Chapter Text
Keith hasn’t met many kids, but he thinks Kara isn’t half bad. She was smart and sweet, with all the excitement one would expect of an, as she reminded him, almost four year old. It also didn’t hurt that she was darn cute.
Kara’s room is a few doors down from the master bedroom. It’s a quick trip leaving Keith little time to take in what he can. Some family photos on the wall, a staircase leading down to another level, a bathroom, all blurr by.
The bedroom was filled with toys, clothes, and books maybe too many for just one kid, but really what does he know about how many toys a kid should have. His favorite part of the room had to be the ceiling that was painted like the night sky. It reminded him of when he used to sit out on the roof of his shack just gazing up at the vast expanse of the universe.
Kara tugged on his hand, impatient now that he’s stopped to stare. “Daddy!” she said stomping her little foot on the carpet.
Keith looked down subconsciously. When did he start answering to ‘daddy’? “Right, uh, sorry. Let’s get you dressed.”
She pouts before yanking on his hand once again and leading him towards a closet. When Keith pulls it open his chest fills with something he doesn’t quite understand. All he knows is that it feels good seeing rows of clothing for this little girl, that she has everything she could ever need and he helped to do that.
Kara picked out a slightly mismatched outfit after spending five minutes turning down every suggestion Keith made while she stared pensively into the jungle of clothing. Keith then helped her peak her head through the top and straightened the small skirt when it was twisted around her waist. She forgoes shoes, her toes wiggling as she laughs climbing on her bed.
Keith moves to sit behind her a brush and hair ties in hand. He vaguely remembers how to make a simple braid from the one summer his social worker had placed him in camp in an attempt to encourage Keith to make more friends. The teenaged counselor who organized the arts and crafts had taken a shine to him, teaching him how to make friendship bracelets during lunch when Keith was content to sit alone under a tree with his sandwich and Capri Sun.
It takes a few minutes but the final result isn’t so bad. It’s simple enough, braided pigtails, but the plaits are fairly neat and even. Kara looks pleased either way so Keith counts it as a small win in this weird new world.
“I want pancakes for breakfast.” Kara demands.
And who is Keith to deny her, “Sure?”
“Really?!” Kara hops off the bed, her little feet searching for the floor. “Uncle Hunk makes the bestest pancakes ever, but I like mommy’s too. Can mommy make them?” She looked up at Keith with those eyes again-- his eyes-- and he knew instantly he won’t being saying no much while stuck here.
“I’ll go ask her. Want to go play downstairs while I do?” Keith questioned standing up himself. If she’s anything like he was she’ll be off the second the idea is put in her head.
“Uh huh,” Kara said with a nod. “I’m gonna be a chef.”
And with that she’s running out of the room and Keith can faintly hear the pitter patter of her making her way downstairs.
Keith finds Pidge sitting in the kitchen. It’s large and fairly pristine, objects in their designated place with the exception of the island Pidge was seated at which had papers and objects strewn about it. Stainless steel appliances stood in between white cabinets and polished wood countertops. It was oddly rustic and charming, yet sleek with bright neutrals coloring the walls and backsplash. When Pidge had first walked in she wondered who had designed it because she was absolutely sure it wasn’t her.
Pidge looked up to see Keith in the entryway. He was dressed for the day in black colored jeans and a henley, hair tied back into a ponytail and without Kara. The look suited him, much better than the 2008 style mullet in Pidge’s humble opinion.
She’d changed too after Keith had left the bedroom. It had been overwhelming for a moment, to see all a closet full of options after having the choice between only a handful of outfits for about four years. Dresses, skirts, pants, sweaters, tank tops, blouses, she could hardly believe were really hers. Pidge’s hands had grazed over the fabric feeling the different textures, nothing like the sleek strange fabrics of space but wholly welcoming. For a moment she had wanted to put on one of the many dresses, just for the simple pleasure of it. It had been so long since she had the chance. In the end she had decided against the dress and chose a pair of shorts and a light sweater. It was familiar; almost normal, like any other day.
“What happened to the kid?” Pidge asked taking a sip of orange juice from her glass. It stings her teeth a little but Pidge doesn’t mind the slight ache. She couldn’t remember the last time she actually had something to eat or drink that wasn’t from a machine or foreign alien planet.
“She’s playing,” Keith said as he walked over and sat down next to her at the island a hint of a smile on his lips. “Chef apparently. Said she also wanted you to make pancakes even if they ‘aren’t as good as Uncle Hunk’s.’”
Pidge immediately picks up on the name, an eyebrow quirking up but not openingly questioning. It’s only more confirmation of what she’s began piecing together.
Keith rested his elbow on the tabletop and let his face on rest on his fist. He sneaked a glance at the laptop in front of Pidge and noted the homescreen background, a family photo featuring the two of them and Kara at the beach. He faintly wonders where they went to take that, but quickly pushes the thought away, “You find anything?”
“Oh, I found a lot of things.” Pidge said with a smirk.
A moment of silence passes Keith expecting her to continue on. When she doesn’t he prompts her gesturing with his free hand, “...Like?”
“Like we’re super married .” Pidge said hitting the little photo icon on the laptop bringing up hundreds of little boxes on screen. Pixelated little moments of their lives in this universe all lined up in rows, organized by dates-- no doubt Pidge’s doing-- for them to sift through. Clues in a giant puzzle. “As in there are at least a thousand photos on this computer alone and video too. Lovely little fall wedding by the way-- real sappy. You cried.” She clicked on the folder marked ‘ Wedding Part One 5/24’ scrolling to a picture of the ceremony featuring Keith obviously wiping away tears.
Keith made a face at the image brows furrowed and lips pursed. Pidge laughs at the constipated look on his face, “I know, it’s freaky.”
“I thought the married part was implied by the house and child,” he states. Keith sat up straighter now glancing away from the screen to take in his teammate. At least someone was getting enjoyment out of this.
“That’s positively fifties Keith.” Pidge said voice raising an octave in mock offense. “We’re the edgy generation, we don’t abide by societal standards.” She places a hand on her collar almost as if she’s clutching invisible pearls.
Keith’s suspicious had been rising since he entered the kitchen. She’s avoiding something. It’s a logical assessment. Sure Pidge plays around but not to during a mission. She’s always straight to the point, with an added dash of smartass comment sometimes, but hey, that’s Pidge for you. Maybe he’s still too ingrained with old procedures, and maybe they don’t fit… whatever this is, but it’s what he’s good at. He’d think she would be too at this point. It’s practically default by now, counting exits, analyzing, calculating every possibility and outcome. Pidge doesn’t joke around like this on missions he knows her too well by now.
Keith frowned, “What are you hiding?”
Pidge’s shoulders rose, body tensing up at being caught. If this were any other day she’d push up her glasses maybe even turn away, but there is no where to go here, or glasses to push. Instead she played with the bottom of her sweater, moving it up and down and playing with a stray string. She took a deep breath before she pushed out the words in a rush, “We’re a little more screwed than I thought.”
“How so?” Keith can roll with this, back to business.
“As in everything we know after my dad, Matt, and Shiro left for Kerberos, never happened. The mission went exactly as planned. The collected ice samples, studied the surface for three months, and came back in one piece.” Pidge pulled up a news article showing the three being welcomed back at the Garrison. “They never went missing, I went into the Garrison as Katie Holt, we never found the Blue Lion. We never found the Castle of Lions. We meet when I was assigned as your communications officer. I’m not even sure if Allura and Coran exist in this world. If the lions even do.”
“So what do we do? How do we fit here?” Keith said. She had obviously done her research in the time he’d spent with Kara.
“Apparently I work for the Garrison.” Even the word felt weird as Pidge said it, the Garrison had wiped her family away, had probably wiped them away too in another world. Working for them now? Feels practically like a betrayal for Pidge. Not that she’d let Keith see, her face is neutral as she spoke, like this was her everyday life, completely not strange. “Freelance mostly. Plan out expeditions, keep their firewalls secure, monitor for unidentified interference.”
“Huh.” That about sums it up for Keith. He spoke up curious, did she know about him? “What do I do?”
“You,” Pidge dragged out the word a little excited to spill this bit, “still ended up dropping out, I’m not exactly sure why. But apparently you write.”
“I write,” Keith said. It’s never what he pictured doing but he had always had elaborate dreams, maybe that played into it here.
“We still know Hunk and Lance though,” Pidge said. She shifted in her seat hands dropping away from her sweater, this is much easier to talk about. “They were in our wedding party. Along with Shiro and my brother. We have a surprising amount of friends and I only recognize a third of them.”
Keith’s head fell into his hands with an audible groan, “I think I have a headache.”
Pidge reached over to pat his head in a show of camaraderie then closed the laptop done with her examination of its contents… for now at least.
The kitchen was silent all but for the faint ticking of a mounted clock Pidge heard. Neither of them had anything else to say at the moment letting all the new information they obtained sink in. Many people in their lives were still the same that was good, Pidge thought working through it all, they knew them. What they didn’t know was how this reality’s Keith and Pidge (or maybe it was Katie here) acted around them. They were married after all. Were they lovey dovey? Nah, Pidge didn’t think either of them would be the public displays of affections type in any universe.
RIIIINNNG RIIIINNNG
She’s startled out of her musings by the chirping trill of the video phone. Pidge spotting one sitting on the counter gets up to grab it. She brings it back to the island glancing at Keith. A moment of silent communication passed between them. Pidge raised an eyebrow, Keith’s lips twisted in response, then her eyes widened before he shrugged. Without bothering to look at the caller ID Pidge pressed answer.
The hologram pops up projecting an image of Colleen Holt in all her glory. Pidge nearly fell over at the shock of it, not that she should be really. She’d seen her mother in photos on her computer a little older but much better looking than the one Pidge left behind for the Garrison, but well this; this was much different. Her eyes swelled up with tears she desperately tried to blink back. Keith is standing out of his chair now, Pidge doesn’t know when that happened. She can’t think about what’s happening anymore when she heard her mother speak for the first time in years.
“Hi Katie! And Keith.” Colleen’s cheery voice rang from the speaker. “Is everything okay? Is Kara alright? You both look scared.” Colleen’s projection frowned, fine lines showing more prominently than they were a moment ago.
That’s enough to shock Pidge out of her stupor. She shakes her head, a brilliant smile, one a guy could easily fall in love with and Keith has so rarely seen, crosses her face. “Yes, I mean no Mom everything here is fine. It’s just good to see you.”
Colleen laughs, “It’s only been a day. Too busy for your mother at that barbecue yesterday.” It would be an accusation from other mothers but there was not even a hint of malice in Colleen’s voice, it’s every bit of motherly good nature Pidge had so desperately missed and Keith had so desperately craved his entire life.
“Can’t I still miss you?” Pidge bit her lip. She wanted to reach out and touch her but that would only mess with the projection.
“Of course you can,” Colleen smiled, leave it to her daughter to be so sweet still, even as a grown adult. “I just wanted to remind you it’s family dinner night at our place. Matt said you had a bit of a wild night and wasn’t sure if you’d remember.”
Keith cursed internally shit. A family dinner sounded perfect right about now to Pidge based on her face, but for him? He knew nothing about the Holts besides stray stories Pidge had been willing to offer up and little glimpses in her mind from melds.
Pidge’s smile is still stuck on her face now, she can’t stop. She gets to see them tonight, Matt, Mom, and Dad! “How could I forget? We’ll be there at 5:30.” Early Sunday dinners were tradition in the Holt family. She wonders idly if anyone else will be there.
Keith doesn’t move a muscle. It’s obvious this is a common occurrence and him raising a brow would be highly suspect. “Can’t wait,” he even managed to chime in.
“Perfect. You can tell me all about your night, I’m sure Kara has some stories to tell too.” Colleen blows them a kiss and laughs. “See you soon. And Keith, don’t forget you promised to help me in the kitchen tonight. Those bake sale cookies were no joke.”
Keith’s eyebrows did shoot up at that, just what had he been getting up to here?
“Bye!” Pidge called with wave as Colleen clicked disconnect.
“What the hell are we going to do?” Keith asked flopping back down onto his chair.
Pidge’s brows furrow, “What do you mean, we’re obviously going. That’s my family, we can’t just blow them off… it’ll be suspicious.”
He sighs, “But they don’t even know me.”
“They obviously do,” Pidge rolled her eyes. She’s ready to bite back when she stops noticing his posture; he’s nervous arms crossed, blocking himself off, “Look Keith, you can handle this, it’s just dinner and maybe it will help us. If not we’ll double our efforts tomorrow.” She grabs his hand stroking the surprisingly soft skin with her thumb. “Okay? We’ve got this.”
Keith’s heartbeat sped up at her touch, the heat of her hand warming him up and melting his opposition, he can’t say no to her. “Alright, I trust you.”
Pidge is ready to say more when Kara ran into the kitchen a paper chef hat on her head and too big apron like a dress wrapped around her. Their attention turns to her easily as she comes to stand in front of them
“Mommy, Daddy look! I made breakfast!” Kara smiled presenting two little dishes of plastic food for them to take. Keith without missing a beat grabs one. Pidge follows his lead grabbing the other.
“Looks great,” Pidge commented picking up the fake burger, definitely not breakfast but it seemed to make the kid happy.
Kara, satisfied, looks around the kitchen noticing the lack of food. “I thought you were making pancakes.”
Keith scoops her up in his arms trying to chase away the oncoming pout. “I know you wanted pancakes but I think cereal will have to do today.”
“Lucky Charms!” Kara screamed pointing to the box on top of the fridge.
“Pidge?” Keith asked gesturing towards the box.
“Alright, alright.”
Pidge walked over to the fridge and stood on her tippy toes to just grab the box. She turns around with a smile to the cheers of Kara.
It felt nice being with both Keith and Kara, almost like a family, Pidge thought absently. She was starting to get used it it.