25: Bonus "That's times ten."

A few years later

Keith's POV:

Keith had his plan ready. He had been wanting to ask for a few months, and now, he was getting everything ready to pop the question. He just hoped Lance's answer was acceptable. He had already dressed in his biker jacket, his boots, and leggings. He kept his mullet down this time while riding. Sometimes, he loved to feel the wind in his hair, and smell the salty, ocean breeze. He loved driving by his lover's work, Galaxy Garrison, and knowing Lance would help the world by being an astronaunt. Exploring space. Keith was on his way to the jewlers, but unfortunately, he never made it that day. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled over to answer it, then said, "Hello?" "Is this Keith?" It was Iverson. His grip on his phone tightened. He couldn't stop the anxiety and sense of doom from coursing through him. "Yes, it is. Has something happened?" It was silent for a moment on the other line. "Lance....hasn't come back to us since we sent him up there." Keith let those words sink in. He felt sick, all of a sudden. He tried to ignore the knot in his chest. His hands were both shaking. Did he mean.....? No, Lance couldn't have....right? "Are you telling me....?" He trailed off, unable to finish, as his breath quickened and his eyes teared up. "I'm sorry, Keith, but we haven't found any sign of him. We even put Pidge on the case. Nothing." Pidge worked there, too, but she was more of the one who did the calculations, helped build the ships, gather the information. She was basically one of the top employees there. If she hadn't found anything..... "I.....I've got to go...." And he hung up. Lance wasn't dead, was he? He'd only been sent out a week ago. He had even managed to call Keith from the shuttle to tell him everything was fine. Nothing had gone south. What could've happened? Keith didn't know. But he needed to get to the bottom of this. And, for that, he'd need the rest of the gang.