A/N No sorrow, no despair, no torture; just anxiety.

Rock gathering, something so common in the time loops that Smith had lived in and something that the young boy fell back on for something to do. Something that did prove to be a life saver in having attention off the fact that they were hopelessly lost.

Smith's feet were tired, his attention waning. They had spent roughly three hours exploring after breakfast and he needed a break. The boy was going to repeat what he had said for the last three hundred years-a record player playing so smoothly.

"Stop!" Smith called as he lowered the buckets down to his side and knelt down along the boulder. "Stop, I tell you!"

Will turned in the direction of the older man.

"Your father's vicious desire for revenge has broken me!" Smith exclaimed. "Doctor Zachary Smith has been brought to his knees!"

"It's not revenge, Doctor Smith." Will started. "It's just that we gotta get rock samples from all over and find a vein of radioactive ore."

"What about the Robot?" Smith asked. "He can carry on this without trouble."

"He's got to be free to use his sensors to detect signs of radioactive activity."

Will stared at Smith as the older man finished the last part.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because that's what you said last time, yes, it is, you said that half a hour ago."

"No, you interrupted me."

"Let's agree to disagree, shall we, dear boy?" Smith asked with a smile. "This is all painfully ridiculous working for a machine."

"Not in the slightest, Doctor Smith?"

Smith scowled as Debbie blooped behind them, loudly. Smith watched as the monkey put the large rock into his bucket then proceeded to bloop away.

"THAT is the FINAL indignity!" Smith announced, irritated then got up to his feet. "This is it! The line has been drawn!"

Smith dusted his hands off with a moment of contempt fury.

"Doctor Zachary Smith will not hunt for rocks for machines, take rocks for animals, or go with any further hostility for a eternity!" Smith dusted his hands off. "Done! Over it!"

Smith stormed off with his hands in fists.

"Doctor Smith!" Will called. "Doctor Smith! Come back here right now! DOCTOR SMITH!"

"No!" Smith baaed back in return.

Smith rounded about a corner as Debbie tailed after him blooping away. He was tired, he was irritated, and he was so very annoyed having to go about this chain of events that meant certain repetition. If only, if only, if only there was some freedom afforded to him. New words to say, the Robinsons company was enough to comfort him even the thorny beginnings that Smith didn't look forward to at the beginning of each loop.

The memory of learning that the Jupiter 2 faced death because of his absence was memorable, if he left now then there was a chance they would die because he wasn't there and never see them again, older or elderly, with him being the sole survivor. Too big of a chance for his liking. A matter that he didn't take up with Robot to do a biased less math equation.

So many opportunities that could be taken. So many of them that brushed across his peripheral vision, but the thought that they could die was enough to self sabotage the instance. After three hundred years? Smith decided to take a chance. A big chance for freedom. He wanted out, he wanted out, no matter the cost was to him-this time loop trap showed up. He couldn't avoid it. It was part of his overall destiny.

"Doctor Smith, Will, look what I found!" Penny's voice drew him to a pause as he recalled with great detail of what her find lead to. Earth. Hatfield Four Corners. Not fighting for survival. "I found a nest with a egg!"

Smith made a dive toward the area where the young girl was.

"Penny?" Smith parted the tree branches. "Where?"

Penny pointed on ahead of her.

"Well. . ." Smith observed the familiar generator. "Whatever laid that egg found a unique nesting place."

"Hey, this is one of the machines that one of the Taurons left after they came." Penny observed then shifted toward him. "We better get away from here, you know what-"

"Dad said about them being dangerous. Touch them or even get near them." Smith finished for the young girl resting his hand on the side of her shoulder. She looked at him, baffled, then back toward the machine. "A wise precaution, my dear."

Smith patted on her shoulder.

"But surely there is no harm in collecting. . . one . . . little. . . large egg. Can't fetch it myself, it's been quite exhausting."

Debbie climbed up the ladder to the generator.

"If it's perfectly safe."

"It is perfectly safe, my dear Penelope." Was the assurance.

Penny proceeded to climb up the ladder then retrieved the large egg. She lowered it down to his level then he carefully deposited the egg into his knapsack and buckled it in. Penny sighed, relieved, that nothing had gone wrong in retrieving the egg. Smith scowled, looking up toward the blooping monkey, then back toward the young girl.

"Your monkey is on the top."

"Debbie get down from there!"

"No, wait," Smith said. "I'll get her." He dismissed the young girl. "Bring this to your mother;" he handed the knapsack to Penny. "Very carefully."

"I will."

"We may have a fine feast tonight." Smith said. "Ah, the delicious meal!"

"Just make sure to catch her." Penny requested.

"The monkey will be right on her merry way," Smith grinned in response to the young girl's request. "and I will be taking a well deserved nap, somewhere!"

Penny looked toward the monkey.

"You know what dad said about this!" She shot back at the monkey then shifted toward him shaking her head. "Stupid Debbie."

"Very stupid." Smith agreed.

Penny walked on carefully with the egg in tow leaving Smith behind to the chimp. Smith climbed up the ladder then extracted the monkey that loudly blooped and squirmed in his grip, flailing her arms and legs kicking and punching Smith at the face, so he fell back to the ground. Electricity cackled from the machine, loudly, alarmingly, as his grip went slack on the monkey dropping Debbie to the ground. Smith screamed then turned away and proceeded to run away from the machine.

Debbie blooped away from the maser beam as Smith ran after the monkey; but, not fast enough to join her. Smith crashed against the barrier then looked around as it glowed a perfect golden hue. He turned back toward the machine watching what appeared to be its destruction in horror. He hadn't expected this to occur. Flames brewed from the frame, electricity cackled, and smoke brewed off. He turned away then proceeded to scream smacking his fists against the wall.

"Heeelp! Heeelp! haaaaaaaalp! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP ME!"

His environment changed in the matter of a instant. Smith was freely floating in the dark on a disk somewhere in the fog. There was still a wall that separated him from the outside world and it was hard to see what was going on, his voice unheard, then he stumbled back landing to the ground. He smacked the wall a few more times, calling for the children.

"Penelope! William!"

His calls went unheard.

"Penelope! William!"

He shrieked, once more.

"Heeeeeeeeeelp!"

It was frightening, gazing around, searching for any sign of figures, light, environment, rocks, green, sky-there was nothing. After a long while of testing the walls and screaming, he came to the center of the silver disk then knelt down to his knees. Smith screamed, on and on, at his sheer hubris. He was otherwise stuck in this existence for a long while.

Smith collapsed on to his back once the screaming of rage had ended and his chest felt lighter. His face felt wet, his eyes sore and aching, his head felt red at his mistake. All those feelings that had gathered inside of him in the last three hundred years had came out for the way that he had set down into his miserable eternity which felt more like purgatory and/or Hell. Smith was relaxed where he was in the mist. He was safe, away from danger, too safe.

What about the Robinsons? Were they any safe? Were they okay? Of course, they are. They were going to be safe for the next two days living what he were aware of was going to be fine and mundane compared to his problem. In the next two weeks, the keeper would appear and try to attract two members of the Robinsons and add them to his exhibition. John and Maureen would be the first to leave for their children leaving Don and Judy behind to man the Jupiter 2 taking care of the younger members.

What about me? Smith wondered. What is going to happen to me? He stared at the darkness that stared back at him as he blinked at it considering about himself. The darkness had nothing to answer about that. He had nothing to think about, just himself. No one else. No schedule. But, he was fine. Just doing okay. What about the children? How is it all going to spell out for the children? The major is going to get himself killed by accident and Judy is going to have to grow up quickly and Robot will-is it all going to be okay? Are they going to leave Priplanus whole?

The anxiety hung in the air with the uneasiness with his lack of involvement in the future of the Robinsons; it would have been easier to live with if it had already happened. If he got to enjoy this experience as thoroughly featuring the dread that hung over his head then this would be far better to stomach. It wasn't close to being able to stomach. Not knowing was worse than being in this Time Loop Trap. Paralyzed by fear this anxiety had clutched his mind like a alien bird's talons grabbing hold on to his head then flew off with it.

Smith was sweating, unable to rest, feeling tense, and his heart beating rapidly. Was he going to be rescued before these events happened? Was it all going to be okay from then on if one of the pairs were missing? Smith didn't know the answer to that and he despised it. He couldn't stop it from happening by being himself, he couldn't make the Robinsons - with his decision - revolt leaving the children at all. Miserable children was worse than being trapped on a planet. The silence provided some dampness to the concept of not being bothered by survival.

Was it all going smoothly out there? Were they still the same people that he had left, unexpectedly? He was tired and his feet were sore. His head was aching, his eyes aching, and lethargy seemed a fine companion. Smith was afraid of what he would find when he was extracted from the machine. Smith closed his eyes and rested, how long? Smith wasn't sure but it was the best sleep that he had in a very long time. Comforting, kind, colorful, and pleasing to the touch.

Smith was disturbed out of his rest by the sounds of laser pistol fire, the sound of wind, the temperature changing, and it was difficult to wake up even among the sound of electricity, smoke, and what sounded to be running. Smith fell further into rest and the colors had faded from his dreams replaced by strange monsters, odd individuals, horror, until there was nothingness but the calm cool darkness. It was like that for a long while that couldn't be determined at best. I shouldn't have slept.

Finally, he found strength to open his eyes and he was greeted by the familiar sight of his cabin with the lights staring down upon him. There was something in his nose-what was it? He looked over to his side observing Maureen entering the cabin with a long tube in her hands then closing the door behind her. She turned toward the older man, smiled, Smith didn't relax-she was there, but were the others?

"Doctor Smith, can you speak?"

"Clearly so." Smith started. "It was all so lonely back there."

Maureen had a short lived laugh upon the reply from the older man, happy.

"That's a good sign," she sat down beside him. "Means you can eat solid food."

"How long was I in there?"

"Well. . ."

"Madame."

"Quite a long time. John and I wrote you off as being taken away."

"That long?"

"That long."

"Oh dear. . ." Smith grimaced. "Oh, the pain. The pain."

"You have some visitors." Maureen stood up to her feet as Smith shifted his attention. "Waiting outside."

"Madame, I may appear well but my ego is wounded!" Smith persisted, embarrassed as he took her by the wrist. "Spare me the indignity! Please, sppppaaare me."

"Doctor Smith, nobody has dignity in space." Maureen said as she withdrew his hand from her wrist. "This is really important to Penny."

Smith's hand landed to his side then Maureen exited the cabin. Smith was terrified, Maureen was in blue, green, and yellow variation of her second year uniform and looked a few years older than how he had last seen her. Things were wrong. It was as if he were trapped inside of the maser beam for years. He winced, waiting for the worst to reveal how long, scared, frightened, of what scars they could have so physically and how little of the children remained because he hadn't let Penny get trapped.

Smith propped himself up with his arms pressing his back against the edge of the bed and looked on toward the doorway. The door opened then in came Penny, the first of the group, in a first year uniform that Judy wore - blue dress, green shirt, and yellow collar - that meant she had to be eighteen as her grown up features said. In came Will and Judy after her, same color coordination, older, time had worn upon them kindly as Penny came to his side and hugged him first.

"I'm so happy that you were alive after all these years!"

"I always knew you weren't dead, Doctor Smith." Will said, smugly.

"Don always assumed that you annoyed someone to the point they killed you." Judy said.

"If you're gonna ask, your 'thorn' is currently babysitting Katie helping her learn to walk outside of the ship with mom outside." Will said.

"Katie?"

"Our second child." Judy explained. "Joshua is out with dad and Robot."

"Second child?" Smith's brows rose.

"He's eight years old, turning nine tomorrow." Penny said, thrilled.

"NINE?" Smith exclaimed.

"Uh huh." Will nodded as he smirked, leaning against the frame, arms folded.

"And we're still on Priplanus?" Smith asked.

"No," Judy shook her head. "we got off there a few months after you went missing."

"Oh, the woe." Smith whined as he rubbed his forehead then sighed and shifted toward them. "How did you all ever find me?"

"That was easy," Judy proceeded to laugh as her shoulders shook as Penny and Will exchanged a glance with the other. "Too easy."

"Will, explain." Penny requested.

"There was a space trader who claimed to have a machine with a human being in it and was trying to sell it for a lotta dough, had a hunch, so we devalued it by going crazy with the console until you appeared, the space trader and his customers weren't happy so they fired at Don, dad, Robot, and me until we got back to the Jupiter 2 then we went back out into space."

"Will, it's Don, dad, Robot and I." Penny corrected. "Your grammar is horrible."

"And you love it." Will stuck his tongue out.

"No, I don't!" Penny held her tongue out as well.

"Nothing has fundamentally changed!" Smith complained, throwing his hands up into the air. "I am surrounded by children still as lost in space as I were before."

"He does make a point." Judy said as she smiled surveying the children. "We're all still here."

"That's a major accomplishment." Will agreed with a nod. "Really major compared to finding the space trader."

"Does anyone have a mirror?" Smith asked, curious. "I like to see if age has touched upon my well carved face or has not."

"We have one out back." Penny said.

"No, wait, Robot took it for some reason." Will rubbed the back of his head as he considered the subject at great length. "I think it was to make a SOS signal from afar should anything go wrong and we're using the radio telescope."

"I don't care what kind of mirror is available, just that it is found." Smith said. "Please."

"Before I forget, you've been out for eleven years." Will said.

Smith's jaw fell as his eyebrows rose, gasping, shocked.

"Really long years." Judy agreed with a nod. "Will, could you help me in the supply closet find the right mirror?"

"Sure."

WIil and Judy exited the cabin leaving Penny behind. Debbie the Bloop unexpectedly hopped in then crashed onto Smith's chest with a "Bloop!" and a cry from the older man. Smith lifted his chin up as his brows lowered. Penny withdrew Debbie into her arms.

"Eleven years." Smith said. "My dear. . ."

"I wished it were me." Penny said. "I wished it every day."

"Don't wish that upon yourself." Smith protested as he shook his head. "Never wish that."

"You wouldn't be there for so long if I hadn't gotten Debbie myself." Penny argued back against Smith.

Guilt. All those years. The only thing that had harmed the young woman (which dawned on him as his features fell) was guilt.

"You would have been rescued faster, my dear Penelope." Smith looked toward her, sincerely. It was assurance, a promise, a word that meant more to Smith as a fact. "Not eleven years."

"Did you like it?" Penny asked.

Smith grimaced as he recalled the lengthy loneliness.

"No." Smith declined. "I was too concerned about you two children."

"Debbie-"

"Bloop bloop bloop,"

"Go eat some tree bark, it's under my bed."

"Bloop!" Debbie blooped away then Penny turned toward Smith apologetically.

"Sorry." Penny apologized in a breath. "I . . . I should have been kind and insisted, eleven years ago, instead of letting you do it." she clasped her hands into her lap. "Your suffering was unnecessary."

Was it really suffering? It was inconvenience in his mind, but never was suffering in total. In the young Robinson woman's mind, it was. She was so kind and concerned and saw hurt in whatever form was still hurt. His features didn't change as he stared at her for a short moment before speaking.

"Penelope, help me out of this contraption."

"Mom said that you still needed it."

"That was yesterday, today is different as you can see."

"But I will have to do it carefully."

"I shall be still."

Penny extracted the feeding tube from his nose, carefully, with precision until it were all out and the old one was discarded into a small bag beside her that was a collection of old equipment used to ensure that the man was alive and well. Smith embraced Penny into a hug, gently cradling her, surprising the young woman then she returned the hug. It's okay, the hug conveyed his feelings, I'm here, everything is alright. Even as Penny was tearful.

"I missed you."

Sincere yet so innocent.

"My next vacation from survival shall be Earth."

Penny stared at the wall behind him as Smith kept the hug going.

"How are you going to get to Earth without star charts?"

A simple question so easily answered.

"I have my sheer determination to answer that, dear girl." Smith patted on her back with a smile. "Got me this last vacation."

They were fine, they were going to be okay if he let history play out then arrive before Will and Robot returned to the machine eleven years ago the day after fetching Penny and Debbie the Bloop before John and Don could destroy it. His heart felt light, his mind at peace, ease traveling through him. I can take as many vacations as I like AFTER getting the Robinsons lost.

Penny laughed in response to his reply as Judy and Will returned with various kind of mirrors in their arms standing in the doorway as Smith laughed, too.