Welcome Home

A Lost in Space Fanfiction

"Really Scabs. I am perfectly capable of walking half a klick through a fortified camp on my own," Scarecrow said.

Robot Robinson tightened his shoulder plating and didn't even bother to hide the orange sparks of annoyance that danced across his face at the nickname. For the moment he could only be grateful that no humans had picked up on it yet. However there was a sort of wry affection laced through the comment that took the burn out of the insult.

"If you insist on stalking around a human camp in that form," Robot Robinson reminded him. "I think it's best if the humans see something a little more comforting with you. We don't want another panic."

"You constantly underestimate the humans Scabs," Scarecrow said, giving a dismissive wave with his lower arm.

Robot Robinson could have pointed out all the flaws in that statement. His head still ached when the wind blew cold. Instead he simply set his face swirling with the warm anticipation he felt. Once he dropped Scarecrow off at Ben Adler's he could head home himself. The three days they had spent scouting had been well spent and productive. The camp had been safe when they returned despite their mutual uneasiness on leaving it unguarded. Still, he wouldn't be quite easy until he was back in the Jupiter's hub with his family around him.

"Hey! Scarecrow!" a happy voice called out.

Both pilots paused and turned to face the excited voice as a small human girl dropped the handle of the water barrel she was rolling along and bolted towards them. Scarecrow immediately stepped forward and held out his arms. Samantha gave a leap and wrapped herself around his abdomen. Scarecrow hummed in delight and nuzzled the crown of her head as all four of his arms encircled the tiny frame.

"See?" he demanded smugly. "No panic here."

"Family's different," Robot Robinson protested.

It was hard to hold on to anything remotely resembling an antagonistic emotion however when basking in the glow of the love the girl child radiated. She pulled her face away from Scarecrow and smiled brilliantly up at Robot Robinson. The double layer of stripped lights of her face glowed brightly in the fading evening air and the vigorous pulsing of her circulatory system kept them in motion, a strange and nearly unreadable cacophony of life and emotion.

"Did you have a good mission?" Samantha asked.

Robot Robinson pulsed his face in an affirmative.

"A very good mission," Scarecrow answered in human. "We missed you but."

"You missed me though," Samantha corrected him with a giggle.

"I bring you this," Scarecrow went on, freeing one of his lesser arms and reaching under a dorsal plate to produce a gleaming blue-green scale from one of the creatures that roamed the planet.

Robot could see the correction on Samantha's lips but it broke off in a gasp as she accepted the gift.

"Oh, Scarecrow!" She said.

She ducked forward to give him another hug. Then her eyes unfocused as she remembered something. She pressed it back into his hand.

"But you have to carry it back to the hab for me," she said, scrambling down from his lap. "I have to get the water back to Mom and I don't want to crush it."

Scarecrow glanced at the water barrel and took three quick steps towards it. He reached down to lift the handle himself but Samantha snatched it away from him with cry of indignation. She shoved her bangs out of her face and glared up at him.

"This is my job!" She insisted. "And I can do it just fine."

Robot Robinson could see the affection and exasperation chasing around Scarecrow's face as he examined the child. Finally however he gave a pulse of agreement and tilted his head towards the hab. Samantha gave the water barrel a push and began chatting about the school play she was participating in.

"Even you can't argue that you'll make a better comforting escort than she will," Scarecrow said in parting. "Go home Scabs. You know your warrior won't sleep until you've reported."

Robot Robinson agreed, but he lingered until he saw them turn up the pathway to the hab. Molly was standing on the ramp of the Jupiter casting worried eyes around for her daughter. Her face lit with recognition and relief when she spotted the returning pilot beside the child.

"Nurse Molly," Scarecrow called out in greeting.

Robot Robinson turned away and headed back to the Robinson's Jupiter. The day had ended in earnest by the time he came within sight of the J2. The black scoring on the hull stood out in sharp contrast to the warm red thermal energy the J2 was radiating. Robot Robinson felt his face flicker to match it as he thought of how close that ship had so frequently come to failing. However he pushed aside the disturbing thoughts. As Scarecrow had predicted 'his warrior' was waiting at the bottom of the lowered ramp of the J2.

John Robinson was whittling away at some printed device with his pocketknife. Robot suddenly felt a surge of familiarity. This was rather like the first time he had seen the patriarch of the Robinson family. Only then it had been ice that same knife had been chipping away at. Judy's life on the line, Will frantic with fear at his side. John glanced up and his expression lit with a smile. His face was smooth and readable at the moment. He had clearly shaved recently. Robot Robinson was still a ways off, this bipedal form restricted his speed, and John had time to slip both knife and item into his pocket and stand to greet him. The human opened his mouth to voice some greeting but hesitated, a cautious and calculating look in his eyes as he stroked his smooth chin. Robot Robinson idly wished that humans were a bit more readable. It was difficult to tell what was going on behind all the organic matter that shielded their lights. He was however, able to see when John came to a decision and reached his broad thumb up to his face.

Robot Robinson was only a pace away and stopped to watch in fascination as John dragged the pad of his thumb over his upper lip in a gesture Robot Robinson hadn't seen a human use before. It was fairly close to the gesture they made to stop itching on their nose but slightly lower. It did leave a broad swath of light where the contact excited the flesh beneath the thumb and John was continuing the gesture. He dragged his thumb down around his jaw, then recrossed his upper lip. He then drew the line, up, over his eyes, and back down, ending with a final drag over his lip. He briskly rubbed his hands together then held them, palms out, fingers slightly curled as if he was holding an apple in each hand. His feet were spread in a wide stance and he had a slightly uncertain smile on his face.

"Welcome home?"

Robot Robinson knew his own face had reacted with the proper answer. He could feel the double coil of acknowledgment form in response. But for a moment something so wonderful tightened in his core that it paralyzed him. For a moment. Then he darted forward and swept John up in a hug. He couldn't think about forming human words at the moment. He figured John would understand.

"I guess I got it right then," John said with a laugh as he returned the hug.

Robot Robinson pulled back just enough to flash a yes at him through the dancing double rings of his response.

"Come on in Big Guy," John said, shifting out of the hug. "I put Will to bed an hour ago but there's no way he went to sleep before you showed up."

Robot Robinson nodded and gave John's shoulder a thankful squeeze.

"How?" he asked as they walked up the ramp together.

"The words were all Penny," John said, his voice near bursting with pride. "She figured out the context and all that. Judy helped her with how to get the human body to mimic what you do as closely as possible. They've been practicing several new words."

Robot Robinson nodded his understanding. He would have to thank them. But for the moment his core was already leaping in tune to the double beat temp of Will's heart beat and he walked ahead to greet his friend.