Recovery

Many Happy Returns

A/N: It's January y'all and that means we're back! Once again, hopefully the holidays were gentle with you all, R&R if you have the time

~~~

The air in the room didn't calm down at all in the next few seconds, the reel of Wade's interview still inaudibly playing from Vince's phone, slowly but surely building more dread on the pilots. Nobody spoke, everyone focused on their own anxieties. A beeping coming from Allura's voltcom and the datapad that was brought for Coran caught their attention. A new notification displayed on their respective devices, well welcomed, it distracted everyone in the room, and they hoped whatever it was would finally tear them away from seemingly uncertain doom.

"Oh!" Allura said aloud as she tapped the pop-up screen on her voltcom, "I entirely forgot it was today!"

Coran said, "I can't do much work since being ordered to rest. Give her some of it, will you?"

Vince and Daniel looked at each other confused as Allura nodded. They only saw nostalgic expressions, and excitement from Pidge, when they looked to the others. Daniel glanced at Larmina, even she had a reassured look to her.

Allura tried to work something out while Vince put his phone down. Finally deciding, she looked at the pilots,

"Can one of you go get her, please? I'd like to stay with Coran longer"

Pidge didn't give anyone else a chance to speak and bolted out of the room.

Hunk and Lance laugh,

"I think that's a yes from Pidge, princess," Lance said while giving her a playful wink. She rolls her eyes with a soft smile in response,

Hunk excitedly ran out the door with Lance right behind him, heading over to join Pidge at the castle's landing pad.

~~~

Pidge tried to keep his excitement from showing, but couldn't stop himself from bouncing on his toes as he watched the fractal descend. As it touched down, Hunk and Lance burst through the nearby doorway, making it to Pidge as the ship finally settled. For Pidge, it was almost painful to watch the ramp slowly open up. Luckily for him, it isn't too long before he finally saw the person he was waiting for. She looked right back at him, with a duffle bag uncomfortably slung across her body, and immediately her face broke out with a big smile.

The ramp barely settled on the ground beneath it before the two immediately close the gap between them, not wasting another second before they hugged each other tightly,

"You're here!" She said excitedly, "you're really back on Arus Pidge!"

He laughed, "Yup! I almost missed your landing, but I'm so glad I made it back in time"

They continued to chatter between themselves, while Hunk and Lance shared a knowing look. Keith walked up to them, coffee mug in hand, and gives in to his curiosity,

"Alright, what's with the look? Anything important I missed over here?"

Hunk gave him a snarky smile, "Anya visited us about 3 years ago for the holidays on Terra, and wouldn't you know it, the time worked its magic!"

"We haven't given them too much slack for it since they were a galaxy away most of the time, but now we can really give them crap for catching feelings," Lance picked up, with a more evil smile instead,

Keith didn't necessarily approve of their plans, but that's just how it was with his group of friends, he thought. He knew they were happy at least, so he wasn't going to step all over their fun.