Keith's eyes slowly opened to find himself laying down in a linear hallway with only one door at the end, it was a crimson door with a golden handle that gleamed in the dimming lights above. He pushed himself up slowly to his feet, his eye no longer in pain and he no longer held a young boy in his arms with care. The distant sounds of a heart monitor echoed through the hall, muffled by the wooden barrier opposite of him.

"Where am I?" He asked himself out loud and stepped forward to feel a sense of fear envelope him at the sound of a familiar sob in the distance. "H-hello?" He asked the empty air around him, his pupils growing large in diameter and the purple iris's glowing in caution.

The quiet feminine sobbing sounded wretched, the sounds of it made Keith believe it was straight out of a horror movie; the kind where the crying lures you into a trap. He understood those foolish characters he used to always grumble about under his breath for the moment, something about the crying was so hypnotizing and it drew him in like a moth to a bug zapper.

He felt as if the weeping were familiar in some odd way, as if he had heard it sometime during his life. That feeling of recognition only intensified as he grew closer to the door, the crying and heart monitors sounds growing louder. "Abigail?" He asked out loud and he heard the sobbing stop for a moment as if the person were responding to his concerned and confused voice.

His hand trembled as he grabbed onto the golden handle and twisted it open to find himself in a hospital room where a single bed sat in the middle of the room, a person under the white sheet stained in blood as they rocked back and forth under the covers continuing their cries. "Why...?" Abigail's weak and defenceless voice cracked from underneath.

Keith stood in the doorway as his eyes focused onto the heart monitor chained to the hospital bed, bloody handcuffs laid on the white tiles in a small puddle of the scarlet liquid Keith had grown too used to seeing. "Abby? Is that you?" Keith called out with a sense of hope tinged into his voice. He wanted nothing more than to be able to see the young girl he had despised as an unruly teen. He wanted to catch up with her and talk to her as adults; to see how she was doing and how their family changed while he was gone.

Keith slowly stepped into the room and stumbled over to the bed where he nearly slipped on the rusted and bloodied hand cuffs on the floor. The crying stopped and his sister no longer rocked back and forth under the sheets but rather sat still, an eerie silence overtook the room as the heart monitor became muted in the room. "Abby?" Keith called out again and placed his hand onto the sheet to slowly pull it back over the young teen girls bundle of ragged brunette hair. Her arms were cut up in multiple places, the words 'why' engraved onto her skin with carelessness.

Keith gagged at the sight and he slammed his hand onto his mouth to keep bile down as the pungent smell of rotten flesh and thick blood filled his nostrils, his eyes watering at it. He couldn't focus on his sister as his sight became blurry in horror and tears threatening to spill over onto his cheeks, his legs felt like noodles as he fell backwards onto his rear in shock at the sight of Abigail on the bed. The heart monitor let out a loud flat line sound as she slowly lifted her head but never turning to face her brother on the floor.

She looked depressed, as if she were stuck in hell never to escape, her eyes dull and blank as a single tear slip down her cheek slowly. "Keith, why didn't you help?"

"Keith?" Keith blinked to find himself in the hospital waiting room with his partners, chief and Lance sitting near him.

Lance sat closest to him with concerned eyes, the dark blue orbs seemed to be on high alert as he stared down at Keith. "Keith, did you hear the nurse just now?" He asked him, his voice was calm and gentle as he slowly placed a hand onto Keith's back.

He looked up to find Antonio with his arms crossed over his chest in pent up anger he wasn't able to release, Irene sat directly across from Keith with her head hung low as she quietly mumbled something under her breath; her face dark as her grey eyes stared blankly at the floor. Natasha paced around in circles as she frowned. "No, what happened? Did she bring news about the boy?" Keith asked as he lifted his head to lock eyes with Lance.

He wanted something good to erase his memory of the weird daydream he just had. He didn't want to think about it any more than necessary, he had to focus on making sure that the child was safe and secure here in the hospital; the killer was sure to return to finish the job sooner or later. Lance sighed softly and slid his hand off of Keith slowly. "She said he refuses to speak, they're trying to find his name currently but they gave him a notebook and pen to write his answers on and all he's been writing is to see you."

Keith's eyes widened slightly as he glanced around the group, all eyes were on him and none seemed less than serious. Keith wanted to quail at the thought of being alone in the same room as the young boy; he was entirely at fault for the murders of his parents...so why would he request him? "Why me of all people?" Keith asked, his voice had an edge to it.

Natasha placed her hands on her hips as she looked at him softly, "He wrote down that you reminded him of his father. You two have the crazy mullet hairstyle and the same physic." She nearly laughed as she spoke her words, finding them amusing in some twisted way.

"Kind of hard to believe some father would have a mullet, I thought that style died in the what," Lance leaned back and glanced over at Antonio for help, "nineties?"

The younger man simply clicked his tongue and looked at the floor. "I don't make it a habit to search up the history of mullets." He grumbled under his breath.

"Will you visit him, sir?" Irene asked with a glimmer of hope in her storm grey eyes. She was starting to gain color back to her skin, the shock of the crime scene must've started to become a distant memory for the junior. Her thin lips were parted into a weak smile as she tried to lift Keith's spirits up, Lance shifted uncomfortably beside him and mumbled something under his breath.

"I don't..." Keith rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to think of an excuse to not go; he wanted to protect the kid for a fact but at the same time he couldn't help but feel at fault for the situation the boy was put into. "I'm not sure if it's really the best option for me to be alone with him." Keith stated.

"Why's that?" Natasha asked, her green eyes held a small hint of concern as she shifted on her feet.

Antonio rolled his eyes and stood up slowly before he began to walk towards the exit, he made a quick and simple wave over his shoulder as he called out, "I'll be at the bar across the street, don't worry about me."

The three adults watched as he left the hospital and pulled his jacket up to keep warm as he crossed the street carefully. Keith slowly turned his head back around to see Irene getting up from where she once sat. "I'll go with you sir, I'll make sure that the two of you will be okay. I don't want my mentor to get stressed out with guilt." She stated almost too happily.

"Why do you think he would feel guilty?" Lance asked suddenly as he too got up but he grabbed onto Keith's arm protectively as if he were trying to show he were the alpha.

Natasha slowly shook her head and ignored the two as they glared at each other from across the waiting room, "Well the killer addressed Keith directly, he must think that he's somehow responsible for all of these killings." Irene looked at Keith kindly and smiled. Her eyes were soft and caring almost like a mothers and her voice was honeyed, "That's how my boss works, I've spent a year with him I should understand him more than anyone else here."

"I've known him since college thank you, and I'm even his soulmate." Lance smirked smugly as he added a quick little remark, "

¿Que hay con eso puta?"

"Ladies, Keith isn't an object." Natasha stated sternly as she gave Irene a glare, "Keith will visit the child with uh-" she paused to look at the Hispanic man clinging to the less than please Keith in uncertainty.

"Lance." Lance stated quickly in a pout.

"He'll go with Lance, the less investigators there are the more he'll feel relaxed and perhaps he'll even give us a description of Pyxis if he saw him." Natasha crossed her arms in triumph as she solved their dilemma.

"Pyxis is the gardener, he even fled the scene of the murder. There's no need for a description." Irene pointed out in annoyance.

Keith leaned into Lance slightly, he wanted to feel secure again. All of this, the case, was making him feel vulnerable. He didn't know what to believe anymore or even who to believe. "We haven't questioned him Irene. And hold your tongue when speaking to the Chief, she's my boss and if you give her mouth then I'll be the one to answer for it." Keith's voice was dropped to a lower tone, one he used to scold the young woman often times.

Irene politely bowed her head in apology and touched her chin, "Yes sir, I'll be sure to hold my tongue in the future." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearly upset by being reprehended.

Keith met Natasha's green eyes as he ignored the fact Lance stuck his tongue out at Irene like a small child fighting with his sibling. "I'll go visit him, I'll ask him anything I can to help us further the investigation..."

Her eyes widened slightly as she shook her head sternly, "Keith you can't just ask the kid about the killer when he just witnessed his mother die in front of him." She looked bewildered as she looked down at him.

Lance stopped being an idiot and held Keith's arm tightly, "I'll make sure he doesn't act stupid, we'll go in and talk to him like two normal gay dudes. No harm d-" Lance stated.

Natasha frowned and held her hand out for him to stop, "First things first, you're not part of my agency so I can be held at fault if something happens to him when you go in there so don't you dare try any funny business." She let out a small sigh and focussed her green gaze onto Keith who looked off at the reception desk where nurses quietly gossiped together. "Get that eye checked out later, it doesn't look bad but I don't want it to effect your job that you will be returning to tomorrow."

Keith slowly looked back over at his boss, "Oh, yeah this..." He mumbled and went touch his eye but decided against it the last second. He took in a deep breath before straightening his posture and bowed politely to Natasha, "I'll go see the boy right away then."

~~~~

The room was silent as Keith sat next to the hospital bed, the image of his sister with cut up arms lingered in his mind as he watched the Asian boy quietly stare down at his notebook and pen. Lance sat on Keith's left side quietly, his blue eyes focussed on the blonde boy with fascination and sympathy. Keith could almost feel how much Lance wanted to talk to the child with how he fidgeted and sighed.

The boy was hooked up to a heart monitor that beeped quietly, according to the nurses he hadn't been injured in any way but he had suffered from shock which was understandable since he had witnessed his mother die in front of him. Keith looked down at his hands as he remembered the woman face down on the floor. How do I even talk to him? It's hard to think of anything to say when his parents are dead because of me... Should I ask him what-

"Do you have any questions for this idiot here? He's too shy to ask you anything so maybe you should try to ask him stuff." Lance suddenly stated, scooting closer to the bed with a smile on his face.

Keith glared at Lance as he saw the boy quickly nod before he began to scribble stuff down onto the paper with surprising speed. "I'm not shy, I'm just..." Keith's voice faded as he lowered his head down in sadness. He was guilty, that's what he was.

Lance gently tilted Keith's chin up and gave him a gentle smile, "Shy." He repeated himself.

It dawned on him that Lance was trying to avoid the topic of the boys family for the time being. The young boy held up the notebook with wide eyes as he stared at Keith, he looked enthusiastic as he pointed to the neatly written words. Keith leaned in and squinted to see the letters clearer, "My name is Kouki Adams, I'm twelve. What's your name?" Keith read it aloud. He saw lance smile slightly to himself as he reached out to take Keith's hand and squeezed it in excitement. The boy looked down to frown slightly at this before he turned the paper back to him and added something onto it.

"I'm Keith Kogane, this is Lance McClain. He's a pilot and well...you know my job already." Keith laughed awkwardly as he watched Kouki turn the paper back to face them. His face fell as he let out an exasperated sigh after he finished reading the newest question. "Is this really the question you want me to answer kid?" He asked, Kouki nodded and Keith face palmed. The question written asked, 'are you two gay or something?'

"We are, him more than me though." Lance pointed to himself in triumph, "I'm something called bi-"

"He's twelve, isn't he too young to learn about that stuff?" Keith cut off the idiotic Latino beside him.

Lance raised a waxed brown eyebrow in defense, "Excuse me but my sister Maria educated me about this when I was ten and that's how I figured out that I like both genders Keith. It's great to expose the youth to these things or they'll never know which way they swing." He stated in a know it all way.

"I'm pretty sure Kouki wasn't asking if you were bisexual though. He simply asked if we were gay." Keith looked at Lance with confusion, "What made you want to explain to him exactly what you were when you're literally my soulmate. There's no point in trying to say you're not gay."

Kouki stared at the two arguing men in annoyance. He had only wanted to know the answer but now he had to watch them bicker amongst one another over something so stupid. He dipped his blonde eyebrows into a deep frown as he let out a small sigh but then decided to write something else down. Within a few seconds the sound of his paper being held up sounded and it cut off the two men abruptly. Keith looked at the paper and felt himself feel almost bothered by the question. 'Are you an orphan too? I heard the white haired girl say something to the curly haired idiot who punched you, can you tell me how you became one? I'd tell you my story later if you do...'

Keith stared at the page blankly as his eyes kept skimming over the words. The fact the child was so calm about this entire thing was astonishing to him, the doctors said he wasn't in shock anymore but he was still somehow calmer than any normal kid aside from being too traumatized to speak. Lance looked over at Keith in curiosity and concern, torn between whether or not he should tell Kouki that it was a personal question or if he should ask Keith to tell the story. The young Korean man never muttered a single word about how he became an orphan to his friends, his entire life before college was mainly a mystery to the group. A puzzle to solve.

Keith let out a small sigh, Kouki might've seen something specific about Pyxis and it could help the case but the only way to tell was if Keith told him about his first family. He leaned back in his chair and stretched with a loud yawn, "Okay, I'll tell you the story but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone else about it." Keith held up his pinky to Kouki and gave him a kind smile, Lance placed his hand on top of Keith's knee and stared at him, ready to hear the story he never told anyone before. Kouki slowly joined pinky fingers with Keith and nodded silently, his brown eyes bright. "Promise." Keith shook their hands together before he sat back again and began to tell the tale.

"I was born into a family where the father was a drunk and he wasted his money on gambling and smoking and a mother who worked as a... woman of the night just for another dose of cocaine. I was an accident child from one of my mother's clients so my father didn't provide for me making it so that my mother had to give up her drugs to care for a newborn instead for the few years. She was a wonderful woman, she was only seventeen but I can still remember how happy she was when she had me.

She would always sing to me and dance with me even when I became a toddler, she told me stories of different fairy tales and tried to be normal like everyone else even giving up on drugs to make sure I didn't end up like her or the man she married. But one day her husband was murdered in an alleyway due to being in debt in a gambling game and she was forced to work more than she would normally have to. She ended up looking to different drugs for a stress relief and didn't care when she did them; in front of me, at work or even in the bed with one of her pigs.

When she too became in debt from all the drugs and her health took a turn for the worse, she developed liver cancer and she had no way of paying for the treatment so she chose the easiest route to make money; giving me to a crack house for cash. The house I was given to wanted to put kids on the black market to sell to perverts around the world and they figured a full blooded Korean child would make a good profit. Before they could sell me off the police raided the home and arrested all of them and rescued a total of ten children which were placed directly into the foster care system. I don't hate my mother for any of it, she was young and inexperienced but she tried her hardest until she gave into her temptations once again."

Keith slowly placed his hand on Lance's and smiled softly as he remembered the girl with black hair and soft purple eyes that would always play with him when he was a kid, his earliest memory of her was when he was four and she had bought him his first picture book to read to him. It was a story about a rabbit and a wolf becoming unlikely friends. He slowly looked up to see the excitement in Kouki's eyes had faded over the course of the story. "So, here I am now." Keith concluded.

"I'm sorry." Lance mumbled under his breath as he lowered his head slowly. "That must've been horrible to experience Keith..."

Keith felt his heart ache at the sight of Lance looking so upset as he stared at the ground quietly. He squeezed his hand and leaned over to tilt the tanned mans head back up like how he did with him earlier. He gave Lance a genuine smile as he shook his head. "I don't mind, if she hadn't done that then I would've never met you or became a detective and have so many great friends like Pidge, Shiro, Allura, Hunk and you. I'm especially thankful for you." He told him fondly, "you're like my family, I treasure you."

Lance's eyes widened slightly as he stared into Keith's eyes, then a smirk slowly took over his face as he scooted closer, "Did you just admit your love to me Mr.Kogane?" He asked with a playful tone.

Keith's face burned bright pink, the way Lance addressed him was so formal it was oddly appealing to hear over his given name. He pushed Lance's face away abruptly and turned to look at Kouki as he tried to hide the blush on his face. "So that's my story kiddo, there's nothing else to say."

Kouki slowly nodded but before he could say much else, a nurse with brunette hair opened the door and carried in a tray of food. "I'm sorry but visiting hours are over for the night, we wish to do tests on him before he sleeps so we need him to be relaxed."

Keith stood up slowly and nodded to the woman politely. "Yes ma'am, thank you for alerting us to this." He looked down at Kouki who looked upset as he placed his notebook down in a huff, "I'll see you next time Kouki. I promise." He told him before he and Lance began to walk away slowly.

Kouki leaned over his bed and grabbed Keith's jacket to stop him, his head angled up to lock eyes with Keith when he turned around. "Can you come again tomorrow night Keith?" He asked and Keith's heart skipped a beat as all the adults looked at Kouki in surprise.

His voice was so mature for the young child, it made Keith feel uncomfortable for a moment before he nodded slightly. "Yeah, sure thing. I'll come alone if you want me to, and I'll bring you something from a café I like." He stated.

"Both of you." Kouki said quickly as he looked up at Lance, "I want to see you both again." He repeated himself but with a more firm voice.

"Okay." Keith nodded and saw how Lance looked so happy as he smiled down at the young boy. "Goodnight Kouki." He said and slowly leaned down to give the boy a hug goodnight. Lance joined in and the three of them sat there for a moment before the two men were forced to leave by the nurse who had to do a check up on the boy.

As they left Keith noticed how Kouki refused to talk to his nurse as he began to write on the notebook once more, only making slight nods or annoyed faces as she tried to make him talk to her. For some reason it made Keith feel happy, a warm feeling inside of his chest was felt spreading through his body as he and Lance walked through the deserted hallway.

"He's so adorable, I hope he gets adopted into a good home after all this Keith." Lance said as he looked down at Keith, his eyes warm.

Keith nodded, "I do too."

"We should do something tonight," Lance nudged him slightly as they approached the doors to the lobby slowly, "A little continuation of what we were doing earlier..." He smirked smugly as Keith let out an annoyed sigh.

"You're seriously horny after that?" Keith asked bluntly, his eyes hard on Lance as he stopped in front of the doors, "can't you wait another day? I'm too tired and drained for that tonight...and anyways I don't exactly want to have-"

"I didn't say we had to go that far, I only wanted to do this." Lance grabbed Keith's shoulders and leaned down to place a soft kiss on his lips to Keith's surprise. He pulled away and bit his lip in triumph at how the shorter man looked bright pink and disoriented.

"W-what!" Keith exclaimed and he covered his mouth with his hand, "Don't do that in public Lance! I have a reputation to uphold!"

"You don't at home."

"Shut up!"

"Nope."

Keith let out a grunt of frustration as he opened the doors in a huff, Natasha and Irene had left during the time they were talking to Kouki, probably to go back home to sleep since it was after all past midnight. Keith looked out the front doors to see the bar across the street was still open and he decided on something quickly, "Bring me to the bar, I want to talk to Antonio about the case. Something was bothering him early on in our investigation and I want to discuss it with him."

"Sure thing Mr.Detective." Lance smirked and led the way outside.