Celebrations Found
Part 2
Coming Home
Introduction
Professor John Robinson (Guy Williams): Doctorate in Astrophysics and Planetary Geology. Interested in sports including football and fencing. Birthdate 1/14/57
Maureen Robinson (June Lockhart): Doctorate in Biochemistry. Interested in cooking, hydroponics and gardening. Birthdate 6/25/58
Dr. & Dr. Robinson were married on 6/10/77
Judy Robinson (Marta Kristen): Wanted to pursue a career in acting, singing and dancing. Birthdate 2/26/78
Penny Robinson (Angela Cartwright): Interested in zoology, classical music and literature. Birthdate 9/9/85
Will Robinson (Bill Mumy): Interested in geology, electronics, singing and playing the guitar. Birthdate 2/1/87
Major Don West (Mark Goddard): Air Force major. Interested in flying, cars and contact sports. Birthdate 7/24/73
Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris): US Space Core staff psychologist. Specialized in Environmental Space Psychology. Birthdate 11/6/45
The above information was lifted from a website by M.Z. Gates who summarized the biographies from the book The Alpha Control Reference Manual, which was published in 1986 by William Anchors and Gary Stork.
DISCLAIMER: Alas, the above characters do not belong to me, and I would never think of making any money off of them. I'm just reliving my childhood from an adult perspective.
Original Characters:
Appolus (A blondish Matthew McCaughney type) From a powerful family.
Gannon (Similar to David Duchovney) Worked his way up to medical director on a ship
Phiscus (A middle aged Peter Graves type) Medical doctor at spa and for Appolus' family
Kairon (A youngish Keenu Reeves type) A masseuse at the spa
Counselor of Claims (Would you believe a Mel Brooks look alike?) Religious Leader
Ronon (Similar to Andy Garcia) A masseuse at the spa
Marcus (Similar to Richard Gere) Medical doctor out of favor with the government
Scotter (Like John Mahoney of Frazier) Retired soldier and mechanic at the yard
Celebrations Found
Part 2
Coming Home
Chapter 1
The lush greenery of Carmellia greeted them as they descended close to the Jupiter's encampment. Judy was still a bit green around the gills from her space walk, and she was never so happy to land on an alien planet before in her life. Her father was the first to greet her and wrapped her in a bear hug as Don lumbered down the ramp to catch up with her.
"Dad, not so tight."
Maureen was beside her in a flash. "You don't look well, Judy. Do you need to see Dr. Marcus?"
"No, I'll be okay."
Don proudly announced, "She took her first space walk today!"
John's brow furrowed. "What?!"
"Directional sensor dish broke lose. We had to get out there to fix it before we landed."
"You went out too?"
He grinned and nodded, "Twice! I told you I could do it, Pop."
"Pop?"
"Profoundly-over-protective dad."
Scotter and Ronon were not far behind them and Scotter was envious of their exchange. He would have loved to have been a true father. Maybe Judy was right and he could 'adopt' some of the younger men. Ronon seemed to be holding back his emotions as he descended with Scotter. His eyes were searching without finding what or whom he was looking for.
Maureen gave both Judy and Don a hug and welcomed them all to Carmellia. Ronon shyly asked about Kairon and Maureen explained that he and the children had gone to the swimming hole, but would be back soon. His disappointment wasn't missed by Maureen or Don, and they exchanged a curious look.
Maureen invited, "Come have something to eat. Dr. Smith has put out a feast for your return." Their eyes widened at the sight of the food on the table. It was like the wonderful buffet they had eaten on the Salvage.
"Where did all this food come from?" Don asked.
"Let's just say that Dr. Smith was quite busy on his only trip into the metropolis."
"Greetings, Major and friends!" Dr. Smith bowed and spread his arm out over the table. "Enjoy the banquet to celebrate your safe return to us!"
"What's making you so generous, Zach?" Don couldn't help but be a little bit suspicious that there was something more going on here."
"Let us just say that you and your wife have been missed, and we are quite happy with your return. Not to mention that Dr. Marcus has made excellent progress on the enzyme research. It will be the elixir of the galaxy." Smith leaned closer to Don and whispered, "And its power will be in our hands."
Don rolled his eyes and stated, "It's all yours, Zach. All I want from that enzyme is one thing. Just let me know when he gets close to fixing that 'one thing' for me. Okay?"
"The time is near, Major. I believe he is almost ready to experiment on the nervous system. I'm sure he would welcome you as his test subject."
That news unsettled Don. He had been down too many torturous paths and was afraid to put too much hope into the enzyme again. He'd catch up with Marcus before the end of the night to determine what the real story was with the research.
The banquet was delicious and a welcome change from the freeze-dried meals they had been having on the other ship. The group was engaged in a lively discussion of possible names for the ship they had traveled in. Judy had a number of possibilities in mind, but she didn't think they would be appropriate in her parents' presence. Everyone suggested their own ideas:
"Hand-me-down"
"Savage Salvage"
"Second-hand Rose"
"Misfit Mystery"
"Fix Me Up"
"Repair Queen"
"Ship From Hell"
Each name brought a round of applause or laughter. Scotty had never had so much fun in his life. With each passing moment, he felt surer of his decision to join the rebels. Even Ronon, typically serious and stalwart, was enjoying the laughter and relaxed atmosphere of the Jupiter, something he rarely let himself do.
As they were roaring at the last suggestion from Judy, Kairon and the children returned to the encampment. Ronon's eyes immediately lit up at the site of his friend and he held himself back from rushing over to greet him. Will and Penny ran to Judy and Don and gave each of them a hug. Kairon did the same, then nodded to Scotter and slapped Ronon on the back in greeting. Ronon had never seen Kairon look so relaxed and happy.
"Welcome back, my friends. We were beginning to worry about you."
"Well, Kairon the ship had a mind of its own," Don remarked. "We were just trying to come up with a new name for her that would be appropriate to house the founding members of the rebellion."
"How about 'Marvenius Miracle'?" Kairon suggested.
"It was a miracle that it got us here," Judy remarked.
"And it will house a miracle when we return."
Judy's demeanor suddenly sobered. "I'm not sure I want to return there anytime soon."
Don took hold of her hand and felt her trembling. "Judy? Did the trip scare you that much?"
"It wasn't the trip."
"Appolus?"
There was a choral echo of "Appolus?" from the group.
Scotter told them the story of Don defeating Appolus a second time by ramming him with his chair and pinning him to the ground.
"High school wrestling!" Kairon and Ronon enthusiastically cheered.
Judy hadn't told Don about Appolus' 'claim' still being legal on Marvenius, and she decided that she didn't have the energy to talk about it in front of the others. Exhaustion overtook her, and she was looking forward to her own bed. Her mood was still somber when she excused herself from the group and retired to her room. "Go ahead, Don, teach them about wrestling. I'll see you later."
Don turned to follow her, but Maureen signaled for him to stay and followed her daughter into the Jupiter.
The levity was gone as Don turned back with a worried expression. John knew it was more than their encounter with Appolus that had her upset.
"Did anything else happen, Don?"
"Not that I know of. Other than the space walks and running into Appolus, I don't know what else could have upset her."
Ronon and Scotter exchanged a knowing look. "I believe that Scotter and I might know what is bothering her. We had many discussions about Marvenian society, and there are some things that you need to know if you are ever to return."
"Of course I'm going to return. I can't train you and then leave you to fight alone."
Scotter put a fatherly hand on Don's shoulder. "Don, did she tell you about the Marvenian claiming laws?"
The creases were back in Don's face. "No. Explain them to me."
Scotter nodded to Ronon to continue. "Appolus placed an official claim on Judy that is still legal."
John interceded, "But the counselor performed a bonding ceremony. Wasn't that the end of Appolus' claim?"
"No. The counselor's position in Marvenian society is strictly a ceremonial one. He is allowed to stay in power to please the older Tier 1 males who had been brought up in a more traditional time."
"I have the authority to marry them according to Earth's laws. We discussed having a marriage ceremony ourselves to give Judy. a chance to actually plan a wedding. We'll do that before we return to Marvenius."
This time Kairon interrupted. "That would still not be recognized on Marvenius, Professor Robinson. Appolus' claim came before the bonding took place. It would still take precedence."
Don took all this information in without comment, and then quietly questioned, "What would it take to negate his claim?"
Dr. Marcus had been standing at the top of the ramp, listening to their explanations. He descended holding a bottle of brandy and several glasses. He placed them on the table, filled one to the brim, handed it to Don, and then responded. "You would have to impregnate her."
Don squeezed the glass and stared into its ruby depths. He brought it to his lips and swallowed half its contents in one gulp. John grabbed a glass and said, "I'll take one too."
Scotter poured a brandy for John and also one for himself. Marcus filled the rest and the bottle was emptied. Kairon, Ronon and Marcus each took one of the remaining three glasses.
"Marcus?" Don's voice was barely audible.
"Yes?"
"What are my chances?"
"Questionable at best."
Don downed the rest of his drink muttered, "Thanks for being honest with me. Goodnight."
As he turned and entered the Jupiter, Kairon took a sip of his brandy and noted, "Love appears to be an emotion that reaches both the greatest heights and lowest depths of feeling. How does one survive such extremes?"
"By sharing those extremes with your loved one and holding tightly to each other," John answered.
Scotter mused, "They have more trouble ahead, because Appolus won't give up. After what we did to him before we left, he'll be even more determined."
John looked up at the stars. "They've already been through so much."
Putting his hand on John's shoulder, Scotter comforted him. "Then we'll just have to protect them, won't we."
They all raised their glasses in agreement. John smiled, "Welcome to the family."
April 15, 2000
We're home on Carmellia. Funny how easy it is to think of this planet as home. We had a marvelous homecoming, until someone brought up Appolus. I have this feeling that we haven't seen the last of him. I never told Don about his 'claim' still being legal unless I get pregnant. I know I should have, but I never had a chance, no… I never had the courage to tell him. I know how sensitive he is about not being able to give me a child. Now to have that as a condition of getting rid of Appolus, I'm worried about what it might do to him.
Don entered the bedroom as Judy was writing in her journal. A pall surrounded them as he wheeled himself up to the bed. He placed his elbows on the armrests and clasped his hands together. "So… When were you going to tell me?"
She knew exactly what he was talking about and didn't bother trying to defend herself. "I know, Don. I should have told you when I found out."
"Why didn't you?"
She sighed "I don't know. I guess I was scared about how you would take it."
He paused a moment before asking, "What did you think I would do?"
"I thought… that you might get depressed again. I didn't want to see that happen to you."
His eyes traveled up to the ceiling and back down into his lap. "Fair enough. I've been there before, and, to be honest with you, I don't want to go there again."
She needed him near her. "Don?"
"Yeah?"
"Lie down with me. Please?"
He eased himself into the bed and she laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her back. "Marcus doesn't think I have much of a chance to recover my ability to… to have children."
"I know. Mom told me that he doesn't think it will work with nerve regeneration. So we just won't go back to Marvenius."
"I have to, Judy. I'm training the men to fight. I have to be with them when they actually go into their operations."
She sat up. "Why? Scotty can be with them. He was in the military too, you know. You don't have to do everything yourself."
"We'll both be there. They're going to need all the experience they can get."
"Don… let's not talk about this now. We'll do whatever we have to do. Like Dad said, 'We'll survive' together."
She leaned down and pressed her lips to his. She started gently at first and increased her pressure as she felt her hunger grow. He pushed her shirt off her shoulders and kissed the soft white flesh beneath his fingers. He turned her onto her back and, after undressing, he lay on his side and nestled next to her. His hands roamed over her body, stroking, caressing, loving, and she moaned quietly with each stroke uneil she gave one final cry of pleasure. He wished he could do so much more.
They lay face to face, their arms around each other's waist until they fell into a restless sleep.
The shadows crept forward, casting a wavering darkness around them. She gripped his hand to her breast, holding on as if her life depended on it. He warily scanned their surroundings, his danger sense tingling at every turn. There, no, there… He knew he was coming. It was only a matter of time. There he was… Appolus appeared to their right, to their left, behind them. They were surrounded by the blond nemesis. The figure in front of them announced, "I have not renounced my claim on you, my Judy. You are the perfect 'vessel' for me, and I will not give up what is mine. Three other forms dragged Don out of his chair and hung him from his wrists. "Watch carefully, Major. Watch and see what you will never have. A man cannot be whole without planting his seed in his vessel. My dear Judy, you will perform your duty to me. Whether you are willing does not concern me…" Appolus approached her and she backed away, screaming "No! No! Please, God, don't let him do this to me…" He uselessly tugged at his wrist restraints and shouted, "Stop! Leave her alone… Judy!"
Arms were holding him near, gently shaking him awake and calling his name.
"Don, wake up!"
His eyes flew open and he saw her face, concerned, yet safely with him. He shook the darkness from his mind and enveloped her in his arms. "He, he was going to rape you, Judy. You were screaming and I couldn't do anything to stop it."
"It was just a dream."
He held her by the arms and corrected her. "No, it was more than that. He's not giving up. He's going to have you one way or another."
"Not if I stay away from him. We're safe here. He won't find us."
He didn't share her belief that Appolus wouldn't leave Marvenius to look for her. There weren't many planets in this part of the galaxy that would support human life. Appolus was not a stupid man. He would figure out where they were and come for her. 'It's only a matter of time.'
Sleep was impossible for both of them, so they strolled outside to take in the crisp night air. He prepared hot tea for them both as Judy threw on a robe and sauntered after him. As they descended the ramp, they noticed another figure sitting nearby, staring at the two moons of Carmellia. Judy softly called his name to alert him to their presence.
"Ronon? It's Judy and Don."
He turned, surprised to see them both outside at such a late hour. "You could not sleep either?"
Don handed him his tea and commented. "Falling asleep isn't the problem. Staying asleep is."
"What is this?"
"Chamomile tea. It's supposed to soothe and relax you so you can sleep."
"Thank you, but this is yours."
"It's okay. I'll share Judy's."
"So, would you like to talk about what's keeping you up, Ronon?" Judy asked.
"I am not sure I'm ready to share, Judy. What about you?"
"Don's nightmare. He dreamt that Appolus was still coming after me."
Ronon's face was overcome with concern. "He may be correct. Appolus is a powerful Tier 1 male. If he should choose to find you, he will."
Don stared at Judy with his best 'I told you so' facial expression. She squirmed under his gaze and stated, "Well, I guess we'll just have to be ready for him then."
"If it's any consolation, we pledged that we would protect you both."
"Who did?"
"Your father, Scotter, Marcus, Kairon and I. We will do anything in our power to keep you both safe."
"Thank you, Ronon. We will do the same in return."
"Speaking of taking care of each other," Don ventured, "What is keeping you up?"
"It is nothing."
"Is it Kairon?"
Ronon met Don's eyes in shame. "How did you know?"
"It's pretty obvious by the way you look at him. You remind me of me when I look at Judy."
"It is not proper for a male to feel that way about another man. I do not know what is wrong with me, but I have never wanted a 'vessel'. I have known that I have deeper feelings for men than women for a long time. If the government of Marvenius were to discover that I harbor such, 'abnormal' sensations, I would be exterminated."
"There is nothing wrong with you, Ronon. You're just gay."
"Gay? I would not describe myself as a 'happy' person."
Don chuckled, "No, not that kind of 'gay'. It means that you are a homosexual and are attracted to the same sex, rather than the opposite sex."
"There's nothing wrong with that, Ronon. It's just how your biology works," Judy added.
"But there is something wrong when the object of your desire does not return your affections," Ronon lamented.
Judy sipped at her tea and passed the cup to Don. "You're right, it feels awful. I know what it's like to love someone and they don't respond."
Don was surprised by her pronouncement. "When did I ever do that?" he defended.
"Remember our second year in space when you just started taking me for granted?" she asked.
"It wasn't any worse than the two years before we lifted off when all you were interested in was impressing your girlfriends with the 'older' guy and the great car."
"Don!" Judy admonished him, "This isn't about us, it's about Ronon and Kairon." She turned her attention back to Ronon. "Have you told Kairon how you feel about him?"
"No, I do not sense that it would be welcomed."
"I think that he's probably straight, I mean heterosexual, but you won't know until you ask," Don suggested.
"He might love you as a friend, even if he doesn't share your desire for physical closeness," Judy added.
"I am not willing to take the risk of losing that friendship, Judy. Not being able to share more than friendship with him is a pain that I must learn to live with for the rest of my life," Ronon admitted.
"Ronon, take it from me. We can learn to live with a lot of pain. You take each moment as it comes, and do your best to put it in the back of your mind. It's always there, but it doesn't have to dominate your thoughts," Don advised.
"And don't give up hope that you may find someone someday who shares your orientation. There are other gay men in the universe. You just need time to find them," Judy offered.
"Thank you both. The tea has helped, so I will leave you." He nodded and left them to savor their time alone.