LANCE
I slammed my hand against the infirmary doors for what felt like the millionth time.
I had been here. I had made it.
I came back to find Keith writhing in pain. His body changing from human to Galra to his half form. He was losing control.
"Keith!" I threw my helmet across the floor and rushed to his side. I grabbed his hand and brushed his black mane back with my fingers.
"You-made-it." He managed to speak between gasps and grunts of pain.
"Of course I did baby." I smiled down at him. He squeezed my hand and bellowed. The veins in his neck and forehead protruded as his face turned a frightening shade of red. His elongated fangs were exposed as he cried out arching his back.
"Coran?" I squealed turning to the surprisingly calm man.
"Contractions." He muttered while hooking Keith up to a machine.
"Just keep breathing Keith. You're doing great." I repeated in a mantra.
"Listen to him Keith. You can do this." Thace was on Keith's other side holding his hand. I looked into his yellow eyes with fear for my mate. Communicating my worries.
He'll be okay right?
Blaring alarms rang in my ears breaking through my thoughts and heightened my fears.
Something's wrong.
"Coran!?" I yelled as Allura closed in on Keith and shoved an oxygen mask over his face.
"We're losing both heart rates." Coran spoke quickly to Allura.
"What?" I gasped spinning around.
"Lance, you need to go." Allura all but pushed past me.
"No, I'm not leaving him!" I wailed. Allura ignored me and shoved a needle into Keith's arm.
"Keith is flatlining!" Allura confirmed to Coran as his heart monitor slowed.
"No!" I cried trying to get to my mate. Several hands grabbed at me but I didn't see them. My eyes were on Keith.
"Come on Lance." Shiro wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off of my feet. I struggled to break free, but Thace was there and helped Shiro drag me from the room.
"Keith!" I shouted as the doors closed.
***
"You're going to break your hand like that." Pidge pointed out.
"I don't care." I muttered slamming my hand against the door just to spite her.
It did hurt. A lot.
We had been trapped in the hallway for hours. Keith's screams had died down a while ago. I wasn't sure if his screaming or his silence scared me more.
"Allura and Coran know what they are doing. Keith is in good hands." Shiro assured me.
Though I wasn't completely convinced I nodded anyway and leaned against the door. I slid to the floor and draped my arms over my drawn up knees.
"I'm her father. Keith is my mate. I should be in there by his side." I muttered bitterly. Thace had stayed behind to assist Coran and Allura. He had done this before and could provide Galra anatomy insight.
I'm glad he's there to help but I can't help but feel a little jealous of him.
"You would be doing the same thing in there that you are doing out here. Only out here you won't be in the way doing it." Shiro spoke honestly
I cringed at the brutal honesty but nodded.
He was right. I'd be a nervous wreck in there too and would be in the way if something went wrong.
"Have you and Keith thought of any names?" Hunk asked changing the subject.
I scratched the back of my neck. We had discussed a couple, and completely ignored his dads suggestion of Yorak, but we had never agreed on one.
"Who's name is she going to take anyway?" Pidge asked from her spot sprawled across Shiro's lap.
"I dunno. We haven't talked about that either. There's a lot we haven't talked about." I frowned.
We hadn't discussed what was going to happen now that Voltron was no longer needed. We were all going home and home for me was far away from Keith's.
I couldn't be away from him, not now that we mated and bonded. Not now that we started a family.
Yet I can't ask Keith to completely alter his life and stay with me.
I sighed hanging my head.
"How do you think your parents will react to the news?" Hunk asked nibbling a cookie.
"I hope they will be happy, but who knows. I don't want to disappoint my mom, but I know she will be."
"How do you know that? When she sees the man you've become Lance, she won't see you as the gangly immature teenager that ran off. She's going to see how much you have grown as a person, and how compassionate and strong you have become as a man." Shiro shook his head.
His tone and eyes were completely open and honest. He truly believed I had evolved into this great man.
"I wasn't gangly." I muttered defensive. The three of them laughed as I smiled for the first time in hours.
The doors behind me suddenly opened causing me to fall back onto the floor. I looked up into Thace's face. He arched a brow before snickering.
"Do you want to lie there or do you want to meet your daughter?" He asked folding his arms over his chest.
I hopped to my feet and stared him down pleading.
"Are they okay?" I asked.
He nodded with a small smile.
"Thank you. " I clapped him on the arm before rushing inside.
Keith was propped up against several pillows still attached to a few machines by wires and clear tubes, but he was alive.
I hesitated in the doorway.
"Don't want to see me?" Keith asked.
"Of course I do. I just-" I had stepped closer until I was at the foot of the bed. I now just stood there as I spotted the small bundle in Keith's arms.
It's her.
I came around toward Keith's head and looked down at the most beautiful face I had ever seen. She had my smooth caramel colored skin, and thick dark fuzz covering her round head.
Her wide eyes stared up at me. She had Keith's amazing eyes.
"She's beautiful. " I murmured reaching toward her. Her little hand closed around my finger and I was lost to her.
"Yeah, she is." Keith agreed smiling down at her. I leaned down and kissed Keith's temple. He hummed in response.
"Soooo what's her name?" Pidge asked ruining the moment.
"Well-" Keith and I exchanged glances.
"Yorak is still in the table." Thace murmured. Keith glared at him as Ulaz stepped into the room joining our family.
He had been with Lotor taking care of the politicians and royals that had been with us when we were under attack.
"What about Katie?" Shiro teased Pidge. She elbowed him in the ribs playfully.
"I know!" Hunk announced. All eyes turned to him.
"You're the red pilot and you're the blue pilot. Together you make purple. You should name her-" Hunk paused as Allura spoke.
"I don't think purple would be a suitable name." Allura shook her head.
"No! Not purple, but Violet." Hunk exclaimed.
I raised my brows. I looked at Keith questioningly.
"Violet. Violet McClain. I like the sound of that." He grinned up at me. I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes.
"You want her to have my name?" I croaked.
"Of course I do. You're her father." Keith snorted. I nodded at that and dipped down to kiss him softly.
"I love you Keith." I whispered.
"I love you too Lance." He replied holding out his arms. I carefully took Violet from him and cradled her in my arms.
"She's so small." I sniffled.
"She'll grow strong like someone else I know." Shiro winked.
"Can I hold her next?" Pidge waved her hand.
KEITH
I jolted awake and groggily looked about the dark silent room.
Lance?
I rose from our bed stretching and padded toward the cradle in the corner.
Empty.
Pursing my lips I tugged a shirt over my head and headed out of our shared room in the castle on Altea.
I left our room and wandered down several corridors until I opened the double doors to the kitchens.
As I expected Lance was standing near the marble counter with Violet sitting in her high chair with orange goop all over her face. Her raven hair was in two small tails on top of her head.
She had grown so much in the last year and was growing more beautiful every day. Her two fangs had come in as well.
I stifled a giggle watching Lance sing and dance in front of her making her squeal in delight.
"I missed breakfast?" I pouted.
Lance paused in a weird pose causing Violet to laugh and toss her orange goop at his face. Now it was my turn to laugh.
"Betrayed by my own daughter." Lance gasped.
"Hey, um Lance can we talk?" I scratched the back of my head. He wiped his face with a cloth and nodded.
I stepped closer cleaning off Violet's face.
"What did you need to talk about?" Lance asked.
"Violet is a year old this week." I began.
"Yeah, did you wanna do a big party? Pidge and Hunk said they would come to Altea." Lance licked the orange goo off of his fingers and cringed.
"Why do we feed her this?" He grunted.
"Because it's healthy, and no I was thinking that maybe it was time we introduced her to your family.
They know you met someone and fell in love, but they don't know it's me. They don't know about her. I don't want to be a secret anymore." I folded my arms over my chest.
"I'm not keeping you a secret. I was waiting for the right opportunity to go. We've kind of had our hands full. I've barely talked to my family in the last year."
"You were avoiding them because of us." I rolled my eyes pushing off of the counter.
"No I promise I wasn't!" Lance spoke defensively.
"Hey now no fighting in front of Violet." Shiro's voice broke us apart.
He waltzed up to Violet and took her out of her chair to blew a raspberry against her cheek. She broke into a fit of giggles flashing her pearly white fangs.
"I'm taking this cutie with me." Shiro glared at us before leaving us alone.
"Uh he just stole our baby." Lance gaped.
"He's right we shouldn't fight in front of her, but now that she's gone we can." I turned to face him.
"Keith, trust me when I say I'm not keeping you a secret." Lance took my hands in his. His blue eyes bore into mine.
"Dammit." I growled.
"I believe you." I pouted. Lance smirked and kissed my cheek.
"Trust me Mullet." He murmured before leaving me alone in the kitchen.
I sighed heavily and went back to our room to shower.
I plopped onto the bed after changing into a pair of black jeans and a new crop jacket Lance got me for my birthday. I tied my hair back and sighed.
"I trust Lance. I love Lance." I reminded myself.
A knock on the door sounded breaking me of my thoughts.
I opened the door to find my father lingering in the hallway.
"Dad? What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Can't a grandfather visit his granddaughter?" He scoffed in offense.
"It's pretty unusual for you especially with no call first." I eyed him suspiciously.
"You seem stressed. Wanna spar? Ease some of your stress?" He grinned. I hopped to my feet tugging my blade off of my belt.
"Happy to." I smirked.
***
I grunted as I landed on the ground.
"Remember when you were a kit and you were upset and we would spar. You could never focus on the fight when something was on your mind." My father eyed me as he stood over me.
"Lance is keeping me a secret from his family. He's keeping Violet a secret. I've let it go because we've been busy with the baby and all-" I paused as I sat up and draped my arms over my knees.
"Keith. Lance loves you don't ever doubt that. He loves your daughter. Don't ever doubt that. You love him? Then trust him. He may surprise you." My dad shrugged before leaving me on the ground to head back inside.
"Why does everyone keep leaving me after saying something ominous?" I groaned rising and brushing the dirt off of my ass.
As I headed back inside the sound of music reached me. Curious I followed the sound. Unsurprisingly it led to the ballroom.
"Hey Keith! We weren't ready for you yet." Hunk's cheerful voice came from above. I glanced up to see him hanging streamers over the door.
"Hunk?" I gasped.
He hopped off of his ladder and clasped me in a tight bear hug.
"What are you doing here?" I laughed as he placed me back on my feet.
"And why are you decorating our doorway?" I asked suspiciously.
"Don't you dare tell him!" Pidge shouted. I spun around to find her and her brother Matt approaching.
"Okay what is going on?" I asked crossing my arms.
I opened the doors to the ballroom to find my friends, and family all gathered inside. Centered in it all was Lance holding Violet in his arms.
Violet spotted me and giggled reaching for me.
"What's going on?" I asked closing the distance to take her in my own arms.
"I told you to trust me." Lance inclined his chin.
Allura opened the doors to the gardens and stepped aside.
My eyes rounded as a hoard of people came inside.
"Keith, these are my parents, siblings, and my abuelita. My family." Lance introduced us.
"This is my mate, and our daughter Violet. The ones I told you about." Lance spoke placing a hand on my shoulder.
"You told them about us?" I asked confused.
"Of course he did mijo. I've never seen my son like this before. He loves you, and you have given us an amazing gift. Violet is beautiful." Lance's mother stepped forward. She had Lance's kind eyes.
"You don't think we're...different?" I asked shrinking back into Lance's arms.
"Look around you sweetheart. We're all different, but we are all family." She smiled holding out her hand.
"She's right." My father nodded standing beside Ulaz.
I looked around the room Hunk, Pidge, Matt, Lance's family, Shiro, Coran, Allura, Lotor, and his generals and then to Lance.
"She is right. Thanks Lance. You gave me an amazing family." I smiled kissing his cheek. Violet giggled in my arms.
"Let's have some birthday cake for the birthday girl." Hunk laughed wheeling in a cake taller than Pidge.
"She's going to be so spoiled." Lance murmured in my ear as Violet was passed between Lance's parents and siblings.
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth.
"Yeah she is." I laughed.
A-N
Thank you all for reading! I know it wasn't amazing and mind blowing but all of the views, comments, and votes mean so much to me and I thank you.
You guys are the best!
Love Stef