Here it is, the very last chapter of Across Time and Space!

I'd like to give a big "THANK YOU" to everyone who left a review on this fic! You guys are all amazing and anyone who wants to keep reading my fanfics can find me over on Archive of Our Own, where I will continue to post more Kidge. This place has been a home for my fics for many years, but it's time for a move and with my continued frustration with everything here, it's best for me to just stop. My ffxv fic "The Sun Prince" will continue to be updated until it's complete, but anything new will be on AO3 and tumblr. (And if I remember, on pillowfort.)

As of this chapter, the poll is also closed down. "Instinct" will be the next Kidge fic.

Also remember to keep an eye out on kidgezine. tumblr. com as preparations for a second Kidgezine are underway!

Chapter 15

Keith comfortably sat on the couch in the paladin lounge, one arm holding a tablet so he could help review possible battle strategies and the other draped lightly across the back of the couch where Pidge sat and was scanning over the latest attempt at integrating Altean tech into Garrison fighter-class ships. If he glanced over, he could see a header which read: "Mecha Flex Exofighter – Prototype 0.8".

"Do you ever want to just punch Lotor in his stupid, smug face?" Pidge asked, completely unsolicited. She dropped her tablet into her lap and threw back her head in a display of pent up frustration.

Keith set aside his work in a more gentle manner. "You know I do. What's going on now?"

"Nothing. It's just the usual," Pidge grumbled. "Going on about how the Galra need quintessence and looking into the rift in the remains of Daibazaal is the best way to do that, even though Shiro's pointed out a number of times that without the war, the Galra don't have a need for that much quintessence. I think it's the only reason Allura hasn't given in and started to help him. Well, that and Lance redirecting her to whatever issue the Garrison is having in figuring out how Altean technology works.

"I just wish we didn't have to have him around, even if he has been useful." Pidge sighed and tipped her head to the side, her hair just barely brushing against Keith's shoulder.

"Best to keep him where we can keep an eye on him," he recited, trying not to focus on how close she was. Just a few more centimeters...

Pidge grinned and sat up straight so she could playfully nudge him. "Now you sound like Shiro."

"Does that mean you'll listen to me?"

"Ha! Not a chance!"

The door slid open and they quickly separated as Krolia and Travis walked in. Keith blushed and removed his arm from the back of the couch, pointedly looking away as his heartbeat quickened.

Krolia raised an eyebrow, but said nothing about how closely they were sitting, which Keith was grateful for. He still wasn't sure what was going on between him and Pidge and he appreciated the room everyone was giving them to figure it out on their own.

"Is everything alright?" Pidge asked.

"We got a message from Slav askin' us to meet him here," Travis explained. "I'm guessin' he's not here yet."

Keith wondered if he had an appropriate excuse to leave before Slav arrived, but couldn't think of a single one that his parents wouldn't immediately see through. It was a talent his dad had been surprisingly bad at in the beginning, whereas it took his mom roughly two weeks to figure it out.

It was hard to believe it had only been one year since everything in his life changed for the better. Shiro was back to his old self. He had both of his parents in his life. A close friendship with Pidge. The respect of Commander Iverson and other officers of the Galaxy Garrison – which had always felt like an impossibility.

Pidge picked up her tablet. "I should get back to the lab and see what Hunk thinks about the flaxum assembly. There have been some concerns about it coming loose during flight and I need to run some ideas by him."

"Nice try, but you and I both know Hunk's with your mom talking about solutions for food production in space," Keith said, stopping her before she could stand up. If he had to deal with Slav, so did she.

Pidge slumped back. "Just wait until it's my turn to design another holo-deck exercise."

"I look forward to it."

He knew she meant it as a form of revenge for making her stay, but he genuinely enjoyed the programs she created so far, even the ones he failed at. Each one had its own challenge and unique solution.

Keith's favorite so far was the one most hated by everyone else who tried it. (Except, amusingly, his mom and Kolivan – maybe it was a Galra thing.) It was a ninety minute obstacle course which Lance nicknamed "The Death Gauntlet". Between the various traps, the training robot stalking the participant through a maze, the portion run in complete darkness, and a half dozen other tasks, it was little wonder that most people failed halfway through. And even if they did complete it, no one managed it in the intended ninety minutes, though Shiro came the closest on his third attempt and got his time down to one-hundred-and-three minutes.

"It will be worse than the Death Gauntlet," Pidge warned, jostling him from his thoughts.

"You heard about Lance's name for it, huh?" Keith asked.

"Kind of hard not to when everyone calls it that now," Pidge said with a shrug. "Anyway, you're really not going to like the next one. I've gotten requests for a team-building version of it and while I could just copy the original and add the allowance of more than one participant, that would be boring."

Keith nodded in agreement. It would be boring, not just for Pidge, but for him as well, even if it did require working with an unknown team.

"But if you're nice to me, maybe I can swing it so you're with someone who takes it seriously, like Shiro," Pidge tried to bribe him.

As long as it wasn't Griffin, Keith figured he'd survive. Luckily, everyone knew that it wasn't an option as the last time.

The door slid open a second time and Slav shuffled inside, his arms laden with an unfortunately familiar machine.

Pidge went still next to Keith. "Why do you have that?"

Krolia and Travis exchanged worried looks, keeping their distance from Slav as he made his way to the table and set it down. He began pushing buttons and flipping switches.

"Slav, why do you have that?" Pidge asked a second time. "I thought you destroyed it because it's too dangerous to keep around."

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe!" Slav cheerily assured them.

Maybe Keith should have let Pidge go after all. Or rolled with her excuse to leave and made up a reason to go with her. His parents probably would have let him.

The trans-reality extrapolater hummed to life and a blue light began to shine from the top, causing the space above it to waver. After a few seconds, an image began to form – a figure with dark hair and pale purple skin.

Travis stepped closer. "Keithir?"

The image solidified until it was clear that it was Keithir, who appeared to be trying to speak to them. Travis walked over until he was standing in front of the machine, at which point a second blue light began emitting from the side and scanned him up and down.

"Dad?" Keithir's voice came through. "Can you hear me? Slav, are you sure this thing is working correctly?"

"There's nothing wrong with my machine!"

Travis chuckled. "I can hear you, but I don't understand. I thought..." He paused to shake his head. "It's good to see you again."

Keithir smiled back at him; a smile which grew broader as Krolia joined Travis in front of the machine. "We asked Slav to hold off on destroying it and helped him get it to work the way he intended. This is... this is our last chance. It was a risk waiting this long."

"But one worth it," Katie said off-screen.

Keithir shifted aside to let his wife step into frame next to him. In her arms, wrapped in a deep purple blanket, was a baby with the faintest fuzz of black hair on top of her head and the trace of darkening markings up each cheek.

Pidge breathed out softly, reaching for Keith's arm.

"We'd like you to meet your granddaughter, Princess Krolia of Daibazaal."

End