Do not own Voltron or its plotlines, settings or characters.

Keith was off world when he received the transmission from Shiro telling him that Pidge's new boyfriend had been killed on a routine space trip to help the Blades. He was still months away when another transmission came through telling him she was pregnant.

Keith froze in his chair his ears ringing.

"Keith, Keith you okay?"

Blinking he swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm fine, Pidge?"

Shiro's shoulders dropped, his eyes betraying the worry he felt for his young friend. "She's struggling Keith. She liked him but she wasn't in love with him and now she's pregnant. She doesn't know what to do."

"I'm on my way."

"Keith."

He held up a hand to cut off whatever Shiro was going to say. "I'd already set course when you called a week ago I just hadn't told you yet. She's gonna need all the support she can get, besides Kolivan and mum have been on my case to take a break lately anyway. I'm coming home Shiro."

He told his team the plan and Acxa mapped out their fastest course to Earth.

"Keith we're still a few months away from Earth. By my calculations you'll be cutting it pretty close."

Keith made sure to keep his expression carefully blank. "I don't know what you mean."

Acxa gave him a dead pan look. "We may not make it to Earth before Pidge has her kit."

Ketih sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. "Acxa on Earth they are referred to as baby's. How close?"

"Our ETA is roughly four months give or take a couple of weeks."

Keith did the math and kept a steady gaze on his team member. "Just get us there as quickly as you can."

She nodded and turned back to the controls readjusting their course.

Four months and three weeks later Keith ran. Absently he realised people were staring and he couldn't fault them he probably looked crazy but this hospital had so many damn hallways and he really didn't have time to get lost.

Shiro had called when they were entering the atmosphere and told him Pidge had gone into labour. He had looked at Acxa with panic and she had immediately called an emergency landing through with the Garrison, getting them through as quickly as possible. As soon as they had landed he had grabbed a communicator and had Kosmo port him from the ship to the hospital.

Opening his communicator he growled as Shiro picked up. "Where the hell is this bloody corridor taking me Shiro I don't see you at all!"

"You're close don't panic."

He glared at his brother. "Not helping."

He could hear a chuckle in the background and the unmistakable sound of Lance's voice came through loud and clear. "Chill Mullet she's doing just fine."

He growled. "I swear to god Lance."

Hunk took the opportunity to jump in and cut him off. "Two more corners Keith and you'll hit the waiting room where we are."

Keith nodded and shut off his communicator rounding the last corner he almost ran into the crowd of Garrison personnel waiting to hear about Pidge.

Shiro turned and waved him over giving him a hug. Taking the opportunity he whispered in Keith's ear. "She's fine, she's healthy and strong now don't look so scared."

Keith huffed a laugh and stepped back to let Hunk, Lance and Coran step in. When the pleasantries had been exchanged he approached Matt and Sam Holt.

"Hey guys."

Sam gave him a hug. "Keith, we didn't know you were coming."

Keith smiled. "Didn't know I was going to make it, but I had to try, for Pidge."

"Thank you." Keith squeezed the older man's shoulder and sat with Matt. Looking at the young man he looked panicked though he tried to hide it. "Hey, Matt, you okay?"

Matt shook his head and looked at him braving a smile. "I'm fine." Keith raised a brow and Matt chuckled. "Pidge said you were good at reading people."

Keith chuckled. "I don't know about reading all people but Holt's I have experience with." Matt's shoulders slumped and Keith started to worry. Making sure to keep his voice quiet and tone even so as not to draw attention he asked the question he desperately wanted the answer to but wasn't sure he was ready for. "Matt, Is she okay? Is something wrong with Pidge? Is something wrong with the baby?"

Matt shook his head and huffed out a small laugh. "She's fine, she was handling her contractions like a champ. She was keeping us calm but Keith, I've never heard her make a sound like she did when the last contraction hit her as they took her back there. It was terrifying."

Keith ignored the panicked beating of his heart and put a hand on Matt's shoulder. "Hey, she will get through this. The way she gets through everything. She is going to deliver that baby and then she'll sit back and let everyone pass him or her around and you will get to hold the most important thing in your sisters life and you will fall in love instantly."

Matt looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "That's a lot of words for you Keith."

Keith scowled but couldn't help a small smile and shrugged. "You needed a pep talk and I've been working on it."

Matt smirked. "I know, Pidge told me about your calls. Why didn't you tell her you were coming?"

"I honestly wasn't sure if I'd make it before she went into labour. Didn't want to make her a promise I couldn't keep."

Matt smiled. "You're a good friend Keith. She's going to be so happy you're here."

Keith rubbed the back of his neck. "I was actually hoping I could surprise her."

Matt shared a look with his father and they both nodded. Sam spoke first. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

Matt smirked. "I can keep a secret. I'll let everyone else know not to spill the beans either."

Keith stood with Shiro and the other Paladins for a few more minutes until Colleen emerged and let everyone know the great news. Pidge had given birth to a little girl and both were a picture of perfect health. Everyone cheered and for the first time since Shiro's first transmission months ago Keith felt the tension leave his body, the fist in his chest easing its hold on his heart.

He spoke quietly with the MFE pilots as Matt and Sam went into the maternity ward to see Pidge and stayed back as one by one everyone else took turns entering to offer their congratulations. When Matt emerged after an hour or so he headed for Keith.

"You were right."

"I was?"

"I just fell in love. I'd give my life for that little girl."

Keith smiled. "Congratulations Uncle."

Matt laughed. "Man that sounds weird. Hey when are you gonna go in and see her?"

Keith froze for a minute. "I wanted everyone else to go in and do their thing first they've all been here much longer."

Matt raised a brow. "Keith. She's going to be happy to see you."

Keith sighed. "Yeah I know."

"Everyone else is gone and I'm pretty sure mum and dad just went to get coffee. Go and see her already."

Keith nodded and gave Matt a quick hug before hesitantly going through the double doors and heading for room 116. He stopped at the door watching her for a moment through the window. She hadn't noticed him yet and he took a moment to look at her.

Her hair had grown to her shoulders and her glasses were gone. She looked older now, she'd always looked so young but now with a baby in her arms she looked every bit an adult of almost thirty. Taking a deep breath he silently opened the door and slipped inside the semi lit room. She didn't look up at the new person rather speaking quietly as she continued to hold her daughter.

"Did you find the coffee machine okay?" she thought he was her parents coming back.

"Thought I might give it a miss. More important things to see."

Her head snapped up at the new voice. "Keith?"

He smiled softly and approached her bed. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard a rumor that our paladin family was growing."

Her eyes started to water. "You came all this way for me?"

He settled on the edge of the mattress and reached out to softly trail his finger over the baby's cheek. "I came all this way for both of you." When he looked up at her she couldn't speak. "I wouldn't have missed this for anything in the world, congratulations Katie."

Too exhausted to stop the tears she carefully used one hand to wipe her cheeks. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Are you sure?"

Pidge giggled. "Don't panic, I trust you."

"I don't want to drop her, she's so small."

"You'll be fine."

Carefully she helped him manoeuvre his hands until the baby was comfortably settled in his arms. Pidge leaned on him watching the baby. He noticed her and nudged her slightly.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine just a little tired."

"I can go if you need to rest."

She shook her head. "No I'm fine."

"Still too keyed up?"

She nodded, softly adjusting the blanket the baby was wrapped in. "Couldn't sleep even if I wanted to."

"Does she have a name yet?"

"I haven't told anyone yet." Keith gave her a reassuring smile. Taking his smile for the encouragement it was she smiled down at her daughter. "Ivy, her name is Ivy Allura Holt."

Keith sucked in a deep breath and she looked up at him slightly worried. "Do you think that'll be okay? I wanted to honour her."

"I think it's beautiful Pidge, she's beautiful and her name is perfect."

It was then that the baby opened her eyes and looked up at him for the first time and Keith felt that fist around his heart tighten again. She was so small and so perfect. He knew right then and there he'd do anything for this little girl, without hesitation.

"Ivy, welcome to the world."

He rocked as the baby fussed slightly, taking in Pidge's instructions and so wrapped up were they in the moment that neither noticed their family outside watching from the corridor. Colleen sighed and leant against her husband. It had been a long and emotional day for her and watching her baby right now she realised just how grown up her daughter was. Matt watched with suspicion and looked to Shiro for some sort of cue. The older man gave him a reassuring smile and he nodded in understanding. Lance watched with a mixture of happiness and sorrow that Hunk knew he would shake soon enough. So he put an arm around his best friend and watched the intimate scene before him.

Keith called Kolivan the next day and asked for a way to make his stay on Earth more permanent. A week later his mother and his commander were on his doorstep offering him a permanent liaison position on earth and a separate contract to work with the garrison on whatever projects they may need him for, on world of course. He had two minutes to celebrate and say thank you before his mother demanded to see the child.

He bought a house two minutes away from Pidge's and was there almost every day. Not that Pidge minded. In fact she loved having Ketih around and Ivy loved him too. The only down side was that She had realised slowly over the four months since Ivy's birth that Keith had somehow wiggled his way into her heart and not in a platonic way.

When a large storm had torn through the neighbourhood Keith had been with her. Making sure the house was secure, making sure the house was stocked up and food was cooked. He even stayed the night to make sure she and Ivy were okay. When Matt had called to ask if she wanted company she pretended not to hear the tone of his voice when she told him Keith was already here and they were fine.

"Ohhhh okay well, looks like you're in good hands I'll call you tomorrow Pigeon. Have a good night with your *cough* friend."

Blushing she hung up the phone and ignored her brothers teasing. The storm passed without any incident and she tried to ignore the way her heart flipped when she got up to Ivy in the middle of the night and found Keith had beat her to it.

He turned when she came in and smiled as he rocked the fussy baby. "Hey."

"Hey, did she wake you?"

He shrugged and she tried to ignore the fact that he didn't have a shirt on. "I'm a light sleeper but it's fine. She's just a little fussy."

"You should go back to bed, I can settle her. I'm sorry she woke you."

Keith shook his head. "It's fine Pidge, I can put her down. Why don't you go back to bed and get some sleep. You do this every night, I can handle tonight."

"Are you sure?"

He crossed the room and turned her around gently guiding her back to bed. "Yes, I'm sure. Now lie down and go to sleep, I've got her."

Resigning herself to her fate Pidge did as she was told and climbed back under the covers watching Keith walk back out of her bedroom with her baby. She listened to him shush her quietly and eventually her fussing quietened to nothing, the sounds lulling her to sleep. Just as she was dozing off she noticed him pass by her room on the way back to the spare room closing over the door so no light shone into her room before going back to bed himself.

'It would be nice,' she thought as she drifted off completely, 'to have someone around all the time to help with Ivy, to share the burden, to look after me, be with me, it would be nice...'

The next morning when she woke up she noticed there were sounds coming from downstairs. Noting the time on the clock beside her bed she jolted up right and ran downstairs. She entered the kitchen to find one of the sweetest sights she had ever seen. Keith had Ivy in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other while he watched the stove, he was cooking pancakes. She felt something swell in her chest and tried to ignore it. As if censing someone was watching him Keith turned and caught her eye.

"Did we wake you?"

Pidge smiled and shook her head as she approached the two beings in her kitchen. "No, but you should have. Good morning sweet heart have you been a good girl?"

The baby cooed at her and smiled. She reached out and took her from Keith giving her a kiss.

Keith softly petted her little head. "She's been perfectly behaved."

"I should hope so, I don't imagine an almost five month old can get into too much trouble."

Keith chuckled. "True, why don't you sit? I'll pour you come coffee and serve up some pancakes."

"Sounds fantastic."

They ate breakfast comfortably before Keith announced he should be getting home. When they said their goodbyes however he noticed his front tyre was flat. Keith sighed with frustration.

"I knew I should have put that spare in the truck bed."

Pidge laughed. "Come on, we'll give you a lift and you can get the spare from your place."

"Pidge, it's still pretty wet out there you don't have to take Ivy into the cold."

"Keith It's fine I'll bundle her up and strap her in, she loves car rides."

Keith sighed, she had that look on her face that told him arguing was futile. "Okay."

Pidge quickly changed and made sure Ivy was properly clothed for going out of the house before they buckled up and drove the short distance to Keith's house. Upon approaching the house up the drive pidge slowed to a stop and gasped.

"Keith, your house."

Keith sighed. His house had a tree sticking out of it. "Damn storm."

"You can't stay here."

"I'll grab some things and call Shiro."

"No, you're going to stay with us."

"Pidge I can't impose on you like that you have a baby."

"I do and if you don't mind temporarily living with one, the guest room is yours for as long as you need it while this gets fixed."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled and touched his arm. "Keith go get your stuff and your spare tyre and we can go."

He nodded and did what he was told.

Two weeks. It had been two weeks of having him live with her. Two weeks of listening to Matt's thinly veiled comments and her mothers curious gaze. She was adjusting to having someone around all of the time and trying not to think about how hard it would be once his house was fixed and he left. She had admitted to her mother that it was nice to have someone else to help out not just with Ivy but in general. He did the dishes, he cooked, made coffee and gave her a break when she needed it.

"Katie, can I ask you something?"

"Sure mum."

"What's stopping you?"

"What?"

"What's stopping you?"

"I uh, don't know what you're talking about."

"Katherine Holt."

Pidge sighed. "I don't know mum. It's amazing and he's so great with Ivy and I want to it's, I don't know."

Colleen reached out and held her daughters hand. "Katie does this have anything to do with Trent?"

Pidge sniffled. "Maybe, I just don't want it to look like I'm forgetting about him. We weren't serious or anything but I don't want people to thinking I'm disrespecting him or his memory."

Colleen scooted closer and gave her daughter a hug. "Katie nobody is going to think that. And correct me if I'm wrong but honey I think this has been a long time coming. We've all seen the way you two are. Just let whatever happens happen, okay?"

Pidge smiled and hugged her mum. "Thanks mum."

Later that night she watched Keith try to help bathe Ivy and laughed. "Who's getting the bath here any way?"

Keith laughed and looked up at her. "Your daughter is a formidable opponent."

Pidge laughed. "I can see that. Are we all clean or do you need another five minutes?"

Keith shook his head. "Nah, she's all clean. I was just letting her have a kick around."

Pidge grabbed the towel off of the rack and knelt beside Keith. Smiling with mirth she raised the towel, wiping his face. "And getting all wet in the process I see."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, you pick her up and I'll wrap her up."

They got her out of the bath, dried off and into her pyjamas.

When Ivy went down and Keith went to shower Pidge reflected on Keith and everything that had happened since he had arrived on Earth. They had been inseparable since the day Ivy had been born. After he had come in and she had told him the baby's name everyone had come back in with presents and snacks. She had tried to ignore the way her brother seemed to looking at her and Keith. Like there was something going on. She ignored it and focused on the baby and everyone's well wishes and talking.

He was there the day she took Ivy home. He had arrived in the morning with her brother. Packed the car with her things, made sure the car seat was installed properly and walked her out. At the time she had just been happy for the help, now she wondered why he had come when her family was there.

He would come and check on her, see how she was doing. He would stop by and tell her what was happening at the Garrison to keep her sane and he'd watch Ivy while she took a nap when she wasn't sleeping. He had carried her to bed more than once when she'd fallen asleep in the chair and taken the baby for a walk or gone grocery shopping for her when the fridge was empty and Ivy was too fussy to take anywhere.

He was always there. For her and for her daughter. He was the constant in their lives. He had seen her at her worst and helped her push through.

He was there the day her milk had dried up. He'd gone to the store and brought three different kinds of formula for her while she'd fretted about getting food for her daughter and later when Ivy had been put down for a nap he had held her while she cried and told her she wasn't a failure of a mother for needing to use formula because it didn't matter how her baby ate as long as she ate.

He'd stayed with her when she'd fallen ill from exhaustion. He'd carried her to bed when she'd collapsed in the kitchen making him a coffee (she still thanked every god she knew that she hadn't been carrying Ivy at the time). Then he'd called Colleen to take care of Ivy for a couple of days and made sure everything was packed into her baby bag while Pidge had been in bed too sick to move. He'd looked after her for two days before she was able to get up and care for Ivy.

And in the last couple of weeks he'd been even more helpful and attentive towards her. He made coffee and let her sleep in. He put her to bed when she fell asleep in the living room. He helped her cook and clean. He helped with Ivy and not just during the day. He was amazing and thoughtful and attractive and Pidge couldn't help but feel drawn to him.

So lost in thought was she that she didn't realise when he'd come back into the living room. She jumped and squeaked when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Pidge? You okay?" He was crouching in front of her and frowning slightly. He touched her forehead and checked for a fever. "you don't have a fever."

Pidge rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, I was just lost in thought."

"Maybe you should get an early night, you look tired."

She smirked. "Gee thanks."

He blushed and threw a scowl her way. "You know what I mean. I know Ivy's been waking up more during the middle of the night lately. You should get some extra rest since she went down early."

Pidge smiled and patted his hand. "Don't worry, I know what you mean. Maybe you're right."

"Do you need a hand getting upstairs?"

She chuckled and leant forward giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be fine, why don't you take some time for yourself. You've been running around us since you started staying here, you're supposed to be my guest."

She stood up, noting the slight blush in his face. "Goodnight Keith."

"Uh yeah, good night."

A few hours later Pidge woke to the sound of Ivy fussing and something else. Frowning she got out of bed and quietly padded down the hall. Stopping to lean in the doorway she watched Keith try to shush her daughter.

"Come on Ivy, shhh, we don't want to wake up mummy. She really needs to get some sleep."

Pidge smiled softly. "You know," Keith tensed slightly at her voice but relaxed immediately. "She's not very good at doing what she's told."

He turned to her with a look she couldn't quite define yet. "Sounds like someone else I know."

"You're right, she must be spending too much time with you."

Keith tried to glare at her but the smile gave him away. "Oh really? And here I thought it was because she was exactly like her mother."

Pidge shook her head smirking. "I don't know about that."

Keith tilted his head. "You don't see it?"

She approached him and softly patted her daughters back from by his side. "See what?"

"Katie, she is exactly like you, her mannerisms, her personality, her looks. She is a carbon copy of you."

"Really?" Keith detected the nerves in her voice.

"Yes, she's, smart and funny and beautiful."

Pidge blushed when her sleep deprived brain picked up on something and she looked into his eyes. "You," he raised a brow. "You called me Katie."

He smiled softly. "I did."

Ivy fussed again and Pidge sighed. "Come on, tonight's going to be one of those nights." She gently took his hand and led him to her bedroom. "Get in and put her in the middle."

"Uhhh Pidge?"

"Some nights when she won't settle no matter what I do I put her in bed with me." She gathered a small tube U shaped pillow from a chair in the corner of the room and placed it in the middle of the bed. "If you put her in that pillow she won't be able to roll anywhere."

"Pidge."

"Keith, I'm tired and it's the middle of the night and I don't know about you but I don't want to spend the rest of the night pacing the house. She'll settle if we put her into bed with us." When he didn't move she took the baby from him and placed her in the middle of the bed on the pillow. When the baby was situated she smiled grabbing Keith's hand and pulled him towards the mattress. "Get into bed."

He did as he was told.

The next morning Pidge woke up to an empty bed and smirked when she heard cooing coming from downstairs. Getting up she quietly crept downstairs and leant against the kitchen to watch. Keith was making a coffee.

"Are you ever going to let me make you a coffee?"

Keith turned and smirked. "If you ever wake up first."

She shook her head and gave her daughter a quick kiss before purposefully sliding past the highchair and into the kitchen in front of the coffee machine using her hips to push him aside. "I'm making you a coffee."

He chuckled and caged her in, standing directly behind her. She stopped moving as he leaned closer.

"Katie, what are you doing?"

Slowly she turned and met his eyes murmuring. "What are you doing?"

He looked at her for a moment before attempting to take a step back. She reached out and grabbed him. One hand wrapped around his bicep the other took hold of his shirt. Keith froze.

"Pidge?"

"Katie." She whispered.

Keith's eyes lit up and his expression softened. "Katie." He murmured leaning in and placing a light kiss to her lips.

Pidge's arms moved around his neck and she leant in. This prompted Keith to place his hands on her hips, pulling her closer until they were flush. A happy gurgling sound broke the silence and Keith pulled back pressing his forehead to hers.

"I think your daughter wants her breakfast." He murmured against her lips.

"Our daughter and yes I would say she definitely wants breakfast."

"I take it back."

Pidge frowned. "What?"

"She's not exactly like you, she gets her timing from her Uncles."