Keith swallowed and tried as he might, he couldn't find the words. It wasn't a complete shock, not really with all the evidence and suspicions he had, but hearing it for certain felt so unreal. Thace said nothing, and merely continued to stare at Keith as the boy pulled up a chair and sat.

Keith fiddled with his fingers as he struggled to speak. "Did you..always know who I was?"

Thace took a deep breath and he leaned forward. "I'll admit, I wasn't a hundred percent certain until we on Ceinus." He stared downward at his feet. "I..took a blood sample from you while you slept, and confirmed you shared my DNA."

Thace's eyes hardened as he raised his head. "However, I became suspicious the instant I saw your picture in a report we were given about the new paladins."

"Why?" Keith asked confused as he examined his own hands. "I don't look anything like a Galra."

"No," Thace said with a shake of his head and took a deep breath. "But, you look do look like your mother."

Keith went still. It had been ages since anyone mentioned that. He recalled neighbors and the odd stranger mentioning the resemblance when he and his mother were out together. The only people to have ever mentioned it was Shiro when Keith had shown him a photo of her.

Keith swallowed as his hands dropped into his lap. "Did you...know she died?"

Thace took a deep sigh. "I was suspicious of it," he admitted. "She had told me she would tell you about me, but when it was clear you didn't know, I had to assume something had happened."

Keith chewed his bottom lip as his memories drifted back to when his mother was in the hospital. She had been so weak those last few days and there had so much she wanted to say.

"I think she tried to when she was in the hospital," Keith replied softly, "but...she wasn't exactly coherent in her last few days."

Thace gave an understanding nod. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wish I had been there."

Keith's eyes narrowed as he felt a flash of anger. "Yeah, why weren't you? Why did you just abandoned me and Mom?!"

"It's complicated," Thace explained.

"Try me," Keith growled as he dug his fingers into his knees.

Thace shut his eyes in deep thought before he spoke. "I told you I crash landed on Earth when I managed to escape the attack on the rebel base, but what I didn't mention was I landed not far from where your mother lived."

Keith's eyes widened slightly, but he gave a nod. His mother had lived in a small house that had belonged originally to his grandparents. It was outside the city limits and a far distance between actual neighbours. If Thace had crashed near there, barely anyone beside his mother would have seen it.

"She was alarmed about me at first, but eventually I convinced her I merely wish to repair my ship and leave," Thace continued. "So, she let me hide at her house while I did so."

He cleared his throat. "It took awhile to complete repairs and well..one thing lead to another and your mother and I fell in love."

Keith straightened his posture as he prepared for his next question. "If you loved her, why did you leave her then?"

"I knew I had to return to the rebellion and I couldn't drag your mother into it," Thace explained. "I had planned to leave as soon as possible, but then you came along."

Keith blinked. "What?"

"You were a 'surprise' to say the least. We had no idea that humans and Galran had the ability to reproduce," Thace continued with a cough. "I didn't dare leave your mother, especially since she refused to go see a doctor."

Keith frowned. "Was it because I was part Galra?" It would confirm his suspicions of his mother's reluctance of taking him to see a doctor as a child.

"Yes," Thace replied as he folded his arms. "She was terrified of someone from the Garrison finding out and taking you away to study." He gave a half smirk. "I will admit, we were both quite relieved to see you took after her when in appearance."

Keith thought back to how the Garrison reacted to Shiro arriving back on Earth. They had been so desperate to keep that fact that him, Sam and Matt had been abducted by aliens in the first place. Yeah, he could understand his mother's fear.

"Your birth had been difficult since your mother refused to go to a hospital," Thace continued, "but she did it and I didn't dare leave her side for a full Earth year."

"You didn't?" Keith said in a shaky voice.

"You are a hybrid and we weren't certainly how healthy you would be." Thace straightened his posture. "I wanted to be certain you would survive and that your mother would recover."

Keith narrowed his eyes. "So, it would be alright for you to leave?"

Thace paused and shook his head. "I..honestly didn't want to. Truthfully, I seriously considered living out the rest of my life with you and your mother."
"Well, you clearly didn't make that decision," Keith said bitterly.

"No," Thace said as he shook his head, "because your mother's discovery of the Blue Lion changed all of that."

Keith froze and his eyes widened. "What? Mom did?"

Thace nodded as he rose. "Your mother, she wasn't quite certain how, but not long after you were born she felt something..some kind of energy calling out to her."

Keith frowned as he shook his head in disbelief. "It was the Blue Lion wasn't?"

Thace paused and blinked. "Yes...how did you know that?

"Because I've felt the same energy on Earth," Keith explained. "It partly how we found the Blue Lion."

"Ah," Thace said slowly as his shoulders slumped. "Then you truly are your mother's son." His eyes soften. "Your mother and I traced the energy she was sensing to the cave where the Blue Lion was." Thace took a deep sigh. "And it was that exact moment I knew I couldn't stay."

"Why?" Keith asked.

"Because I knew it was only a matter of time before Zarkon came to claim it, and when he did both you and your mother would be in danger." He paused and as his hands tightened. "I couldn't stay."

"So, that's it?" Keith asked as he tossed his hands up in the air. "You just took off and left."

"Not quite," Thace stated. "Truthfully, your mother and I had seriously considered you two coming with me."

Keith opened and shut his mouth. "You two did?" So, he could have grown up in the resistance? Like those other alien children had.

"Yes, but in the end I left the decision up to your mother," Thace explained, "and she decided that remaining on Earth would be the safest option for you."

Keith swallowed, a million thoughts were rattling through his brain but he couldn't focus on any of them right now. "So, you left us?"

Thace nodded. "I gave the dagger to your mother to give to you when you were old enough, and after our heartfelt goodbyes I went in my ship to return to the rebellion."

His shoulders slumped. "I had hoped that Zarkon and his empire would be destroyed, and I could return to both of you, but I came to realize that was a fool's dream."

Taking down an empire that's been ruling for ten thousand years? A bit yeah, Keith thought. Although, that is what we're trying to do with Voltron, so guess we're not that much different.

"Keith, are you alright?" Thace asked concerned.

The boy looked up and rubbed his eyes. "I..I don't know, I mean" he rubbed his neck as he stood. "I'm grateful for the answers, but I...there's a lot to take in." He turned around to leave. "I need some time to think."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he glanced around to Thace.

"Before you go, there's one thing I should tell you," Thace said slowly.

Keith fidgeted and fiddled with his gloves. "What's that?"

Thace sighed as his eyes soften. "It may not mean much, but please believe me when I say that leaving you was the hardest decision I ever had to make in my entire life."

Keith wanted to say something in reply, but he was unable to find the words and could only nod before leaving the room. He wandered mindlessly down the hall until he reached his room and collapsed on the bed.

It was only then he realized he left his dagger behind, but he was in no mood to retrieve it now. He draped an arm over his eyes as he tried to not imagine on how he would tell Shiro and the others.

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Keith had felt so drained, and had tried to take a nap, but found he was unable to do so. He knew it wouldn't be long until dinner which meant he would be seeing the others soon. Keith wasn't sure how he could face them without everyone suspecting something was wrong, especially if Allura insisted Thace joined them.

Thus, Keith found himself wandering to the lab and was relieved to see Pidge by herself as she madly typed at her laptop. She vaguely glanced up, but then did a double take when she seem to clue in it was Keith.

"Oh..uh, hey?" she said with a wave. "How's it going?"

Keith grimaced as he pulled up a chair and sat next to her. "It's...going."

Pidge's hands stopped tapping and she crossed her legs over her chair. "You doing okay?" Pidge said in a hesitant tone as she adjusted her glasses.

Keith raised his head, uncertain if he was ready to discuss, but before he found the words leaving his mouth of their own freewill. "I talked to Thace."

Pidge shut her eyes and removed her glasses to clean them as she turned around in her seat to face him. "And?"

Keith leaned against the table as he ran his hand through his hair. "I asked and..he confirmed my suspicions." He suck the air through his teeth. "Thace is my dad, Pidge."

Pidge was silent as she drummed her fingers against her knee. "I see."

Keith pouted slightly at her. "You don't look that shocked?"

Pidge choked and coughed to clear her throat. "Oh, uh why would I? I mean, you and I were both theorizing that could be the case, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Keith muttered as he straightened his posture. "You have a point there."

Pidge let out a breath of air like she had been holding it in, and then inched closer to Keith. "And how are you taking this news?" She touched his shoulder. "Now that it's official I mean?"

Keith massaged his forehead. "To be honest, I'm somewhere between relieved, shocked and some Hunk style freaking out."

"Can't exactly blame you there," Pidge said as she leaned back, "but you know you're still you, right? That hasn't changed."

Keith swallowed. "Yeah, I know." He buried his face into his arms. "But I still don't know how to tell the others."

Pidge gave his arm a squeeze. "It'll be fine, I already told you that, remember?" she said. "The guys will be shocked too, but it won't be as bad as you think."

That's easy to say, but it's hard to believe, Keith thought as he shook his head.

"I know I have to tell them," Keith said slowly, "but I need some time to...process this."

Pidge looked tempted to argue, but she gave nod. "Yeah, sure, but just don't wait too long." She tucked her hands into her lap. "Not to rush you, but the longer that Thace is on the ship the more Shiro is going to suspect something is up with you two."

She poked his arm. "Also, the fact that you have Galra DNA will be useful to access Galra tech since it means we don't have to use just Shiro's arm all the time."

Keith gave a slow nod. "I will, promise," he said as he rose. "I'm going to sit in my room for a bit."

"Okay, but I'm here if you need an ear to listen," Pidge replied.

"I know," Keith replied, "and it helps."

He offered a small smile as he left and as his mind continued to struggle on what to do.