Homesickness (Pidgance Month Day 3)
Pidge stared at her screen. She knew that after the Ulysses’s dramatic failure, it was up to her and the team working under her to figure out what had gone wrong and fix it. She figured it must have been human error in the construction of the ship, because as far as she could tell, the schematic was a flawless blend of Altean and Earth technologies. Still, she wanted to be sure to comb through every last byte of data she had on it, just to be sure.
She blinked, realizing she had been staring at the schematic for nearly half an hour without processing any of it. She stood, allowing herself thirty seconds to stretch and try to reboot her brain before returning to the monotonous, tiring job. For the millionth time, she wished the Garrison hadn’t needed her to tackle such a huge issue right at the onset of summer. Her family and all of their extended Voltron family had spent June on Earth and July on Balmera, and would be out touring the universe now that it was August, and her chest ached with how much she missed them. True, she had her communicator, but that was supposed to be just for emergencies.
Right as Pidge thought this, the communicator in question beeped. She dove for it, fumbling and nearly dropping it in her haste to answer. “What’s wrong?” she demanded urgently, pressing the button that would project a holographic screen into the air so she could see who was on the other end of the line.
The screen flickered into view, revealing Lance, Rosie, and Carlos, all grinning. “Hi, Pidgey-Pidge,” said Lance, flashing his signature roguish grin at her, and their daughter and son giggled.
Pidge melted but schooled her face into a glower. “Isn’t the communicator supposed to be for emergencies?” she demanded.
“It is an emergency!” Rosie insisted. “We were missing you too much!” Even though she was twelve years old and female, her smile looked exactly like her father’s.
“Oh, like that makes it okay.” Pidge rolled her eyes but allowed a smile of her own to creep through. “I’ve missed you, too.”
“Why couldn’t you come with us?” Carlos whined. Even at age nine, the middle McClain child tended to be very clingy.
Pidge sighed. “I wish I could be there with you.” Her tone grew wistful. “I bet you’re having all sorts of adventures out there…”
“Luis attacked Hunk with the food goo machine!” Rosie exclaimed.
Pidge laughed. Her youngest was quite the troublemaker. “What about the rest of you?”
Carlos and Rosie began talking over each other, loudly detailing their adventures and making it impossible for Pidge to understand either of them. After letting them ramble for a few minutes, Lance put a hand on each of their shoulders. “That’s enough,” he said gently. “Would you let me have some time alone with your mother?”
“Fiiiine.” Rosie turned and flounced away.
Carlos, however, stood his ground. “Do I have to?”
“Just for a few minutes,” Pidge suggested. “Then you can come back and we can talk as much as you like.”
“Okay…” Carlos reluctantly left the room, leaving Lance alone with the communicator.
“Hey there, Sweet Pea,” Lance murmured.
Pidge rolled her eyes. “What have I told you about that nickname?”
“I do,” Pidge admitted. To her chagrin, she felt tears forming in her eyes. “I wish I was with you. It’s funny, even though I’m living in our house, it doesn’t feel like home when you’re not there.”
“I know what you mean,” Lance sighed. “Traveling through space is fine, but it just isn’t the same without you here.”
Pidge swiped at her face, trying and failing to keep her cheeks dry. “At least we’ll be back together soon, right?”
“Just a couple of weeks,” Lance agreed.
Pidge reached a hand toward the screen, as if she could pass right through and end up with Lance, and he did the same. As her hand was about to collide with the hologram, the door in Lance’s room burst open, and in bounded a rambunctious six-year-old. “Mama!” cried Luis delightedly.
The next thing Pidge knew, the hologram was completely distorted as her confused son tried to hug her, failing to comprehend the technology. When the picture resolved itself, Lance had Luis on his lap and was bouncing him, and both were laughing.
Pidge opened her mouth to speak, when suddenly, there was a knock on the door on her end. “Commander?” called one of her fellow scientists. “What’s going on in there?”
“Nothing!” Pidge yelped, then lowered her voice. “I’ve got to go. I love you all, and I’ll see you in a few weeks!”
“I love you, too,” said, Lance, breaking the connection and leaving Pidge alone on her dreary world. Well, not so dreary anymore, she realized -- after talking to Lance and her kids, everything about her life felt much more bearable.
