Chapter 38 – At My Best

All, excepting Kroila and Will, had already bunked for the night. They all were in desperate need of rest, so they all piled blankets and pillows in the lounge room and collapsed all over each other. Pidge and Hunk piled on each other, Lance put his head on a pillow on Shiro's arm, Coran and Matt snuggled, and Allura kept stealing everyone's blankets…somehow.

Keith and Kroila talked the night away in the training room.

She started. Lance had briefed her before she believed he was dead on how she should approach apologizing and seeking forgiveness. She's listened, knowing he knew Keith better than she did. So she began. "I'm sorry for leaving you. Twice. It was wrong, and the worst decision I've ever made."

He hadn't been expecting that, and didn't know what to say.

She took a deep breath. Explanation time. "When I came to Earth, I wasn't expecting any of what happened. But when I met your father—" a smile subconsciously came to her lips "—everything changed. I thought I could stay…but I didn't. I should've."

"Why didn't you?" His voice sounded husky.

"I thought I was truly needed up here. The Galra took more territory with every day, and I felt compelled to fight."

"It's like my whole life has always revolved around this." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, I don't blame you. I've done things I regret, too. Just—just don't do it again."

"I won't," she promised. "I'll never leave you again." She touched his cheek, and he smiled. "You look so much like your father." He looked away, and she sat up. Had she messed up? "What? What's wrong?"

"I don't know if you know this, but—dad left. He left me when I was eleven."

"WHAT?" She jumped up. "Why, that—son of a—"

"Mom, it's okay!" He grabbed her arm. "I don't—I'm over it. It's fine. I have you now."

She smiled, touching his cheek again. "Keith…that's sweet, but I am going to tear your father up when I see him next."

"Probably." He smiled. "I'm—I'm glad you're here."

She put her arm around his shoulder, and they walked back to the lounge room.

n

Jesse woke early to see tons of people crowded in the lounge room. He had planned on practicing Mario Kart with Will—who had gotten WAY too into beating Lance—but this was more important. He turned dramatically to the kitchen, eyes closing for a second. He accepted his destiny. "My time has come."

He went to the kitchen, where he pulled out a box mix for pancakes. He'd heard humans liked that for breakfast, and most of the things in the lounge room had looked like humans. Lance was a human, at least. Other than that, he had no idea what was going on.

Two bumbling humans walked through his door, and he smiled upon seeing them. The bigger one in yellow groaned. "Uhh, there's someone in my kitchen wait are you making pancakes?"

"Surprise! I heard humans liked them."

"You're the yellow paladin, aren't you?" Jesse nodded. "I knew it!" He put his arm around the alien. "We yellow paladins have a tendency for food and all things warm."

"Wait, YOU were the yellow paladin from before? Like, second generation?" He nodded. "That's amazing! You're better then Lance said!"

They hugged, and Pidge held her finger up. "Wait, Lance talked about us?"

"Yeah he did. He would tell us all about you guys, especially when he was sad and missing you guys." He looked down. "I remember this one time he told us about how you took over a restaurant while the green one and him bought a video game console by swimming through change."

Hunk looked at him solemnly. "He really thought we were dead, didn't he?"

Jesse nodded. "He didn't ever tell us that, though. He was really strong and stuff. He's a pretty awesome dude."

"Why you make so much noise?" Caden walked through the door, looking quite disheveled. "Why?"

"I also have questions," said a lady Galra walking behind him, just a couple inches shorter.

"Caden!" Jesse vaulted over the counter. "So, these are the paladins! Like, before us. They're super cool. That's the yellow one and that's the green one."

They shook hands. "Nice to meet you," Hunk made sure to say, in case he didn't know.

"I'm Caden. I fly the green lion." He was at least a head taller than Pidge, but that fact nor the fact that she was a girl seemed to faze him. "This is Uma. She's a really good friend, and an amazing fighter." She elbowed him. "What? They should know how amazing you are, too."

They shook hands. "Nice to meet you," he repeated.

"GUYS!" Will barreled through the door. "I forgot to tell you what I thought of while I was held captive by the Galra."

"Wait, you were what?" Hunk asked.

"Well, it was kindave an accident, but while we were fighting, I was kindave kidnapped by Lotor's people, which is why we were all on the desert thing, so technically, you should all be thanking me for this happy reunion."

Caden tilted his head. "Mm, I don't think—"

"BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU!" He looked around. "Where is Lance?"

"Let him sleep if he's asleep."

"He's asleep," Hunk told them. "But he gets up pretty quick."

"He hasn't slept for real the whole time I've known him," Jesse told him. "He kept on having nightmares."

"Wait, really?" Pidge looked at her hands, not quite able to discern what she was thinking. "Explains why he was fighting like that."

"But I HAVE to tell you this as SOON as POSSIBLE!" He quieted. "It's a pick up line, Jesse. A Voltron pick up line."

Pidge took a breath, praying for patience. "Yup, you're definitely the blue paladin."

n

Keith ended up sleeping on the couch, next to where Lance slept on the floor. He stayed awake for most of the night, listening to everyone breathe. He pretended to be asleep when Hunk and Pidge got up, not that they were looking. Then, he just watched Lance, sleeping quite soundly on Shiro's arm. Allura and Coran woke up one after another, making their way to the kitchen, which slowly grew in volume. He smiled to hear it.

When he least expected it, Lance's eyes fluttered open and focused on his. He smiled. "Hey, mullet."

"Hey, Lance."

"You sleep good?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's been a while."

"So…" He sat up, and Lance sat next to him, snuggled in his blanket. "You're the black paladin now."

"Mm hmm."

"That's pretty cool."

"I get why you didn't want to be the leader now. It kinda sucks."

"No kidding. I'm already stressed enough."

"Exactly." He smiled. "Well, now you and Shiro are here, so between the two of you, I should be able to step down."

"What about your team?"

"We've already talked about it."

He smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."

Keith gave him a hug, thinking it was a right thing to do. Lance ran his fingers through the back of his mullet, smiling. "Man, is this déjà vu, or what?"

He pushed him backwards, gaping. "I knew you remembered!"

Lance laughed and vaulted over the couch to the door. "One second." Keith followed him down the hallway to his room, where Lance pulled out his jacket. "Found this."

Keith took it incredulously. "You—you were looking for us?"

"Of course I was looking for you. As soon as I found out there was even a little chance you guys were alive, I was looking." They looked at each other for a couple seconds, smiles stuck on their lips.

"Lance?" Ari walked up from behind, stopping a couple feet away. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Nah, you're good. Ari, this is Keith." They nodded at each other stoically. "He was the red paladin when we all formed Voltron first. Keith, Ari's my red paladin."

His eyes got wide for a second, but he covered it up. "Hi."

Ari nodded awkwardly again and turned to Lance, not wasting any time. "Once you have a minute, there's something you need to look at on the bridge."

"Okay. I'm gonna make sure everybody's introduced, then we'll look at it." She started to walk away. "Ari?" She turned on her heel. "C'mon. No being antisocial." She mumbled something under her breath and headed to the kitchen. Keith and Lance followed.

When they walked in, Will grabbed his hand. "Dude! Okay, okay, okay. Here goes." He pulled out his finger guns. "Hey girl, are you a paladin of Voltron? Because I'd be lion if I said I didn't want to be with you."

Lance put his hand on his mouth to keep from busting out laughing. "Oh my gosh."

"That was amazing!" Hunk called from the griddle. Jesse nodded viciously in agreement, chocolate chips stuffed in his mouth.

"That was a pick-up line I thought of when I was—y'know. Anyway."

"Speaking of which, have you talked to Kroila?"

"Ummm…what?"

"The blade that rescued you?"

"Oh…on." He snapped. "I should say thank you."

"Bingo."

Lance turned to Keith, who tilted his head. "You know…that's my mom, right?"

"Yes I know that, mullet, she looks exactly like you."

He crossed his arms. "Well, pardon me."

Across the room, Will walked over to Kroila. "Hey! Thanks for saving me…" He looked at smudged writing on his hand "…Crayola Cocaine…?"

Lance snorted and turned around to hide his red face, as did Keith. All else were too caught up in their own conversations to hear. However, Kroila maintained a stoic face, nodding and offering her welcome. Will bounced over to Ari, and Kroila walked over to Lance. "Your space son is annoying."

"I know."

"But I'd probably die for him."

"That's literally what everyone thinks."

"Ari said there was something on the bridge to look at, and I need to contact the rest of the blades." She touched Keith's arm. "Would you like to come?"

He shook his head. "I'm gonna hang out here for a bit."

She nodded and walked out. Lance watched her go. "Did you guys talk?"

"Yeah." He paused. "Did you brief her?"

"…maybe, maybe not."

"Thank you."

He blushed. "No problem."

"LANCE!" Pidge shouted, but most everyone just ignored her. "Your red paladin has a mullet."

"Okay, first of all, she cut it, like, two days ago, and second of all, I did not suggest that haircut."

"Are you sure you didn't just put her with the red lion because she has a freakin' mullet?"

"Pidge it's too early for this kind of crap." She turned away, mumbling to Caden and Uma.

Beside him, Keith smiled like an idiot. "So, this is Voltron now?" He put his hands on his hips, looking at Jesse and Hunk making pancake after pancake, Ari having a serious conversation with Shiro and Allura, Caden v. Pidge and Matt on whether Keith or Ari's mullet was better, and Uma discussing the space mall with Coran. It was a joyous, long-awaited sight.

"They actually came up with a nickname, because there's a lot of Voltrons. V3, Voltron, third generation."

"I like it. It's catchy."

"You did good, Lance."

"Not really. I just…got good."