Author's Note: Hello Voltron fandom! This is my first time writing for this fandom so I hope this goes over well. After seeing many one-shot stories being done, I decided to make a bunch, too that take place before and during season 1 (as I have yet to see all of season 2). The catch? It's all Pidgance! Plance? At any rate it's all Pidge x Lance based. Hopefully you all will enjoy this! Without further ado, chapter one!

~Chapter one: Team Bonding~

If there was one thing that really annoyed the ever living crow out of Pidge that made her want to punch someone in the throat, it was Lance's inability to let her have some space. From the first day Katie Holt arrived at the Garrison as Pidge Gunderson, the older teen had insisted on her getting together with himself and Hunk for some "team bonding". As if being stuck in the same simulator with him hadn't have been enough, the persistence had grown from simply talking at lunch and during class to being there in the morning right outside her door. Greeting her with an annoyingly chipper, "Morning, Pidge! Ready to start the day?"

This first morning he did that, Pidge almost sucker punched him in the….. Sensitive area. Needless to say she flipped out before slamming the door in Lance's face. It was then that she realized if her true identity of being Katie Holt was to remain a secret, she might have to play along so she wouldn't cause any suspicion.

So from then on she tried. Boy did she try. It was hard enough keeping a secret but with the two constantly tailing her, Pidge figured it would be better to go along with at least one or two of their shenanigans once or twice a week in between classes and going up to the roof to listen for any sign of her father and brother being alive. In order to not be found out, she mused, she was to gain their trust.

That is how she ended up looking up at the steep cliffs of the mountains with Lance and Hunk standing right beside her. One looking proud of himself, and the other looking like he was about to wet his pants.

Oh this was going to end well.

"Alright guys!" Lance clapped his hands. He turned to face his fellow cadets, the smile on his face radiating with excitement. The fact that he seemed overly excited about this unnerved Pidge. No one should be that happy about climbing a wall of jagged, rocky death. "I got us permission from the Instructor to come out here for some rock-climbing!" As he explained this, the older teen dropped his backpack and fished out a long rope. Pidge could feel Hunk beside her shift nervously from side to side.

"Uh, Lance? Are you sure this is a good idea?" the bigger teen asked.

"Pft! Of course it's a good idea! What better way to strengthen this team than with some good-old fashioned outdoor activity?" he pulled out all his equipment and began fastening Hunk to the rope. All while Hunk looked at him as if he lost his mind.

"Okay, obviously I'm the only one with sense because this is a bad idea! What if there's mountain lions! Or poisonous snakes or- or-or-!"

"Oh stop worrying!" Lance tied off the rope and started tying himself to the attached rope. "There aren't going to be any snakes or lions in these canyons." Finishing off his rope, Lance moved to Pidge next. He stopped when he saw her uncertain face. "You alright, Pidge?" He knelt down so as to get to her height and began wrapping and fastening the rope to her waist. The close contact make Pidge uneasy but she kept her cool. She sighed. Give Pidge a top secret government coding to hack and she would feel unstoppable. Put a giant mountain in her way and she was drowning in fears.

"Lance, are you positive this is such a great idea? What if one of us falls?" Blue met amber eyes and he smiled.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall." he ruffled her hair before standing up. Pidge scrunched her nose at the contact and patted her hair down. "It's what friends are for." he added. Pidge looked up at Lance who smiled down at her. Hunk cleared his throat.

"I hate to break up this bromance moment but can we get going? The sooner we do this the sooner we can go back to the cafeteria." Lance shook his head.

"Right! It's only three o'clock. If we time this just right, we could be back by sixish or…. Sometime in the evening." he shrugged. "Eh. Let's just enjoy the time we have!" and with that, he led them to the edge of the mountain and the three began climbing.

….+++ +++...

Pidge grunted as she placed her left foot upwards, sweat trickling down her neck. Her cadet uniform sticking to unwanted places that made her wish she was wearing dresses again. Gripping the next edge above, Pidge hoisted herself up. The first hour of doing this had been alright. Lance stroke up conversation with them but it only lasted for so long for Pidge before she decided to concentrate on not falling. So she quietly listened to Lance and Hunk talk while she climbed.

"Hey Pidge!" Looking up at the sound of Lance's voice, Pidge huffed.

"What is it, Lance?" she grunted as she climbed another few feet.

"You doing okay down there? You've been awfully quiet." The ledge he stepped on gave way to a few pebbles, barely missing Pidge's face.

"Just trying not to die!" she called back up. She could hear Lance chuckle under his breath.

"What did I tell you, man? I won't let you fall. And neither will Hunk!" he glanced up looking at the other cadet. "Right, Hunk? You would catch us, huh big man?" Hunk stopped climbing and looked down at them.

"Yeah okay sure. But who would catch me if I fall?" Pidge could hear the fear in his voice. Lance hummed.

"Uh we will! Duh." he laughed. Hunk let out a nervous laugh before resuming to climb. Pidge rolled her eyes before following suit. "Besides," Lance placed his foot on another rock, "we're almost to the top." he hoisted himself up.

Looking passed Lance, Pidge sighed in relief. The top of the cliff was a few meters away. Almost to the top meant that she was closer to getting back to her computer to continue research for the Kerberos Mission. The pang in her heart nagged at her again. Oh how she missed her brother and father. She missed the stories they used to tell at the dinner table about their latest exploits. Mom worrying senselessly that something they were working on might be too dangerous. The laughs, the hugs…. She missed them so much. Pidge wished with all her heart that she could see them again.

Being too distracted by her thoughts, Pidge grabbed onto a loose rock and it tumbled out of her hand. The shock and fear of it breaking off threw her off balance and she flew backwards. Panic swept over her as she grabbed for something to hold onto. Her arm ached as something grabbed onto it. Wide eyed, Pidge looked up and was met by blue eyes and tanned skin.

Lance smiled down at her from the cliff's edge. He hoisted her up onto the edge and she grabbed at the ground, pulling herself to meet the top of the cliff. Once the two sat down, Lance clapped a hand on her back.

"See?" he panted. "I told you I wouldn't let you fall." Pidge nodded, a slight blush growing on her cheeks.

"Thanks, Lance. Sorry I doubted you." he patted her on the shoulder.

"No problem, Pigeon. At least now we've learned to trust each other." Pidge grimaced at the name but felt a shift in her heart as he said that. Yeah, she was so trustworthy. Keeping a huge secret about who she was and the real purpose behind her attending the Garrison. Yeah….. Trustworthy.

"Uh. Hey guys?" Lance and Pidge looked behind to their comrade who was spread out on the ground. He pointed up at the sky. "Look." the two followed Hunk's finger pointing at the scene above them. Pidge gasped at the sky above them. The sky seemed to be painted in blues and violets, the stars just beginning to shine their way above the world. They twinkled and danced above them, causing most of Pidge's worries and fears to fade away. She could feel Lance's hand rest on her shoulder.

"Look." he whispered and pointed towards the horizon. Following his gaze, Pidge's eyes widened. The sun was slowly descending beyond the horizon. Colors of reds and yellows glowed from the sun's last rays of the day illuminating the desert sand. It was a beautiful sight. She could sense Hunk's presence shifting to sit beside her. Lance still staring at the sunset from behind her, his hand sending weird tingles up and down her shoulder. That was new. Pidge shook her head. She'll figure that out later. Right now, she just wanted to spend time with her….. Friends? Acquaintances? What exactly were they to her?

She tore her eyes away to look at the two boys. Both of them too distracted by the scene unfolding before them to pay attention to her uncertain face. Truth be told… she wanted to be friends with them. But with her secret…. They both were all about trusting, what would they say if she came clean? Hunk would probably be silent at first. Maybe accept her for how she was. But Lance? Oh gosh, Lance. What would he say? What would he do? Would he not trust her again? Would he or Hunk still want to be friends with a lying, deceiving-

"Hey Pidge." snapping out of her thoughts, Pidge glanced over in the direction at Lance. She watched as he shifted to sit next to her. He made himself comfortable by leaning his palms behind him. He smiled down at her nudging his elbow against her side, "You doing okay, buddy?" She blinked before nodding.

"Uh… y-yeah. I'm doing okay." she lied, faking a smile. Lance nodded before turning his gaze back at the sunset. It was like that for a few minutes before Hunk broke the silence.

"You know guys.. I'm actually glad we went and did this." Lance nodded.

"See? What did I tell ya?" He crawled behind Pidge and Hunk, pulling them into a giant hug. "Just a little team bonding can pull us closer together." Hunk sighed.

"And you just ruined the moment." he and Pidge said at once. The same response made Lance chuckle.

"What are friends if they can't ruin a few moments?" Pidge glanced at them. A small smile spreading across her face. She supposed that being friends with these two goofs would be alright. As she looked back towards the star-speckled sky however, Pidge quickly remembered the mission at hand; getting her dad and Matt back. No matter what, that had to be first priority.

Pidge looked to her fellow cadets, both of them so totally oblivious to her true intentions of being at the garrison. Both of them so carefree and looking so utterly content with life. And they wanted her, to be a part of that life. No, she corrected herself. They wanted Pidge Gunderson to be a part of that life, not Katie Holt. Not her true self. But none of that mattered.

Her family came first, no matter what.

No. Matter. What.

Author's Note: And cut! That was chapter one folks and I hope it was alright to read. I'm really rusty when it comes to writing fics so hopefully it isn't too OOC. Next chapter to come soon!

~ K-Zittles