#(prolly should have a ReadMore but made this on Mobile per usual and I’m lazy)

[void-tiger]

What if Krolia isn’t Keith’s mother, but Thace is Keith’s father instead. Keith’s just using Krolia’s Blade because, idk. She lost it somehow. Cue misunderstanding shenanigans about the knife when she sees Keith has it. Like, “did I ever actually fuck a Terran? How long ago was that. Which terran sex births young again?”

Turns out Thace found Krolia’s Blade, but left it with his Terran lover for protection of her and her unborn child. If Krolia was dumb enough to lose it, Thace is NOT about to return it to her or risk trying to Awaken HER Blade after leaving HIS Blade.

For Just A Fancy Knife it’ll do the Terrans just fine. (But would be less than Ideal for a Blade Agent.)

-

Keith’s memories of his mother are extemely vague, but somehow he always managed to hide his Blade so that it wouldn’t be taken away from him since a very young age. He has no memory of his father at all...but he hopes that his dad would look somewhat like and be like Shiro and come back for him someday.

When Keith eventually runs into Krolia and she recognizes the Blade, Keith goes along with her assumptions. All he really remembers is having a mother and then his mother being gone. (And what if he had two moms?) But Krolia as his “mother” isn’t...what he always dreamed finding his parents would be like. She’s even shorter tempered than he is and not exactly all that affectionate and gets annoyed if he tries asking about her and her lover. (Turns out she doesn’t remember.)

When Keith finally reunites with Team Voltron with Krolia and Romelle in tow...he discovers both Shiro—his Shiro—is out and about, with Lotor already back in custody with Dyak handling the Empire from behind the scenes to avoid yet another Power Vacuum, and...the clone Keith thought was Shiro barely able to stay in the same room as him.

Keith’s Grand Investigation resulted in...nothing. He left his Team over Nothing and he’s forced to admit to himself that ditching the Team had nothing to do with “going where he was best suited and needed”, he just didn’t want to lead. And if he’d taken Jiro’s concerns more seriously...he might’ve been able to get Shiro rescued sooner (and Jiro freed from Haggar’s influence.) (Despite Jiro insisting that Keith wasn’t the only one at fault—except for the Team and refugees nearly DYING, anyway—and Shiro admitting to allowing his own fears to be projected onto Keith (and the clone by proxy)...Keith still can’t help but feel responsible.)

And after a quick routine medical scan of both Krolia and Keith to make sure they’re still healthy after about two decaphoebs away from medical care...it’s learned that the two aren’t even blood related at all, let alone mother and son. Keith isn’t sure whether to be relieved or not. Krolia is relieved...but at least has the sense to gruffly offer her condolances and offers to check Keith’s profile against the Blades’ database—it takes her less than a quintant to find a match (although she swears colorfully about Thace stealing her blade.)

Kolivan could’ve known. Kolivan never intended to help Keith know.

Keith surrenders his blade back to Krolia, then retreats to his old quarters. He isn’t sure whether to be relieved or not that the Team left it exactly as he left it—save for having it cleaned regularly. A few vargas later there’s a soft knock at his door. Keith opens it, hoping it’s Shiro on the other side...but it’s Jiro.

The clone shifts awkwardly and apologizes for not being the one Keith wanted to see. Keith tries denying it, but Jiro cuts him off gently with a raised hand and explains that he’d promised to check on Keith for Shiro after the rest of the Team got called away on a minor emergency (and Coran assured him that he had the Bridge handled after the skirmish ended.)

“I thought you hated me.”

“It’s...complicated, Keith. Maybe I’ll be able to tell you why someday. But that’s not important right now. Right now...making sure you’re okay, is.”

“I don’t think I deserve that.”

“Good thing it’s not about ‘deserving’, because then none of us would. And I certainly have plenty of my own fault in this.”

“...I don’t want to go back to the Blades.”

“Can’t say I blame you. But then let me ask you one thing: what do you want, Keith?”

“I...I think...I want...I want to be a Paladin again. But—“

Jiro abruptly laughs.

“F-forget it! It’s stupid and—!!”

“No, it’s not. I just said something similar when Shiro asked me that same question. But I suggest you tell them that.”

“...I want to stay. I want to stay home.”

“Then stay.”

-

Shiro quickly makes a beeline for Keith once the Team’s back onboard the Castle of Lions after cleanup and debriefing vargas later. Keith’s a bit skittish, but quickly returns Shiro’s hug...but hangs back from the rest of the rest of the Team. Shiro and Jiro exchange a look over Keith’s head, and Shiro playfully gives Keith a gentle shove forward.

Keith apologizes—again—for how he left the Team...and that he gets why they were so upset with him now. He also confesses that he surrendered his blade and formally left the Blades—for good this time—although he understands that he’s lost his place as a Paladin and has no right to take it back.

The Team’s silent.

Finally...Allura admits that even with Coran and Jiro taking over many of her commanding and diplomatic duties, and Shiro also pitching in as he can as the Black Paladin, the Coalition is simply too large for her to serve as both a full time ambassador and commander as well as a Voltron Paladin. Coran and Jiro also admit that while they worked around much of the Castle’s original design to free Allura up, it still requires a backup supply of Allura’s quintessence in addition to the balmera crystal to simply maintain power (while many of the controls won’t allow a non-Altean access at all.) But ultimately, it’s up to the Lions to decide. (And the lack of communications between Lions and Paladins and Pilots is how their current situation even got so snarled.)

Keith would never admit it, but his legs barely support him when he enters the Red Lion’s hangar, while an equally anxious Lance makes his way over to the Blue Lion.

Red roars at him, mouth cannon glowing with a low whine as the Lion practically pounces on him. Keith raises his arms defensively as he braces for the incoming blast charging to vaporize him...then finds himself swallowed whole and slung about the Red Lion’s belly as the Beast blasts off into space. IF Keith is to be the Lion’s Paladin again, he’ll have to re-earn Red’s respect. Eventually Keith finds his footing and climbs his way back to the cockpit...only to find the door sealed shut.

Keith’s shoulders droop. Maybe Red doesn’t want him back.

But then his helmet’s radio crackles to life. Lance and Blue have reconnected. And the Team’s cheering for him—specifically Lance, Allura, and the Twins. Keith sets his jaw defiantly. He won’t demand to be the Lion’s Paladin like he did the first time, but he’s not giving up, either. If Red doesn’t want him then the Lion will have to actually kick him out the rest of the way. Otherwise...well, Keith’s never been one to know when to quit.

The Lion suddenly shifts to a dead stop, then suddenly rockets the opposite direction. Keith leans into it...then finds himself rocketing forward, through the now open cockpit doors, and landing head over heels into the pilot’s seat.

-

The Lion lands back into its hangar...but with the partical barrier activated and a low growl when the viewscreen shows the rest of the Team gathered below waiting for them.

“It’s okay, Red. I’m not going anywhere. Never again.”

The Lion whines, but reluctantly drops the barrier and lowers its great head.

“I mean it!” Keith insists. “Let them try it—even Black!”

He feels the Lion rumble darkly in agreement (although privately Keith thinks he’s probably the last pilot the BlackLion would pick, now. Can’t say he’s not relieved.)

“I mean it. I’m here to stay.”

He’s finally home.