imagine Katie having ever been willing to just settle on a remote island, but if they had just been normal civilians, it could have happened. Of course, if they'd been normal civilians, they never would have met…
He had missed the transition to his sister's telling Mom about the latest adventures of his niece and nephew. Mikale, who was out of college now with a degree in astrophysics, was piloting at the Garrison, though he was stationed at a different location on Earth. Amari was in her last year of undergraduate at university in pre-med, and debating whether she wanted to study brains, or advanced non-human anatomy and physiology, which was now a program.
Both of them, Hunk realized, now had far more formal education than he ever had. Not that he had needed it, in the long run. He was proud of them both, and couldn't help wondering what Caitlin would do when she was old enough.
"Now, what have you been up to?" His mother asked turning a pointed smile at her son.
No more getting out of talking. Hunk shrugged, and wished he had something more exciting to report. "Oh, you know. Mostly the usual. Oh, there is the big galactic conference coming up. They're hosting it here on Earth so, I'm in charge of the menu." That was something, at least. For him, it was work as usual.
Fortunately, that seemed to excite his family, who had plenty of questions about the conference, and which planets would be attending this time, and what did he have in mind for the menu? Because, of course, he had something new and brilliant and delicious planned. He often shared new recipes with them, so they could try them at home as well.
Hunk told them about his plans, as they were so far, and talked about a variety of recipes, especially ones he didn't think he had mentioned before. He didn't have the heart to tell them he hadn't come up with a single new recipe good enough to use. At least, not in his own estimation. Lately, they all seemed to be lacking. A couple of his attempts to liven things up at home had been just… passable. Caitlin had eaten them without complaint, but there was nothing inspiring in them. Katie would have asked if he'd been replaced with a clone to turn out something so lackluster.
Those, he definitely wasn't going to mention. Fortunately, no one seemed to recognize the recipes he brought up, so that was good. With a group this large, mixing and matching old recipes would be more than adequate, because there would always be something at least a few of the delegations hadn't tried.
"They're very fortunate to have you," his mother smiled. "Not everyone can be a master chef and a good diplomat."
"Thanks, Mom." He hoped he could live up to the diplomatic part. There had only been a number of small dinners, lunches, or catered gatherings he had been needed on Earth for in the several months since coming home. "It's really not as complicated as it sounds."
"No need to be modest. We know how hard you work." His mother chided him gently, as she cut up the banana cake for dessert. She set the first slice in front of him, and stuck a single candle in it, lighting it. "Happy Birthday, Hunk. Now make a wish, and enjoy."
A wish… if only. There was really only one thing he could even imagine wanting. Not that he had believed in birthday wishes in years, but he wasn't about to argue with his mother. I wish for Katie back, alive and safe. He blew it out, and everyone started to eat.
Hunk was just glad that birthday wishes were meant to be kept secret.
January 14th, 2333
When Hunk had accepted his mother's offer to help throw Caitlin's third birthday party, he hadn't realized that she would be getting so much of the family in on it. For one thing, he hadn't expected to be offered the grand dining room of the family resort as the location for dinner. When he saw who all his mother was inviting, he understood why.
Both of Caitlin's first two parties had been relatively small, given a baby really had no understanding of what was going on anyway, and they didn't really have a bunch of friends to invite over. While Hunk and Katie's immediate family, and whichever Paladin friends had been available, had made it, there hadn't been any huge productions.
This, was a bit of a production. Aside from the Holts, Matt, his parents, His sister, brother-in-law, Amari and Mikale, and the entire Garrett clan who still lived on American Samoa, at the resort, or pretty much anywhere on planet seemed to be on the guest list. Not everyone had RSVPed yes, thankfully, but they had all been invited. Of course, there were still quite a few of them who had not yet met Caitlin, so Hunk couldn't really fault his mom for that. He knew that all of the remaining Paladins and their families were coming, as well Romelle. Lance and Veronica were coming, and Keith was bringing Acxa and Heith, and Shiro and Curtis were coming with all three boys, whose adoption had been finalized just a couple of weeks before. The hotel gave them all a place to stay if they weren't just coming in for the day, and had plenty of other activities for everyone to enjoy before and during the formal party itself.
Hunk was honestly looking forward to seeing them all, and having them in one place. Caitlin was going to have a blast… he just wished it were somewhere else… or that Katie was here to enjoy it with them.
They had only visited the resort once since their wedding, when Caitlin was about a year-and-a-half, to visit Hunk's extended family and take a little break. Despite having spent a good portion of his childhood summers between home and here, all of the memories that came to mind as he looked around the island during morning party set-up… were of Katie.
Katie in that two-piece swim suit while he helped her put on her third—or fourth—reapplication of sunscreen. Swimming in the ocean. Sitting next to him at night on the beach… and in the hot tub under the stars on their wedding night. Katie curiously exploring his new tattoos. Katie, in her sundress, with flowers in her hair, glowing with Altean magic…
"Daibazaal to Hunk," a voice cut through, shattering the images in his mind.
Hunk turned around, and saw Keith getting out of the hotel shuttle with Acxa. Acxa had the bags. Keith had an armful of wiggling son. "Keith! You're here."
"We promised we would be." Keith looked down at his son. "Will you hold still a minute? I'll let you down when we get inside."
"Not one for following directions?" Hunk chuckled.
"He's in a bit of a break for it and run at anything he sees that is even remotely interesting phase," Keith grinned, though he looked tired. "With my luck, it'll be a lizard, or a shark."
"No one's seen a shark around here in years," Hunk assured him. "But there's a lot of little lizards. You want me to hold him?"
"That is the best offer I've had all day." Keith willingly handed over the squirming toddler.
Hunk took Heith in his large hands, and held him up at eye level. "Hey there, kiddo."
Faced with a new, and much bigger person who was clearly not his father, the boy stopped wiggling and stared at him with intense storm-blue eyes. For a kid who was half Galra, he only looked vaguely more Galra than Keith did. Which was to say, aside from a few notable traits, he looked mostly human. Oh, his ears were ever so slightly pointy at the top, and his skin was just a shade cooler than human, with a bit of a violet undertone instead of a red. Most notable, was the shock of dark purple hair on his head that was not-quite-black.
Heith didn't seem afraid. After a moment, he scowled. Hunk laughed. "Looks just like you, doesn't he?"
Keith rolled his eye and grabbed the last couple of bags. They were definitely not here for just the day.
Acxa laughed. "That's exactly what Krolia said the first time he frowned, too."
"Well, it's a good look." Hunk turned and followed them as they headed inside to check in to the hotel.
"Where's Caitlin?" Keith asked curiously.
"With my mom." Hunk smiled. "She's getting as much grandmother time in as she can this week, and enjoying every minute of it. I think right now they're at the pool."
"A swim sounds heavenly," Acxa smiled. "But why not the beach?"
"I'm sure we'll all get to spend some time on the beach." The last time they had all been here, they had spent lots of time. "Aleki just finished getting the entire pool area redone, and it includes a shallow area for kids, and a splash area for the really little ones. That part's also fenced off, for safety. Might be a good place to let this one go for a bit."
Acxa's face lit up at the word fence. "I think maybe we should start there. A nice swim to loosen up, let Heith get some energy out somewhere he can't do much damage… sounds great."
Keith smiled, and spoke softly to Hunk so his wife wouldn't hear. "Which means…I'm watching him."
Keith had known the moment Acxa heard about the pool, that was where they were headed. While they were here for Caitlin's birthday, and to visit friends, they were also here for the much-needed vacation. Raising a now-mobile toddler, and running an intergalactic relief organization, took a lot of time and effort. Keith was grateful he wasn't in charge of the Galra home world. Letting his mother and Kolivan handle rebuilding had been one of the best decisions the Galra had made. Running an entire planet had not been on his list of life goals. There was a lot more freedom even in coordinating the Blades. As long as the Coalition kept expanding, there were always more planets that needed their assistance. Even member planets had need of them from time to time. Natural disasters happened on any planet.
They were organized enough now, and had enough leadership, that he and Acxa could afford a few days off. In truth, he felt like they should probably do it more often. Especially now that they had Heith. They were a family, and there was no one more important than them. He wanted his son to have all the time he could with both of his parents.
That said, they also deserved some rest and relaxation. So, he wasn't at all bothered by taking point on chasing Heith around the pool area while Acxa swam some laps, and then took a nap in a lounge chair, with a tropical beverage.
Keith wore his swim trunks, arriving at the pool about the same time as Hunk. He saw Hunk's mother and Caitlin splashing and playing in the sprinkler area, which was really very creatively decorated. Each sprinkler came out of a large plastic tropical flower. They were of varying shapes and sizes, so the water poured out at different angles. Some like rain, and others bouncing up and down. Some jumped from one flower to the next, and there was plenty of room for children to play safely among them.
Caitlin was jumping up and down trying to land on the water that was popping up and down from the pad beneath her feet. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail that bounced up and down with her. She was easy to see in her bright green-and-pink floral suit.
"She's not wearing a swim diaper," he noticed.
Hunk grinned proudly. "That's right. No more diapers for us."
"Now I'm jealous." Keith set his son down on the ground.
Hunk's mother spotted them and said something to Caitlin, who came trotting over.
"Caitlin, this is Heith," Hunk introduced her. "He's Uncle Keith's son. Do you remember Uncle Keith?"
Caitlin looked up at Keith, and then nodded, and smiled. "Yeah. Maybe."
Keith chuckled. "At least she's honest. Okay, Heith, you can go play with Caitlin, but play nice."
"Can you take care of Heith?" Hunk asked his daughter, knowing his mother would actually be watching them, as would they. "He's littler than you."
"I got it," Caitlin grinned and gave them a thumbs up. "C'mon!" She took Heith's hand and led him away. "Splashers fun!"
"Well, that was easy." Keith watched his son go, too startled to resist being gently but firmly pulled towards the flower-shaped sprinklers shooting water in a variety of directions. Since there was a fence between them and even the kids pool, they could not go anywhere out of sight, or fall into anything. "This might be my favorite place the whole time we're here."
"That much of a handful, huh?" Hunk smiled as he stood there, arms crossed, watching both kids.
"Ever since he started walking." Keith nodded. "He's a good kid. He's just very… adventurous."
"Then he's in good company. Caitlin's pretty fearless. She learned to swim last summer when we were in Cuba. She'd be in the ocean right now if I let her, but this is a little more Mom's speed."
"That's fair." For a moment, Keith was quiet. Now seemed as good a time as any to bring it up. He didn't want to have the conversation in front of Acxa, or anyone else. "I brought the information." He pulled a small portable drive out of his pocket. "It's everything we were able to dig out of the old Imperial archives, and the records we found on Daibazaal when it returned. I looked through some of it, but I'm not sure it has what you're looking for."
Hunk's hand closed tightly around his, and the drive, before slipping it into his own pocket. He decided he should not have been surprised by the welling emotion in Hunk's eyes. "Thank you, Keith. Anything that might, even give us another direction to look…anything we haven't explored, is appreciated."
"Anytime. You know I want them to find Pidge and Coran as much as you do. Well, maybe almost as much. I'm pretty sure no one in the universe wants that more than you do."
"There is one person." Hunk surprised him. His friend's face turned somber, and he spoke softly. "Caitlin. It's been over seven months, and even though she's little, and that's so much of her life so far, she still asks me where Pidge is. At night, when she wakes up crying from a bad dream, it's still mama first."
"That's rough." A serious understatement, but all he could really say out here. It seemed to be all Hunk wanted though. Keith wondered how many of the other people around him could see how tight a rope Hunk was walking, holding it all together. Compared to how he'd been when Katie first vanished, Hunk seemed to be handling things well on the surface, but no matter how many years seemed to pass, Keith still found it easier to read the other Paladins. There was something about that bond that never seemed to fully fade. Even though it hadn't been any use so far in finding Katie. Keith had tried—not that he had mentioned it to Hunk. It had been an utter failure. It wasn't a magical intergalactic GPS.
But Hunk, standing there, wound tight enough if he'd been a line he'd be quivering, was much easier to see. Keith would have done anything to make this better, if there was just a direction to go. He hoped the information he'd found would be enough.
"I see we've found the happening end of the pool."
Keith turned his head, and spotted Shiro coming in, with the youngest of their three boys, baby Nathaniel. He could still barely believe Shiro and Curtis had decided to adopt them all. "I'm not sure I'd call it happening. Maybe chaotic?"
"That too," Shiro agreed. "Though it's still quieter than over there." He nodded to the main pool, which had erupted in the chaos of Gabriel and Joshua playing a rowdy game of chase with a couple of Hunk's younger relatives…probably cousins' kids if he had to guess.
"Only for now." Hunk turned around, chuckling. "Just wait until they all get hungry and tired at the same time."
Keith grinned. "Somehow, I have trouble believing anyone staying at a resort run by your family could possibly remain hungry for long."
"Well, you've got that right."
If he'd had the luxury, Hunk would have run upstairs and spent the next several hours poring over the information Keith had handed him. Today, however, was not about him. This was Caitlin's day, and he wanted her to have only the best memories of it. So, he tucked the data away in a pocket in their bag, where it wouldn't get wet, and focused on the conversation, and the rest of the afternoon with his daughter. When the children were done playing and splashing with their parents—and without—everyone retreated for showers, clean clothes, and—in the case of most smaller children—a much needed nap. Needed for them, and for very tired parents, and grandparents. Hunk was sure that—no matter how much his mother denied it—Caitlin had done a good job of wearing her out too.
Then it was almost time for the actual party. Hunk had done very little in the planning of this part of everything, outside of some of the presents, but he had insisted on making her birthday cake himself. All the other food, the decorations, the party games… he was content to leave up to his family.
So, he supposed he should not have been surprised when the first 'present' showed up at their hotel room door early, in the form of Colleen Holt, with a party dress in layers of light green and pale blue silky fabric with a layer of shimmering tulle over it. "I thought you might like something fun to wear to your party," she said, offering it to Caitlin.
His daughter squealed, and ran over, almost tackling Colleen's legs. "Thank you! It's so pretty!"
"Go put it on," Colleen beamed, handing it over.
Caitlin vanished into the bathroom.
"Even Katie liked fun dresses when she was three," Colleen smiled, a little wistfully. "Not that she ever wanted to go shopping for them, of course."
"It's lovely," Hunk assured her. He knew Katie had worn dresses more when she was younger. He had seen albums at the Holts' house, full of photos of their children. Though Katie's princess dresses usually belonged to some kind of space warrior science princess. Which made perfect sense.
Caitlin came out again a couple of minutes later. The dress, very practically, did not require buttons or laces and so it was easy for a small child to put on by herself. "Look! It twirls!" she grinned, spinning in a circle.
"You look amazing," Hunk told his daughter. He couldn't help but smile as she giggled and spun.
Caitlin grinned. "Imma jungle queen! Do I get a crown?"
Colleen laughed. "Of course, you do, jungle queen." She reached into her purse and pulled out a crown of silk flowers in the same green, with blue ribbons, but with pink and purple silk blossoms. She set it on top of Caitlin's dark loose curls. "There. You look amazing, your majesty."
Caitlin stood up straight and did her best to look regal… an expression she could only have seen on television. "Thank you. Party time?"
"As soon as you put on some shoes," Hunk reminded her.
Caitlin looked down at her bare feet. "Oh, right." She went over to her bag and pulled out her favorite green sandals. "There. Let's go!"
Hunk and Colleen escorted the birthday girl to the dining room, which had been turned into its own balloon-filled fairy land. Bunches of shimmery metallic balloons in every color filled the corners, with streamers in green, blue, pink, and purple curling in multilayered curtains between them. None of which covered the wall of windows that looked out over the ocean view. There was a long dining table, but also tables off to the side. One heaped with treats, and the other with the pile of gifts. There were children's games set up in one corner for the smaller kids—and any of the older ones willing to admit those could still be fun—and the room was already full of guests.
Lance appeared in front of them, and grinned as he crouched down in front of Caitlin. "Happy birthday, Princess."
Caitlin giggled, and did her best attempt at a curtsey—definitely picked up from a cartoon—and smiled. "Thank you… sir knight. But I'm a queen."
Lance laughed. "My apologies, my Queen. Are you ready for your royal introduction?"
"Yes."
"You're having too much fun with this," Hunk grinned as Lance stood and stepped into the doorway.
"You bet I am." Lance stopped, then raised his voice. "Attention! Attention all! Please attend the arrival of the Birthday Queen!"
The general chatter quieted, and then everyone burst into applause.
Caitlin beamed.
Hunk felt his heart lift a little. This was going to be a great day.
Caitlin was swept off by Lance toward the party games.
Hunk took another moment to look around at the details of the room, amazed. The cake he had decorated that morning had made it upstairs without any incidents, he was relieved to see. "When did you find time to do all this?" he asked his mother as she approached.
"It wasn't just me," she chuckled. "Though it's sweet that you think I could. Just about everyone pitched in a little, in the kitchen or up here decorating. That way no one in the family misses out on the fun. And don't worry, it's not nearly as complicated—or expensive—as it looks."
"Well, that's good." Hunk would have hated to think that it had cost as much as it really did look like it did. "It's already setting a pretty high precedent for future birthdays."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll come up with more interesting things that little kid party games as she gets older," his mother assured him. "There's a whole universe out there for her to explore after all. Eventually, a little party on Earth will seem pretty tame in comparison."
"Right." Right… if he ever took her into space. It hadn't even occurred to him to think about trips off planet, in the day to day of just getting through life. Sure, they could visit Altea, or Daibazaal or something… but the idea of taking his precious little girl anywhere that might be dangerous—well more dangerous than remaining Earth bound—he wasn't sure how he felt about that.
After the children had exhausted themselves with party games, it was time for cake. While everyone had been nibbling on the buffet for most of the party, it was the first time the kids had sat down long enough to actually eat. Caitlin was seated in the place of honor at the end of the table, and everyone sang, and then they cut into the cake Hunk had made. It was Caitlin's current favorite: dark chocolate raspberry cake, with cream cheese frosting.
After food, there was the highlight of any party: presents. With as many guests as they had this year, Hunk thought the present table might buckle, and that was without holding all the presents.
There were lots of great gifts: books, and educational games, both physical and computer, and the next level of Altean children's logic puzzles (from Romelle), coloring supplies and paper, clothes, all the usual things one might expect at a child's birthday party.
"These books are about different planets in the Coalition?" Hunk looked at the little series of books full of colorful pictures.
"Yeah." Keith nodded. "They're pretty new, but they're accurate. The author wanted to help children understand all the different cultures they'll meet. Apparently, she's not done, but the first few are cute. They've got Daibazaal, Altea, Olkarion, Earth, Arus, and there's even one about Balmeras so far."
"These are great," Hunk agreed as he looked at the pictures of the book on Olkarion. "I'm sure she'll love them."
From Chip, there was a mini-cube from Olkarion, which was an instant hit with all the children.
From Lance, there was her own Juniberry flower plant, in a pot, with instructions for care. Caitlin squealed with delight when she saw it. "My own flower?"
"That's right. I know you'll take good care of it. The window in your bedroom gets lots of good light, so you should keep it there if it's too hot or cold outside, okay?"
"I will." Caitlin hugged the pot.
Aside from the big-girl bed that Caitlin had gotten early, and Hunk had set up for her before they left to visit his folks and be here for her birthday, there was only one present left.
"I think we've got one more gift left," Lance said standing up and looking around. "This one's from your dad, and it's extra special."
Caitlin's eyes got big. "More special than a flower?"
"Well, maybe you should tell me." Lance stepped out of the way, and Veronica came out of the crowd, holding a very fluffy golden puppy.
Hunk had the pleasure of watching his daughter's mouth drop open. "A puppy! Really, daddy?" she looked at him as if she didn't quite believe it.
"Yes, sweetie, she's for you."
Veronica knelt down, still holding the wiggling puppy, who did not seem at all bothered by the huge crowd of people. Of course, since she had come from the McClain farm, she was probably very used to them. "This puppy came from our farm, and now she's yours. Take good care of her."
"I will." Unlike how she had squeezed the plant pot, Caitlin did not grab for her puppy. Instead, she got down on her knees like Veronica had, and reached out her hand for the puppy to sniff, exactly how she had been taught. "Hello, puppy."
The puppy wiggled excitedly, her long ears flopping. She licked Caitlin's hand. Veronica gently set her down on the floor, and the puppy bounced up to Caitlin, stood up on her legs, and licked her face.
Caitlin giggled, and then gently hugged the puppy, who was now slathering her face with kisses.
Colleen leaned in. "Are you ready for a puppy?" she asked in a low, even as she smiled.
Hunk nodded. "I gave it a lot of thought. Caitlin loves animals, and she was very good with them when we visited the farm, and any other time she's interacted with pets. She's never going to be a very big dog. Besides, Lance had her spayed and housebroken and started her basic training on the farm. So, I don't have to handle all of that, just pick up in her training where she's at."
"Smart." Colleen nodded. "Well, she's certainly adorable. I have to admit, I've missed having a dog since Bae Bae passed. Do you think Lance's family has any puppies left?"
"Possibly. It was a litter of seven. You should ask."
"I just might. What breed are they?"
"Havanese, what else?" Lance commented as he joined them. "Though this litter is mixed. My aunt's cocker spaniel got out of the house and came over to visit one of our girls. Now he's a dad."
Colleen chuckled. "I hope your aunt is paying puppy support."
Lance grinned. "Actually, she's letting us keep all the profits from selling the puppies. They're not worth as much for sale as the purebreds, but really who cares? They're adorable, and they're very healthy. Oh, and yes, we've still got four puppies if you're interested. Though Caitlin got the pick of the litter."
Hunk was relieved, and impressed, with how well the other children kept a quiet circle around Caitlin and the puppy. Now that she had thoroughly soaked Caitlin, the puppy was starting to sniff at the other kids too, but she kept coming back to Caitlin, who was thoroughly enchanted.
As the party ended, Hunk and Caitlin stood near the door to thank people for coming. Caitlin held the puppy in her arms, and for now she seemed happy to be carried, now that she was tired out from so much playing.
"So, did you have a good time?" Hunk asked his daughter.
"The best!" she replied enthusiastically, and turned to include her grandparents. "Thank you for my party."
"You're so welcome, Caitlin." Hunk's mother squatted down and kissed Caitlin's forehead. "What do you want to do now?"
Caitlin looked down at her puppy. "I think… Juni needs outside."
"Juni?" Hunk looked at her, presuming that was what she had decided to call her puppy.
Caitlin nodded. "Yeah. Like Juniberries… cause she's pretty."
"Sounds like a great name to me," Sam smiled.
"Me too." Lance agreed. "And you're right, Caity-cat. You should definitely take Juni outside and see if she needs to do her business. She has a leash in her crate, I'll get it for you."
"What about cleaning all this up?" Hunk asked, looking around the room.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Colleen shook her head. "We've got it covered. I'll make sure to get all of Caitlin's presents packed up nice and efficiently so you can take it all home tomorrow. You two go bond with Juni."
Lance returned with the leash and attached it to the puppy's collar. "Here you go. Remember not to pull too hard."
"I'll be gentle." Caitlin took the leash, and then her father's hand. "Come on, Daddy. Let's go!"
January 15th, 2333
The blue and orange glows from the projected screens in front of Hunk were the only light in the room as he sat at the small table in their resort room. Caitlin, exhausted from a great day, was passed out in the second guest bed, and Juni was now asleep in her crate.
Hunk took another sip of the lukewarm coffee in his mug. The pot was almost empty, but he didn't expect to need much more. He was almost to the end of all of the information Keith had brought him, and he couldn't sleep until he had finished. Until he knew if there was anything there. He had been at it since his daughter fell asleep and now, it was nearly four in the morning.
Thousands of names, locations, obscure references. Nothing seemed even close though he had marked a couple of items as ridiculous long-shots that he really didn't think were it, but anything was better than finding nothing.
He was so tired his eyes almost glossed right over it. Pausing, Hunk looked again, and zoomed in on a tiny moon in an uninteresting and unoccupied system. Or at least, currently unoccupied. What caught his attention was the name of the moon. Cy'daxene… it wasn't Kydaxin, but it was close, and who knew if they were fully pronouncing or even spelling the name correctly? It was all translated from an ancient language. Though that was the spelling as it had been given to the Atlas by the system on the planet. It was also possible the name had changed over time. No one, apparently, knew who had named the moon. It wasn't the Galra. It was marked that way on a star chart they had received from an unnamed source. But while it was uninhabited, it was just large enough to maintain a weak but breathable atmosphere.
It was the best lead they'd had in months, which was to say, the only one.
Hunk dialed Keith's personal communicator. This couldn't wait.
Keith appeared after several seconds, looking bleary-eyed, but not as if he had just been awakened. In fact, he had Heith over his shoulder. "Hunk… it's four in the morning. This had better be important."
"There's a moon in the data you sent me that looks like it might fit the description of our mysterious location," Hunk blurted out, trying not to talk too loudly. "The spelling is different, but the names are incredibly close. I'd like you to take a look at this and tell me anything else you know. If it's a lead, we need to act on it."
"All right, all right." Keith sighed, but nodded. "Let me just get this little guy back to sleep. Where should I meet you?"
Hunk thought frantically of a spot where they wouldn't wait Caitlin either. "In the dining room where we had the party. No one will be in there at this hour."
"I'll see you there." Keith hung up.
Hunk grabbed his system and slipped quietly out into the hallway, before heading downstairs. He hadn't even gotten into pajamas yet, though stocking-feet were definitely quieter on the floors than shoes would have been.
He had just gotten set up on the empty table that had earlier held Caitlin's gifts, when Keith joined him, wrapped in a bathrobe, and in his red lion slippers. He looked mildly more alert than he had before. "All right, what did you find?"
Hunk pulled up the displays and showed up everything there was on Cy'daxene. "What do you think?" he asked when he was done. "Is it a lead… or am I just seeing something that isn't there?" Because he knew he wanted to, oh how he wanted to.
Keith stared at the data for another few seconds. "Actually, it's possible you're on to something. I mean, it's a long shot, but just about anything is going to be a long shot until we check it out. Let's show this data to Sam. The Garrison can send an exploratory ship to check it out."
"I'm going," Hunk blurted out without hesitation.
Keith stared at him. "What?"
"I have to. I have to see for myself."
"What about Caitlin?"
"Colleen and Sam could watch her for a few days. I'm sure they'll understand."
"We can talk to them about it in the morning. For now… go to bed." The way Keith said it, it wasn't quite an order, but it stopped just short of being one.
Hunk didn't argue, though he found it hard to get to sleep. It was already almost five, and he still had enough coffee in his system that he was about two drops short of buzzing. After attempting to doze for an hour, he gave up and took a shower, and changed clothes. He wanted to catch Sam as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, the conversation had to wait until breakfast was over. First, he had to get Caitlin up and dressed, and they took the puppy for a walk, then fed her. Only then did they go in to breakfast. Then, there were too many other people around. Hunk couldn't discuss the possibility of a mission to find Katie in front of his daughter. He also didn't wany anyone else to know.
Fortunately, Sam liked to linger over his morning coffee and read through the news, so Hunk and Keith simply waited until they were the only ones left at the table. Acxa had taken Heith back to their room, and Caitlin—with Juni in tow—had been swept off by his mother for a last couple of hours of time with her "island grandma" as Caitlin sometimes called her when she was trying to clarify which grandma she meant.
Sam looked at them calmly over his cup of coffee. "I take it you two have something you'd like to discuss."
"We do," Hunk nodded.
"We think we've found a possible link to where the portal might have taken Pidge and Coran," Keith continued. "It's slim, but worth investigating."
Sam's eyes widened. "By all means, show me."
They went back to Hunk's hotel room, where he and Keith walked Sam through what they had discovered last night. "So, what do you think?" Hunk asked when they were done. "When can we check it out?"
"Hold on now, Hunk," Sam said, one hand out in a patience gesture. "I agree, this looks… vaguely possible. However, that's quite a journey, and the Garrison doesn't have any spare ships with the deep space capability, or a pilot to spare, for that right now."
"But we're talking about Katie—"
"Do not lecture me about how I handle the Garrison's resources in searching for my own daughter." There was a dangerous flash in Sam's eyes. "I want to find her as much as you do, but that doesn't mean I can just go pulling resources off other critical missions. Now, if we have an ally who has a ship, I'd be happy to have them to send an exploratory expedition out there to find out if there is anything at all."
"I can do it," Keith spoke up before Hunk could lose his temper. "We have a few small ships with hyperspace jump capability. It will take a week or so, but we can find out."
"Thank you, Keith." Sam's expression softened a little.
"I'm going too." Hunk wasn't going to budge on that point. It was not a request.
Perhaps Sam sensed that, because he simply nodded. "We'll watch Caitlin…and the puppy. I'll assign you to the mission, but you have to promise me you'll be careful, and not take any unnecessary risks. Your daughter needs you."
"I know that… and I'll be careful. We can get everything settled back at home before I leave."
"I'll contact the Blades and see which ships and pilots are available for the mission," Keith promised. "Acxa and I are here for another three days. If I cut our vacation short, she'll kill me. Meet me on Daibazaal in a week."
"I'll be there."
January 24th, 2333
Hunk had only been to restored-and-not-destroyed Daibazaal a handful of times in the past decade, and often that had been on the Atlas. He had been in the atmosphere a few more times than that.
All Caitlin had been told was that daddy had a work trip, and since he was a cook, she didn't seem to think to ask if he was doing something other than cooking on his trip. His plan had gotten mixed reviews. Obviously, Sam had approved it, and Matt and Chip were both entirely for it, even if they were concerned for Hunk's safety. Colleen was quiet on the subject, and Hunk had the feeling that she was torn between the hope that he might find her daughter, and the fear that her granddaughter might lost both parents if things went badly.
Everything Hunk needed he had brought in a single duffel, mostly consisting of clothes. Almost on a lark—but mostly because in case of space disaster it was his best chance of survival—he had packed his Paladin uniform and bayard. Not that he anticipated needed them really, but because it made him feel a little less hopeless. Despite repeated attempts—more like prayers at this point—he had never been able to find his connection to Katie, or to the Yellow Lion.
Keith had assured Hunk that all he needed to do was show up. There was a ship, with all the scanning equipment and rescue equipment—if it came to that—that they might need, and a pilot. Hunk only needed to show up at the Daibazaal spaceport, which was on-planet in the main city, and meet the ship at dock fifteen.
In lieu of borrowing an official Garrison pod, Hunk had caught a ride on a supply ship that was going from Earth to Daibazaal with a produce delivery, which meant he landed at the docks with plenty of time to spare.
Hunk went straight to dock fifteen anyway. He hoped Keith would be there to see the mission off, but he would understand if his friend was too busy. It was enough that he had done this much.
The Galra ship parked at dock fifteen was a small, fast ship designed precisely for this kind of mission. Of course, the Galra had done a lot of exploration in their millennia of conquering worlds. It only made sense.
Hunk took a quick circle around the ship, doing a visual inspection and getting a feel for her: high speed, fuel-efficient, ablative armor. She was in good repair. "Nice ship," he commented as he laid a hand on one of the wings.
"Thanks. I did the refits on her myself."
Hunk turned around at the sound of Keith's voice. "Really? Maybe you missed your calling."
"I learned a lot watching you and Pidge," Keith smiled. "And I did have a professional look it over to make sure I didn't mess anything up."
"Did you?"
"Believe it or not, no."
That was when Hunk noticed the bag slung over Keith's back. "You're my pilot?"
"Don't look so surprised. This is one mission I had to take myself. You understand."
Hunk suddenly felt warm inside, and immensely relieved. He felt much better going on this mission with Keith instead of some random Galra. "Yeah, I do."
"Good. Then let's get aboard and get moving. We've got a long way to go."
January 27th, 2333
Keith had to admit, it was great to be back out among the stars. Not that he wasn't flying from one planet or another regularly, but it wasn't the same to be running supplies, instead of exploring. Most of his role lately was organizational, almost bureaucratic. It wasn't the same as being out there all the time, saving people himself, or with friends. He was just grateful Acxa had understood how important this particular mission was to him.
Hunk was also generally a good travel companion. Of course, after their year-and-a-half trip back to Earth before the defeat of Honerva, Keith could probably have put up with any of the Paladins for a trip this short without any trouble at all. Even Lance.
To find Katie and Coran, Keith would have put up with anyone.
The ship was too small to have a galley, so they were living off of pre-packaged rations and large containers of drinkable water. Hunk jokingly called it roughing it, and didn't complain.
It took them three days of careful, calculated jumps to make it out to the system coordinates. They took turns piloting, so the other could get sleep and breaks as needed. Though Keith noticed Hunk didn't sleep much. In his off time, he was more likely to be found tinkering with non-essential systems and making upgrades just to keep his hands and mind busy. Keith left him to it.
Finally, on the third day, the proximity alert for the end of their last jump went off, and a minute later they dropped into the edge of the system that held the planet around which orbited the moon Cy'daxene. "Hunk," Keith called out. "We're here."
Hunk appeared at once, dropping into the co-pilot's seat and looking out the window, and at the HUD screens in front of them. "It sure doesn't look like much, does it?"
"Not really," Keith agreed. The red giant in front of them was almost at the end of this stage of its existence, based on the very low helium readings, and slow rate of fusion. There were only four planets in the system, with only one being at the right distance to have ever possibly held life. That one, not surprisingly, was the one with the moon they were looking for, and had come out near. "It looks like it's already collapsing, though I doubt we're in any immediate danger from it."
Hunk nodded. "We're a couple of millennia from a supernova. We should be fine. Let's go have a look at Cy'daxene." Now that they were here, Hunk looked nervous. He drummed his fingers softly, but insistently, on the arm rest.
They approached the planet, labelled Arrdix-2 on the chart.
"We should see it any moment," Hunk commented as they continued around towards the light-side of the planet. "It should be coming around into view…. Now."
But there was nothing. "Are your readings off?" Keith asked.
Hunk pressed several buttons rapidly. "I don't think so, but it's possible. This data is really old."
"Then maybe it's just off by a few…oh, there it is." Keith felt a moment's anxiety ease as the rock rim of another planetary body came into view. Only for it to tighten again as they came into full view of it.
"It's been…smashed." Hunk's tone was one of shock and dismay. "No no no… this can't be."
"I'm afraid it is." Keith sighed, disappointment filling him. "It's in at least twelve major pieces, and millions of fragments. It doesn't look to be new damage either. It's at least a few decades old. Which means that there's no way they were here."
"I'm scanning for life-signs and bodies anyway," Hunk replied, his fingers flying faster and faster. The data in front of him was practically a blur. "Maybe they ended up on the planet instead."
"Maybe." Keith had heard of less likely things. He'd lived through them.
Minutes passed, then hours, and search after search brought up nothing. Finally, Hunk sat back, letting out a string of Altean curse words that would have made Coran blush. "Nothing! The most advanced animal life on that planet is single-celled organisms. No sign of them alive or… or otherwise."
"You checked the debris?"
"The debris. The moon's surface, the planet's surface, and everything for a hundred miles in every direction. If that portal spat them out here…they'd have been thrown straight into open space." Hunk ran a hand through his hair. "Which means… which means they were never here."
"How do you know?" Keith asked. As much as he hated not finding them, news that they couldn't have died here alone in space would definitely be welcome.
"There's no signature here for a wormhole," Hunk replied, and he sat forward, his fingers flying once again. The relevant data appeared in front of them both. "Portals leave energy signatures, variances in space. No matter what energy they're using, they have to connect two points in space-time. Like how we were able to trace the robeasts back to Honerva, and how you need coordinates to fix a wormhole. This device… it wasn't as sophisticated as a teludav. It was built into a fixed location. But it was still using quintessence, and elements of alchemy like the Alteans use. Even without an active portal here, there would have to be some evidence of its end coming out here. If the moon was already destroyed, then it would stand to reason that if this had been its exit point, there would have been no way to connect to its fixed point. They almost certainly used the information carved into the walls—gateways, if you will—and the stones they had laid out in it, to configure their fixed points. No fixed point… no way this was the exit."
"That… makes a lot of sense actually."
"I tried to put it in layman's terms," Hunk admitted. He leaned back again. "I hate that they aren't here but… at least they can't have died here either."
"I'm really sorry, Hunk." Keith reached out, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I was hoping we'd find… something."
"Me too." Hunk nodded. "It's not our fault, and it was a long shot, but I was hoping we'd find even some clue. Thanks for coming out here with me."
"You're welcome." Keith sighed, looking out at the demolished moon in front of them. "Well, I guess while we're out here we might as well get enough data to update the maps and our database so they're accurate."
Hunk nodded. "Go ahead. I'll… go make dinner. When you're ready, we can head home."
"Sure." When he was gone, Keith set the computer to run the rest of the general scans automatically, and then leaned back to wait. What he felt was bitter disappointment. He knew Hunk must be feeling far worse.
Still, Hunk returned several minutes later with rations and water. Keith took his with a nod of thanks.
Hunk sat beside him and for a while they ate in silence.
Everyone at home would be disappointed as well. Though disappointed seemed far too much of an understatement as a word choice. He didn't have to know specifics to know the varying levels of hell this was putting everyone he cared about through. Coran was a friend and, quirky as he was, a valued member of the Voltron family. Katie… the Holts had suffered before, thinking each other dead at various points, fighting to reunite. When their families had all thought the Paladins possibly dead for three years, it must have been horrible. Katie had been the youngest of them, but always one of the toughest. It didn't matter how often they failed, or how often things went badly. She had never backed down and never stopped no matter what the cost. Her brilliant ideas and flexibility had been invaluable as a member of the team. More than that, she was family in a way even his blood parents were not, and likely never could have been. Every Paladin's relationship with each other had been uniquely different, but they had all bonded on a level that defied explanation. To him, she had been a trusted friend, and a bit like he imagined it might be having a younger sister. Keith wanted to get them back. Not just for himself…though he did very selfishly want his friends back, but for the people who needed her most… for Hunk, and for their daughter who was growing up fast, and without her mother to see it.
Keith would believe Katie was actually dead only when he saw a body for himself.
"Does Caitlin know why you're here?" he asked Hunk.
Hunk startled, having been lost in his own thoughts. "No, of course not. I couldn't tell her… in case it turned out like this, or worse. I didn't want her to be worried about me. Heck, just in case things got dangerous… I actually packed my old Paladin uniform."
At that, Keith smiled. "You know what? So did I."
May 31st, 2333 (Four Months Later)
Hunk was far from beginning to regret working today. He had regretted it since the moment he stepped inside the kitchen at the Garrison to work. Not because anyone gave him any pitying or sympathetic looks, because they didn't. It was as if, to everyone else, it was just a normal day. Which, to everyone else, it basically was. The cadets certainly had no reason to think about today beyond their training, and what fun they might have when they got off later. Junior officers were much the same. Once their duties were done for the day, they might hit town and relax, or spend time with friends or family.
They were grateful for the food, of course, because everything that came out of the kitchens was delicious, even when he wasn't providing gourmet cooking. There was no reason basic fare couldn't be tasty as well as providing for the nutritional needs of the members of the Galaxy Garrison and the Galactic Coalition.
No, today was doomed to be awful from the start, because it was exactly a year since the worst day of his life… the day Katie had vanished without a trace.
A year… that felt like it had just been yesterday. A year of nightmares, a year of suffering, a year of putting on a good face. A year of soothing their daughter when she cried, missing her mother desperately… and worse, for him, that she rarely did so anymore. Of course, Caitlin missed her mother, but he couldn't remember the last time it had brought her to tears, and he was terrified that, if Katie never returned, Caitlin might forget her.
A year ago, his soul had been ripped apart, and the universe went on anyway. He knew that other people felt like this when they lost loved ones, but that did nothing to soothe the agony he felt particularly keenly today. His heart wasn't healing. It might never, and he wasn't sure he wanted it to.
The day dragged on interminably. Since he was evaluating several of his new chefs in training today, he hadn't been willing to take off. Still, his heart wasn't in it as he tasted their work, watched them cook, plate, serve, and clean up afterwards through the breakfast shift, and lunch. He wrote down marks and reviews for each of them, which he would discuss with them tomorrow. That was all of them. He went back to his office and organized it all into the formal reviews, but he was on auto-pilot.
Finally, he was free. Not that he was particularly looking forward to that evening. He and Caitlin were having dinner with the Holts. Matt and Veronica would be there as well. It wasn't the company that bothered Hunk, so much as the day. He had a feeling they would want to talk about Katie, and he just wasn't sure he could handle it.
Caitlin was already at her grandparents' house, so Hunk stopped home only long enough to change out of his uniform, and head over. He was met at the door by the dog swarm—Juni, and the two pups that Colleen and Sam had ended up getting from Lance. They had decided to get two of her brothers when each one had picked a different favorite puppy.
"Hey there, okay, no I did not bring you treats." He edged in around them. "Everybody sit!"
Three fluffy butts hit the floor.
"That's better." Hunk crossed his arms. "Don't tell me you're hungry. I know you've already eaten."
"Getting pretty good at that authoritative command voice," Veronica chuckled, coming out of the dining room.
"I have a three-year-old."
"True. Though it's hard to imagine you needing to use that tone with Caitlin often. She's so cooperative."
"Just wait until she's hyper and randomly awake at three in the morning and doesn't want to go back to bed. You should totally babysit sometime."
"I've watched enough of my nieces and nephews, thanks." Veronica grinned knowingly. "You're just in time. Dinner's ready. I hope you brought your appetite, because it smells great."
Hunk shook his head, and followed her.
Matt was just finishing setting the table, and Sam and Caitlin were already at their places.
"All right everyone, take your seats," Colleen said as she came out of the kitchen. "Everything's ready."
Hunk took his seat beside Caitlin, and looked at the spread, which was a very traditional meal with a roast, mashed potatoes, buttered peas, and slathered Italian bread in garlic and butter.
"This looks great, Colleen," Veronica complimented the food.
"Thanks. It's nice when we can sit down and have a family dinner from time to time. You all work too hard."
"I'm not retiring, Colleen," Sam commented from his seat opposite her at the other end of the table.
"I wasn't asking you to, Sam." Colleen started serving up vegetables, and passing dishes. "How long is the Atlas on Earth this time?" she looked at Veronica and Matt.
"Two weeks," Veronica replied.
"That hardly seems like long enough."
"I don't make the mission schedule." Veronica shrugged. "Fortunately, after this next run, we're supposed to spend several months here at dock while the Atlas gets several systems upgraded and refitted. That's still the plan, right?" she looked at Sam.
Sam nodded. "That is correct. As good as she is, the Atlas needs as much, if not more, work than any other spaceship in the fleet."
Hunk filled his plate as he listened, and put small portions of everything on Caitlin's, before he started eating. He was sure it must be good, but tonight it was as if he could barely taste anything.
"We should finish the new additions to the fleet soon though," Matt said between bites of roast. "With those crystals the Balmera gave us, the lighter cruisers should be much more effective, and allow us to send diplomatic missions out to more planets. It'll also mean fewer missions per run, and less time where everyone has to be out in space for months on end."
"You're just motivated because you're tired of me being in space without you all the time," Veronica teased him.
"Guilty as charged," Matt grinned sheepishly.
"They should be ready about the same time as the Atlas' refit is complete," Sam continued. "I hope you've got enough chefs ready for us, Hunk, because they're going to be invaluable, and busy."
Right. "Yeah. I just evaluated the latest group today." Hunk nodded. "I think they're ready, as long as they have some of my senior staff to supervise them."
"Good to hear it."
Maybe it really was just going to be a normal evening's conversation. It was possible no one else wanted to talk about Katie either. But that… it just felt wrong, and weird, to be having a casual conversation today, of all days. Hunk contented himself with eating, and listening.
"—research teams will be able to complete research and design on the new engines in a couple of months," Sam was still going on about something.
"Where are you going to find the personnel?"
Sam hesitated, just a moment. "Some of them will be coming from the Vidoran investigation."
Hunk almost choked on a spoonful of peas. "Wait, what? But won't that slow down the investigation?"
The room had gone quiet. Sam had a look on his face, a look of sympathy and regret. "Hunk… they're closing down the official investigation."
"No!" The entire table jumped, and Hunk winced. He hadn't meant to hit it so hard. "You can't!"
"Hunk, it's not entirely my decision," Sam objected. "You know that."
"I don't care. You can't just… let them give up!"
"I don't like it either, but—"
"What but? There are no buts. We can't abandon the search until we find them!"
Caitlin was staring between the two of them with wide, slightly frightened eyes.
Sam frowned. "Sit down, Hunk. The investigation is closed. There's nothing more we can do about it."
Hunk hadn't realized he'd gotten to his feet. "No. There's nothing more you're willing to do about it." How could he? How could any of them just close it out now? Without knowing what had happened to Katie, or Coran? How could they all sit here, staring at him as if he were the one crazy for being mad about this? Didn't they care? Or had they really given up? "If you wanted them to keep it open, you know they'd have listened to you."
"We can't keep funneling Garrison and Coalition resources into an investigation that may save a couple dozen people." Sam scowled, his tone going stony. "Private research will continue. The Vidorans are still looking for answers."
"The Vidorans couldn't find their way out of a one-way tunnel!" Hunk snorted in disgust. "They're technology is primitive and slow compared to ours, even with the improvements we've given them. It could take years, or it could be never. I can't believe you're giving up on her."
Now Sam was on his feet. "How dare you say that to me in my own house. I would never—"
"But you just did!" Hunk shouted back. "Our best—maybe only—chance of ever getting her back and you threw it away! I—I can't do this." He shoved his chair back and headed for the door. "Thank you for the food," he said instinctively as he barged out the door. Hunk had no idea where he was going, but he just couldn't take it another minute. Part of him wanted to go back in there and throttle Sam… and that was possibly the worst thing he could think of. Fists clenched; he jammed them into his pockets. It was getting dark. That was good. They would be less likely to look for him in the dark. It fit his mood.
For several seconds, the room was silent, as everyone sat or stood, too shocked to say anything. Veronica had never seen Hunk that angry before. She had found out only that morning that the investigation was ending, but that was because several of the Garrison officers assigned to the project were being returned to duty on the Atlas for the upcoming tour.
She had assumed that Hunk would have been one of the first people they told.
The silence ended when Caitlin burst into tears. That seemed to be the signal everyone needed to move. Colleen jumped out of her chair and rushed to her granddaughter's side, pulling her close in a hug.
Sam stared out the doorway where Hunk had vanished seconds before, eyes wide in disbelief. His anger vanished.
Matt looked as stunned as she felt.
"Did you know about this?" she asked him.
"No." He shook his head. "No, I didn't. Not until just now." Matt frowned at his father. "You could have warned us. You should have warned him."
"This was the warning," Sam said, pulling off his glasses and wiping them agitatedly. "I couldn't say anything earlier. Even if I had, he couldn't have stopped it. We can't keep using resources on a personal matter. It's been a year. Even if they're classified as Missing in Action… they're presumed dead at this point. Whether we believe it or not."
"This isn't about logic, Dad," Matt pointed out, standing up. "I'm going after him."
"I'll come, too." Veronica stood, joining him.
Matt smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks." He turned back to his father, the scowl returning. "You take care of Caitlin."
Veronica followed Matt as he quickly left the room, and then the house. "Wow, that was… something," she said as they stopped at the sidewalk.
"Sorry about that." Matt rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "I didn't realize we were all that… on edge."
"Hey, it's fine." Veronica reached out and took his free hand, squeezing it. "Families all have days like this. And today… it's the first anniversary since Pidge disappeared. I miss her, too. I kept thinking about her all day today… and Hunk. Dropping this news on him today, like that, well it's definitely not your dad's finest moment." She looked back and forth. "Are we really looking for him? He was moving pretty fast, and I think he wanted to be alone."
"I'd like to just make sure he's… okay." Matt sighed. "Ever since Katie disappeared, he's had such a tight rein on his emotions, I'm surprise he lasted this long. But I never thought I'd see him blow in front of Caitlin. I'm worried."
"So, we find him." Veronica agreed. "Any idea which way he went?"
Matt sighed. "Nope. That's the problem."
Hunk had no idea where he was going. He just picked a direction and started walking. With his long stride, it didn't take long to get very far, even without a quick pace. Blinded by a haze of anger, disgust, and anguish, Hunk did not realize how far he had walked, or where he had walked, until he looked up and found himself in what had once been a more run-down part of town. Of course, after the Galra invasion, almost everything had become run-down, which was why even though he'd ended up in the less expensive end of the bar and restaurant district, everything still looked mostly new.
Around him, in the middle of the dinner hour, everything was packed with happy customers, and people moved up and down the street in groups. Families, friends, couples on dates… everyone smiling and laughing. Not just humans. Earth was now an intergalactic trade hub. He saw dozens of different alien races moving through the crowds.
The smells of each restaurant's cuisine tempted him as they wafted out of doors and the backs of kitchens. His stomach growled, reminding him that he had left without eating most of his dinner.
As he walked, his temper cooled a little, though not enough to forgive Sam for what he'd done, or said. He could hardly believe this was happening, but maybe it had been inevitable.
Then the look of shock on his daughter's face came to him, and he felt ashamed. He had never, not once until that moment, shouted or lost his temper in front of Caitlin.
Hunk could go back, but he wouldn't. He wasn't ready to face them, and had no idea what he would say. He wasn't sure he could find it in himself to be reconciliatory.
His stomach rolled again. Food first. He never could think straight on an empty stomach. But somewhere he was unlikely to be bothered.
Hunk turned a corner, off the most popular street, and found himself looking at the clean store-front of a newly opened bar and restaurant. Or at least, that's what it said. Looking inside, it was mostly the bar, and a few small tables. The menu in the window advertised pretty standard old Earth style pub food, and a lengthy drink list.
Well, it certainly seemed to fit his mood. Hunk opened the door, and went inside.
Sam's anger left him and he collapsed back in his chair. Colleen was cradling Caitlin in her arms, surrounded by the entire pack of pups, who were whimpering their concerns about Caitlin's distress.
Hunk had been right about one thing. If Sam had pushed the Garrison and Coalition to keep the investigation ongoing, they probably would have left it alone, but it wouldn't have been a fair or appropriate use of intergalactic resources. That manpower was needed elsewhere, on projects that would help thousands, and sometimes millions, of member species on other worlds, as well as Earth. There had been little choice.
Still, calling off the official search for his own daughter was breaking his heart. He had to stand by his decision.
Maybe it was time to consider retirement.
Caitlin's sobbing quieted. Sam got out of his chair and crouched down next to Colleen and Caitlin. "I'm sorry, Caitlin, sweetheart," he said softly. "Sometimes grownups get angry and shout too, when they have big emotions, or they argue. But it will be okay. We're still family and we still love each other."
Caitlin sniffled, and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Then she traded Colleen's arms for his, nearly strangling him as she threw her arms around his neck. "I want Daddy."
Sam pulled her close. "He'll be back soon."
Veronica grew more worried as the evening went on and the hour grew late. She and Matt had taken opposite directions to cover more territory. Between them, they had hit Hunk's apartment, the nearby parks, and even the shopping district, unlikely as it seemed. There, they had simply focused on his favorite stores or the most likely places he might be. There were thousands of beings out and about in the evening, and even Hunk wouldn't stand out particularly in the crowd. She stopped in a small square, centered on a fountain as her communicator went off. "Hello, Matt? Did you find anything?"
Matt appeared on the screen. He shook his head, looking discouraged. "Nothing. He's not at the Garrison either. None of the entrance guards carded him in. I checked, and then I looked inside anyway. He's not there. Not in the kitchens, or any of the other facilities."
"We should go back to your folks' place." Veronica sighed. "He may not even know we're looking for him, but if he does, he doesn't want to be found or he'd be someplace more obvious. We should tell your parents."
"I'll see you there." Matt promised. He arrived back at the house right about the same time she did, and gave her a quick hug. "I'm sorry this wasn't the evening we had planned."
Veronica hugged him back. "It's fine. We have all the time we want. This is important."
"Thank you."
Together, they went back inside.
Sam was in the living room, drinking coffee and looking irritated and upset. Reasonable feelings in the current circumstances, though Veronica wondered if he was upset with Hunk, or with himself.
"Where's Mom?" Matt asked.
"Upstairs, putting Caitlin to sleep in the guest room," Sam replied. "I take it you didn't have any luck?"
They both shook their heads. "You've really done it this time, Dad."
"I know, and I'm sorry." Sam sighed heavily, looking his age. "If Hunk were here, I'd tell him too. I'm just…"
Matt nodded. "I know, Dad. No one's happy about it. It was a tough call. I hate it too, and I'm not going to stop looking for Katie and Coran. But there were better ways to handle breaking the news to Hunk."
Sam nodded. "It's been a rough day, and I botched this one."
"Get some rest," Matt suggested. "We'll all be in a better place to talk this out later. Hunk will be back eventually. He won't leave Caitlin for long."
"You make a good point." Sam stood up. "Good night, son. Good night, Veronica." Then he turned and went upstairs.
"We should go," Veronica suggested quietly.
Matt nodded. He looked as tired as his father. "Yeah. You're right." He turned and hand-in-hand they headed back out again. Outside, Matt paused. "Do you want a ride back to the Garrison, or… would you rather stay over at my place?"
Veronica managed not to trip. She stopped and looked up at his face, trying to read his expression… his intent. It was, she decided, merely an innocent offer. They would both get more sleep if they just went to his place, which was closer. She smiled. "Sounds good."
June 1st, 2333
The danger of open-all-night places, Hunk thought, was that it was easy to lose track of time, because no one ever kicked you out to close up shop. Stepping out of the pub into the pre-dawn glow of early morning, he squinted into the rosy light coming up in the East along the main street. It was glaring bright after the night and the low-lit interior.
He had lost hours to thought, and to trying not to think; to work through his anger at Sam, at the universe, at himself. It was difficult. Sam's announcement had unlocked a flood of painful memories and the loss of Katie had bled afresh inside him. It threatened to overwhelm him, and he had to get past it before he could think about what to do about the immediate situation.
Now, he needed to go back and fix the immediate issue. For Caitlin, if nothing else. He would tuck tail if he had to.
It was a longer walk back to Sam and Colleens than it had seemed last night, though it gave him time and fresh air to shake off a bit of his grogginess. The sun was creeping over the horizon properly when he reached the door, and knocked. His knock elicited an immediate reaction from the chorus of dogs.
Then he heard footsteps hurrying, and the door opened, and Sam was standing there.
"I'm sorry," Hunk said as Sam said it right over top of him. Hunk stopped, then smiled weakly. Sam looked startled. "I'm sorry I yelled last night and… and for what I said. You caught me off guard and, I wasn't prepared. But I over-reacted."
"Thank you, Hunk. I'm sorry, too. I should have found a better way to tell you. You must know that it's the last thing I wanted to do."
"Yeah. I know. It must have been a very hard decision. But I get it. This is about more than… than what we want." Hunk could not remember the last time he had felt so awkward about an apology. "How's Caitlin?"
"Right now, she's asleep," Sam replied. "We scared her last night, but I think she'll be all right. You and I may not be though. Colleen's of a mind to kill us both."
Hunk swallowed. "I don't suppose there's any way I can just take Caitlin and Juni and slip out before breakfast?"
"Oh no." Colleen's voice came from behind Sam, sending an icy chill of fear up Hunk's back. "I want to have a few words with the two of you."