Not Giving Up

Ch 29

Background: Zarkon is defeated, Lotor and Haggar are MIA, and obviously Allura is alive in this world. So Galra is mostly defeated but pockets of fighting still exist. This update is just a glimpse of simultaneous look at what everyone else is dealing with.

Hello 👋 so, I meant to update this sooner but I recently had surgery and it took way more out of me than I ever imagined. Soooo, here I am trying my hardest to finish this because I have so many other ideas that I feel really guilty starting another new thing! I hope you enjoy and for all those who are still with me, thanks!!

Back on Earth, Matt is double and triple checking data. This can't be right! With fingers flying over the keyboard his eyes scan the monitor, he knows he doesn't make mistakes. Therefore he is coming to a horrid realization... they had an enemy in their midst the whole time. Fucking hell! How had they all not known?? How did this get past them? He frantically reaches out to Shiro who doesn't answer. Pulling on his own hair in frustration he stands quickly, no, he can't wait for Shiro, who knows what he's doing right now. How long he will be. He needs act. Now.

He knows he's rushing but he had a really bad feeling all day. It's just been growing stronger. Overpowering really. On a whim, he tries to reach his sister, on a secret line only they are aware of. They always answer this phone no matter what, but all he hears is silence. Even more determined he reaches for his personal phone. He knew it wasn't encrypted as well as the communicator but he needed someone to act. He looked through his contacts and quickly finds the contact he was looking for. Luckily he had his number because they were coordinating Pidge's rides but now, all he could think was please, please pick up. Quick! Please, time was running out. He doesn't know what the timeline is, but he knows his sister is being used and he can just feel that something big is going to happen. Clenching his fist, he hears a hello.

****

Around the time of Matt's epiphany on Earth, Keith has finally managed to return to his room after a small navigation issue that should have been a quick resolution that ended up being a Gordian knot. As he unlocks the door he quietly enters only to find the bed a rumpled empty mess. Sighing, he tries not to be annoyed that Pidge got up versus resting longer. He was almost used to her ignoring the signs of pushing herself too much and taking things too far. He absently wishes she would take more time to rest instead of constantly going. The minute he turns his head she does whatever she wants. Unluckily for her, he didn't plan on taking his eyes off her too much!

Instead, he methodically takes off his shoes, immediately putting them in the closet, hung up his coat and grabbed some clean clothes on his way to the bathroom. He grinned, maybe he could entice her back to bed. He could use some snuggling and more. Feeling better, he taps once on the door and quickly opens the door - trying to catch his girl sneaking on the phone or laptop as he has in the past. Instead, he finds it empty and instantly his mood does a 360. What the hell?

He turns and quickly glances around the room, obviously she wasn't there, the room wasn't that big, it's not like he missed her. He quickly catches that her phone, communicator and laptop were all here. Actually charging from when he plugged them all in after tucking her in after giving her the migraine medicine. Frantically he looks deeper, taking  the whole room in within seconds. Fuck! He saw her shoes were still under the bed, the glass of water and crackers next to the bed where he placed them for her earlier, and hell the night lite was still on...which meant, she didn't go somewhere on her own. Keith quickly and efficiently searches the room, looking for any sort of clue...any small piece of well, anything, but came up empty. Not one damn clue. No smoking gun. No Katie.

How the hell did someone even get in? The door was locked, he knows for completely certain of that fact, recalling he double checked it and he unlocked it when he got here. Wildly he looked around, Cosmo! How could he forget, where was he!? He'd been on guard duty more than not. Keith whistles sharply and loudly. Nothing. Keith's fist slammed into the wall once. No, if anyone was to blame it was him. Sliding down the wall, he whispers, "Please." Please let her be okay, both of them. After a moment, Keith finally admits to himself that Cosmo would never let someone hurt her, so something had to happen. Something bad.

He allowed himself one deep long breath, then mustered the will to assemble his small team, just barely resisting the urge to break down through the strength of his will alone. Once this was done he would allow himself to feel but right now he locked all his emotions down tight. Small box. That he would later deal with when she was safe. He would be no good to her if he let his emotions out. Think!

Within moments he had his small team assembled. Looking desperately at his mom, Kolivan and Acxa, he firmly stated, "We need to find her fast. All her stuff is here but I can't find Cosmo-so we are taking this level by level-top priority level mission. Clear? No hesitation, kill who you must, but this needs to be done quickly and quietly. Please place your communicator on frequency S-13 I know that Pidge had encrypted and modified that one for us in case of an emergency. I'm going to send an encrypted message to Shiro but we need to take point now. I need her found. Alive."

Eyes grim, each nodded and gave a salute. "Victory or Death."

Each left silently and Keith finally sank to the bed, laying down he rolled into the pillow, taking deep breath. Fuck, he could smell her scent. Victory or death. Not really heartwarming but that is the case. He either gets Pidge back or he...shaking his head he stops himself. He honestly doesn't know what he would do. Right now, he wanted to rage and scream however; he again managed to swallow that down and with a shaking hand he decided to call Shiro on their special line. With faint smile, he remembered Pidge calling it the 'bat phone'.  Shiro picked up after the first ring, "Hey bud did-"

"No time-I've lost the reason for living so we have to go nuclear. I'm ending this party now."

***

Shiro freezes quickly decoding the message. Okay he meant start this party but his reason for living was obviously Pidge. If Pidge was lost, well shit. Nuclear was their signal to initialize the final stage of well, everything. Abruptly, Shiro blinked finally registering the dial tone. He tried to call Matt but he didn't answer. Quiznack! It would just be faster to run to Matt, so Shiro left his office and raced to the Pidge's lab. Shiro knew this path like the back of his hand. How many times did he stroll over to check on her. Especially the last few months. She was hurt. She was sad. He knew the shortcuts and would be there in five minutes. He just hoped it was fast enough. Katie. His baby sister. Pidge. His teammate. Really, family. He pushed himself even harder, mentally going through what needed to be done. Lists of contacts and favors he could call in. He'd do whatever was needed. This wasn't like the past where they didn't have the manpower or resources. He wouldn't lose her. They'd get her back, and their opponents will pay.

****

Elsewhere, James hangs up the phone, feeling shaken and disgusted as he registered that he had a mole. Indirectly this was his fault. Katie was back in space, Katie could be in danger as he sat in the comfort of the Garrison. Because of him. Because he trusted too easy and didn't take the proper precautions. He was so busy trying to win her that he didn't take the proper precautions.

He knew they were in a war. Yet he trusted. Lying and being a traitor was not something that he really prepared for. How could someone side against Earth, humanity? And, so because of his naïveté Katie was putting her life on the line again. Damn it!! He left his room, quickly rapping on Kinkade's door, "Let's go, we got our spy." He just hoped they were in time. Matt said he had a bad feeling and something was coming. But, now that they knew who the traitor was, James promised himself that he would break them. Quickly and efficiently. And maybe when this was over... maybe at the end of it all he would not have the girl, who was quickly becoming the woman of his dreams. But he vowed, he would ensure she was safe. He had to.