October 31st - 11:00 AM - Apple Picking
Lance had barely put the car in park before Allura was at Pidge's door and pulling her out. She dragged Pidge from her seat and out towards the orchard.
He stepped out of the vehicle and closed his door before walking around and shutting Pidge's door. He leaned against the car for a moment watching as Allura helped Pidge with her flyaways as they posed for a picture.
A few days prior Allura had called Pidge with an idea for a photo opportunity. Allura had suggested they wore dresses, but Pidge had managed to talk her down to boot cut jeans, ankle height boots, and sweaters that complemented the fall atmosphere. Allura wore a red knitted sweater, her hair was styled in a half up half down with beach waves. Red lipstick coated her lips and mascara made her eyes stand out. Pidge wore the white sweater from new year's eve. She wore blue boot cut jeans with ankle boots similar to Allura's. Pidge had refused to wear any makeup, and the most she put on in the car was the chapstick that had been sitting in the cupholder.
Lance turned to Keith who walked up next to him and stopped. The duo looked on at the girls as they took multiple pictures. "How many more do you think they're going to take?" Keith asked.
"Maybe a few more." Lance said as he placed his hands in his hoodie pockets. "I wouldn't be surprised if Allura pulled the camera out when we actually get to the apple picking."
"Hey, she's just trying to capture the moments." Keith replied. "For you, For Pidge, mainly for Pidge."
Lance turned to Keith. "She is?"
Keith nodded. "We've talked here and there about you and her. Topics concerning the two of you."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, Allura's worried about Pidge." Keith hesitated, his lips pressed into a thin line.
"Keith, what?"
"When all of us were back in the castle of lions, Allura experienced an Incident with Pidge. Now she didn't specify exactly when all this happened, but she did say that she found Pidge in an extremely depressive state."
"Wait, really?" Lance turned to watch Pidge. She had a wide smile on her face as she talked excitedly with Allura. She pointed a little further down the way to a rustic bench and the two of them hurried off to take more pictures. He almost didn't want to ask the next question that came to mind, but he felt as if he needed to know. "H-How bad was it?"
"She hadn't showered for days, barely ate if anything, only made it as far as sitting on the edge of her bed." Keith paused, then continued. "If she did make it out of her room it was for a mission and even during the mission she took more risks, it was like she had a death wish."
Lance kept silent, his gaze still watching Pidge. He could feel that Keith still had more to say.
"It took several attempts for Allura to get through to her, and when she finally did it was almost too late." Keith coughed, clearing his throat. "Pidge called Allura to her room in the middle of the night, clearly emotionally distraught. When she arrived, Allura had found Pidge in the middle of her room in the fetal position. There had been pills and a knife or two next to her." Keith turned to Lance. "Allura made her swear up and down that she didn't do or take anything. She even took the precaution to take her to the infirmary for a toxicology screen."
"I had no idea about..any of this." Lance said after a moment. "I'm assuming Allura's concerned that she would have a relapse into a depressive episode after my passing."
"You say it so casually." Keith said, "How are you able to do that?"
Lance laughed, "I'm not. In fact I'm scared out of my mind. It hasn't been easy wondering if each week was going to be my last."
"It sounds rough, what you are going through." Keith replied.
Just then Allura and Pidge returned to the two guys, eyes bright with excitement. "Are you guys ready for apple picking?"
October 31st - 09:30 PM
Lance settled in the bed next to Pidge who had her attention focused on her book, She did however shut it when Lance snuggled close to her he pressed a kiss to her neck before resting his head on her shoulder.
"Hey, Pidge." Lance said
"Yes?"
"Can you promise me something?"
"What's that?" Pidge could feel her heart begin to race. If Lance was asking for a promise he must have something on his mind regarding the future. It was only two months ago that he had disclosed the existence of a safety deposit box containing a copy of his will.
"Can you promise me that no matter how dark the days get, no matter how difficult it is to get out of the bed, promise me that you will keep fighting."
"Where is this coming from?" Pidge turned to Lance, her face sown with concern.
Lance took her hand. "Please. Just promise me. Keep living your life when I'm gone, don't let the grief consume you."
Pidge closed her eyes, took a breath composing herself before she opened them again. "I promise."