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They’ve been back on Earth approximately four months. Lance has brought Keith home with him multiple times. He always seems shocked that Lance’s family continues to welcome him with open arms and every time Lance will lean in and kiss his cheek, or his forehead, or his temple and smile, “Of course you’re welcome here. They love you just as much as I do.”
And Keith will blush and duck his head. He’ll hug Lance’s mama and thank her over and over again for her delicious cooking and for having Keith over. And his mama will pat his cheek and smile, “None of that Mrs. McClain nonsense. You can call me mama just like all of Lance’s friends.”
Keith just smiles and leans into Lance embarrassed by the affection, “Yes ma’am.”
He never calls her mama.
Tonight is different though. Tonight, Luis and Lisa asked them to babysit Nadia and Sylvio. Lance had asked if Keith minded, he just shrugged and said, “Sounds fun.”
So two hours later and Keith is sitting on the floor cross-legged and Nadia is in front of him painting his nails a bright yellow. The Little Mermaid is playing in the background and Keith starts humming. Nadia smiles at him, “Tio Keith you know this song?”
Keith nods and Nadia gives up the nail painting and instead grabs Keith’s hands. He gets to his feet and picks her up balancing her on his hip and swinging her around while the two of them sing “Part of Your World.”
Lance was playing a game with Sylvio but at the sound of Keith singing with Nadia, his heart tumbles into overdrive. He is so gone for this boy.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
The Paladins are still occasionally needed to help with relief efforts. Sometimes they all go, other times it’s just two or three of them. Today it’s only Pidge, Keith and Lance and they are in a sector that has been heavily damaged by Galra and the planet they are headed to is still in a bit of shambles. When they get there Pidge sends out a message that they need to evacuate any remaining refugees. The planet is about to be devoured by a weblum and they only have two hours.
The last building to be evacuated is a school. Everyone has been accounted for when one of the teachers begins to beg for help. One of the students is missing, a young Olkari about three or four years old. Keith looks to Lance, “Take everyone out of here. I have Pidge’s map of the school and she’s located the heat signature. I’ll be out in ten minutes tops.”
Lance grips Keith’s hand, “Be careful.”
Keith nods and heads towards the small building as the unstable planet starts to shift.
It’s a tense moment when Lance loses all communication with Keith. His hands are shaking on Red’s controls but he has a job to do. He and Pidge are quiet as they escort the refugees to a safer sector. Lance keeps his coms open to the direct channel to the Black Lion. There’s nothing but static for almost an hour. And then suddenly through the static Lance hears a child crying and Keith’s voice just barely audible over the crying and the static. But as he softly sings “A Whole New World” Lance thinks it’s the best sound he’s ever heard.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Lance loves the fact that Keith takes the time to visit the orphanages on Earth as often as he can. He was once a child of the system and knows how hard it can be for the kids without parents. The kids are putting on a play and Keith and Lance are watching them rehearse. One little boy, Alex, is sick and isn’t able to rehearse so a cute little blond named Sarah asks Keith if he can help her practice her parts.
Sarah is playing the part of Anna and today they’re practicing one of the songs. And it really shouldn’t come as a surprise but when Keith starts singing perfectly to “Love Is An Open Door” he knows he’s going to marry him one day.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Lance wakes up to an empty bed. He looks at the clock and sees its only 12:42. He sits up and wonders where his husband had gone, but then he hears a soft humming from the baby monitor. He throws off the blanket and heads to the small room just down the hall. He leans on the door frame and watches as Keith sways back and forth holding a pink bundle. He puts down a bottle and lifts their new daughter over his shoulder patting her back and still swaying.
Lance smiles as he watches Keith press soft kisses to Bailey. It’s their first night with her and Keith is already so good with her. He can’t help but press a hand to his chest as he recognizes the words that Keith has started singing.
From your head to your toes (to your toes) You're not much, goodness knows (goodness knows) But you're so precious to me Sweet as can be, baby of mine
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Lance watches as Keith struggles to accept what Bailey is telling them. They’ve had this conversation for days and days and Keith refuses to give in. To him Bailey is still a little girl, not the strong independent twenty-seven year old in front of him.
She leaves in two days to take over New Daibazaal. She’s been training and working with Krolia and Kolivan for the past four years and now that Krolia is ready to step down, Keith doesn’t want his little girl to step up and leave.
Lance can’t blame him really. He’s shed his own fair share of tears. He and Bailey have cuddled under the blankets and drowned their sorrows in tubs of Ben and Jerry’s. Keith on the other hand just glares at them and walks away. When he and Bailey do speak it’s yelling and a lot of angry words. Lance doesn’t interfere. He knows this is something the two of them need to work out on their own. So he does his best to support both his husband and his daughter even if it feels like he’s being ripped in two.
Tonight though, things have gotten ugly. Bailey has hit Keith where it hurts him the most. Just before she stormed out of the house she pushed past Keith and screamed at him, “I hate you. You’re not my real dad and I wish you never adopted me!”
Lance sighs and gets up from where he’s been taking it all in on the worn out sofa. He debates on who to deal with first but Bailey makes that decision for him when he hears her car pulling out of the driveway. He makes his way to the back bedroom but stops when he sees Bailey’s door open. He looks in and finds Keith sitting on her bed. He’s holding a small plushy. The soft fur is almost all but gone, an eye is missing, and there’s a line of stitches holding an ear in place. It makes him think of a story so long ago his mama used to read to him about a Velveteen Rabbit and being so loved he became real. He knows Keith is holding on to Bailey as tight as she used to hold onto that plushy because if he lets her go then it becomes real.
He sits on the bed next to Keith and kisses his temple. He knows there’s nothing he can say that will ease Keith’s hurt at this moment but he does know one thing. He puts an arm around Keith and pulls him into a hug. “She doesn’t mean it you know. She’s lashing out and she feels as if you don’t trust her or believe in her.”
Keith let his husband hold him, “What do I do Lance? How can I make this right?”
Lance sighs. He knows Keith doesn’t want to hear the truth but he has never lied to him and he won’t start now. “Bailey is an adult now babe. Whether we like it or not she’s free to make her own choices. We may not agree with them but she’s still our daughter and she needs our support.”
Keith lets out a shuddering breath and grips Lance’s shirt, “I don’t want to let her go.”
Lance wraps his arms tighter around Keith, “I know. I don’t want to let her go either.”
Several hours later Bailey comes back to find both of her dads on her small twin bed. Lance is sitting against the headboard with Keith laying across his chest, clinging to the small plushy. Lance removes himself from Keith’s arms, “Just tell her everything you told me. It will be ok babe.”
Lance stands in front of Bailey and presses a kiss to her forehead, “Be nice to your dad.”
With that he leaves the two of them to talk.
Lance is making chicken and dumplings when he hears a small pop of static and soft humming. He turns to find one of the baby monitors from years ago sitting on the kitchen counter. He turns the volume up but can’t make out much of anything. He puts the monitor back on the counter and makes his way down the hall. Bailey’s door is slightly open and Lance peeks in enough to see Keith and Bailey. This time Keith is sitting against the headboard but Bailey is in his lap as if she was only six years old. Her head is tucked under Keith’s chin and he’s singing softly.
And you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on Now and forever more
Lance tip-toes away with a smile. His small family will be ok.