Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN RED DWARF!

Well this chapter is up... As you can see, not sure about this bedtime story thing that will be the next chapter, but I guess it's kind of for all you people who don't understand the plot very well, rather than for Demi's benefit. (Apologies for bad title) Oh, and if anyone is also a bit too simple minded to understand why Demi is called Demi, it will be explained in a few chapters...

10 Years Later...

The 3 figures made their way over the harsh and cold landscape, the wind and blizzard whipping their faces with every step they took.

"Over here!" Rimmer called as he pointed to a small red box buried in a couple of inches of snow.

"I see it!" Yelled Cat as he lifted it out and stuffed it into a rucksack.

"That's it! I think we've got everything we need!" Rimmer replied as he checked a small computerised list.

"Come on! Let us get back to the ship before we freeze!" Brina added shivering

They stumbled back across the way they came, following their senses and fading snowy footprints towards their battered old craft.

After what seemed like an age they reached the top of the stairs and walked into the airlock.

"I wish I could believe this idea would work." Rimmer sighed as he banged the access panel with his fist to get the door to close.

"Don't worry bud." An aged Cat replied as he took down his hood. His hair was pulled back into a straggly, greying pony tail and his eyes looked worn out and tired.

Cat fingered the pale white scar on his cheek and smiled weakly as Brina took down her hood and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Yuck!" Said a young looking girl with milky brown skin and dark hair who was sat on a crate.

"You got that right Demi!" Rimmer smiled softly. "Anyway we better see if we can get this underway before we freeze to death." He added, ruffling Demi's hair and picking out the red box from the bag – it had "Holly's Hop Drive" written on the side.

"Just because you can't get any bud!" Cat replied, his eyes twinkling as he looked over some of the equipment they had been searching for the past 10 years.

"I cannot believe this planet used to be your main ship." Brina said as she stepped into the cockpit and looked out the front window.

"Me neither daddy!" Demi replied excitedly.

"Yeah well somehow it is. You go help your mother with those repairs from the last stimulant attack. Me and Uncle Arnold have some stuff to discuss." Cat smiled as Demi nodded and followed Brina into the cockpit.

Rimmer banged the door to make it shut and sat next to Cat on one of the crates.

"You sure you want to do this?" He asked as Cat sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing the scar on his cheek again.

"I think so yeah." Cat picked up the Holly's Hop Drive and turned it over in his hands.

"I'd understand if you didn't – It's been 10 years Cat, we've made new lives for ourselves – We've evolved!"

"Into what? Space scavengers on the run from simulants and monsters all over the galaxy?"

"Well what were we before? It's not really the situation that's changed – It's us, and you know it!"

"What do you know? You're dead!"

"Yeah well I've saved you're skin on more than one occasion – I wouldn't have done that before the… incident… We both know that." Rimmer sighed and sat next to the person he regarded as his best… well only friend really unless you counted Brina and Demi.

"And maybe the Slip Stream Drive will work – We could be completely unaffected."

"Yes but what about the problems that can happen with us coexisting in the same time line as a different historical paradox?" Rimmer asked as he folded his arms.

Cat cocked his head and thought for a moment. "You know what bud?"

"What?"

"I think I liked it better when I didn't have a clue what that would mean!" Cat replied with a smile.

Rimmer rolled his eyes and stood up. "If we're gonna do this we better do it soon – You and Brina get everything set up while I put Demi to bed."

"Yes Mr Rimmer sir!" Cat replied with a salute as he too stood up.

Rimmer smiled. "Shut up or I'll feed you to the space weevils."

Cat laughed and went over to the cockpit to call Demi. "Being fed to the space weevils is no big deal Bud! – You've just volunteered to try and make up a new bedtime story for Demi – Now THERE'S punishment!"

"Uncle Arnold?" Demi asked as she got into her bunk bed and moved over for Rimmer to sit next to her.

"Hmmm?"

"Am I too old for bed time stories?" She asked as she bit one of her nails – a habit she had had for years.

"Do you think you are?" Rimmer asked absently as he began to rack his brains for a story he could tell her.

"I am 9." She replied matter of factly.

"Yes you are… Do you want a bed time story?"

"I want to know what you, Daddy and Mummy are doing, and tell me about these other guys – Would I like them? Would they tell me bed time stories?" Rimmer blinked at Demi's barrage of questions, and tried to think of a suitable reply.

"Let me tell you a story ok?" Rimmer took a deep breath and sighed with relief as Demi nodded.

Rimmer cleared his throat, getting ready to disguise Cinderella as another story again. Then he paused for a moment. Maybe he should tell her the story in disguise – It would do no harm, and give him new material…