Just to go on record, (again) Victor's character arc throughout the series was my favorite. That speech about forgiveness that he gives to John?! So good. Season One Victor feels like a completely different character than Season Three Victor.

However, I think I liked Vijay the best in Season One. He was a bit less awkward. (And his death poem was fantastic, lol).

It's interesting to write Prisha; she has five lines in the entire show (all of which are in the first season), and one of those lines is simply, "Victor." However, it's also kinda fun to write someone who's so quiet, because then I get to make things up. Hehehe.

Anyway, enjoy this section. (And my completely made up Epilogue, which does contain Pennjay and a tiny tiny hint of Don x Judy).

The last crowbar line is also a joke, because seriously, these people hit each other with crowbars a lot throughout the series. If you ever go to space, watch out.

Thank you all!

Part I ~ Prisha ~ The Sacrifice Play

"I think I've been preparing for this all year...in a way." Prisha hovered in the doorway of Vijay's room. "At least it's us dying, and not him." Her voice broke on the last word and the sobs slipped out against her will. She'd been trying to hold it together, frantically destroying evidence along with everyone else. But stepping into their Jupiter- well, their replacement Jupiter- was still too hard.

"It's okay, love," said Victor, standing close behind her. She was thankful he had detached himself from the others for a bit. She needed a moment with him to process what was really happening.

They were preparing to die.

"We're doing the right thing," he said, wrapping her in a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder, still weeping. All year she'd been slowly losing hope. And now there was nothing left but resignation. She would never see her son again. He would grow up on Alpha Centauri, always wondering what had happened to his parents, wondering why they had never made it.

Prisha took a gasping breath, trying to compose herself. Against her head, Victor's heartbeat was so steady. It broke her heart to think that in a few hours he would also be gone- that each of those beats was numbered.

As were her own, of course.

"Do you...do you remember the day we found out that...that I was expecting?" Prisha tried not to choke over her words. Just mentioning the memory brought back a hundred happy emotions.

"Yes," Victor said simply. He swallowed and reached for one of Vijay's song notebooks, blinking back tears.

"I thought that we would have more time with him. That we would see him graduate, and marry, and have children of his own." Prisha closed her eyes. "But I'm still grateful for every day. From that...that first moment." Her voice trembled again and she pressed a fist to her mouth.

Victor stopped looking for Alpha Centauri references and reached for her once more. Prisha loved being a mother, and would've gladly had more children. However, despite the fact that she and Victor were two perfectly healthy adults, some things just hadn't worked out. They had been fortunate to have Vijay, and in the end, he had been all they had needed.

"He'll be okay, Prisha," Victor whispered. His voice shook too. "He'll have a good life because of what we're doing today."

Prisha tried to believe her husband's words. She wanted that feeling of hope. But the only thing she could grasp onto was grief.

Despite Victor's composure, Prisha knew he was struggling too. He leaned closer to kiss her and she could sense the desperation in his touch. The grief and frustration and love and passion all boiled together as they tightened their embrace, trying not to dwell on the fact that it was probably their last moment alone.

A few teary-eyed kisses later, there were footsteps in the hallway outside, and Prisha pulled away, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

Everyone else was also suffering inside- she was going to have to push through the pain. There was still work to be done. Personal items to be checked, evidence to be erased...

Hopes to be erased, she thought, finding a standard Alpha Centauri brochure tucked within one of Vijay's poetry books. She dropped the paper into her trash bag.

"I need to get a report on the other Jupiters," Victor said after a few minutes of quiet sniffling. "Meet me in the Robinsons' Jupiter after everything's been sorted. We'll... we'll meet the robots alongside them."

Prisha was fine with that. She always felt braver with Maureen and John around. They were good people to die with.

"I love you, Victor," she said as he turned toward the door. "And even if Vijay never knows what happened to us, he knows that we loved him."

Prisha's husband nodded, frozen midstep. Then he turned quickly and kissed her once more.

"I love you too. See you soon."

"See you soon." They had one last date on the horizon. Sure, it was also a date with a robot army, but Prisha hoped the robots would be quick and efficient in their killings. Death with a minimal level of suffering would be preferred.

But even if it wasn't painless, at least it would all be over soon. For her, for Victor, for the Robinsons, and for every other adult in the twenty-fourth colonist group.

Their memory would live on through their children. And that would have to be enough.

Part II ~ Vijay ~ Jupiter Two

The Robinsons were always the ones who went missing. Vijay supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. But still, he panicked the moment he heard that the Jupiter Two was gone. He couldn't help it. What if he didn't see Penny again for another seven months? What if it was longer than seven months? What if he never saw her...ever?

And just like that, all the joy at finally - FINALLY - reaching Alpha Centauri faded. What was the point of celebrating if they weren't all together?

He glanced at his parents, who looked equally shaken. If anyone deserved to make it to Alpha Centauri, it was the Robinsons. So the question remained: "Where are they?" Vijay asked aloud, his voice cracking. They had to be nearby...they just had to be.

"They're not on any sensors," the analyst confirmed, glancing at the screen in front of her. She turned soberly to Vijay's dad. "The rift is closed, sir. There's nothing we can do."

Vijay gulped down a whimper as his mom rested a hand on his shoulder.

Vijay's father also glanced at him with sympathy. "They have the robot, son. We'll just have to hope that sooner or later they can reopen the rift."

"They were probably being tailed too closely by SAR," said Vijay, trying to make his brain work. Thinking was better than feeling at a time like this. "They didn't want to bring SAR to the colonies."

"That's very likely," said Vijay's father, sounding grim. "If so, we owe them our safety. Again."

His mother pulled Vijay close. "They'll make it. They always do."

Vijay hoped she was right.

~ Thirty hours later ~

Settling in Alpha Centauri was a bit of a mess. Very few people were on their original Jupiter, and everyone was so traumatized and disorganized that hardly anyone knew where they were supposed to be staying in the colony. Vijay's father had worked half the night, trying to help sort out everyone's concerns over addresses and responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Vijay and his mom had traded in their Jupiter (also not their original one) for their house in the twenty-fourth district. It was actually a bit heartbreaking to wander the streets and know that only two-thirds of the original group had made it. Aside from the first few colonist settlements, Vijay's twenty-fourth group was the smallest on all Alpha Centauri.

The Chancellor had visited the Dhars the previous day, introducing herself and promising to help Vijay's father with the Fortuna crew and the many logistical issues their sudden arrival had caused. At some point in the conversation, she had brought up the future - a possible twenty-fifth colony that most likely wouldn't become a reality for decades.

"Here in the colonies, we don't have any way to contact Earth- aside from the Resolute- which is gone. However, we're assuming the Alpha Centauri program on Earth has been halted for the past two years. Especially if anyone there aired something like this," she had said, switching on their computer and pulling up the strangest video Vijay had ever watched. It was titled, 'A Tribute to the Twenty-Fourth Colonist Group,' and the footage had supposedly aired on Alpha Centauri one year after their disappearance.

The Chancellor didn't show them the whole thing, but Vijay watched the full special later, crying a little as the screen displayed picture after picture of each of the colonists. After nearly two years together, he could recognize most all of their faces, if not their names. Sure, many of them were survivors, but anyone watching the tribute when it aired wouldn't have known that. They would have assumed everyone was dead, Vijay's family included. 'Dhar' was near the front of the alphabet and so Vijay didn't have to wait long to see 'Prisha Dhar,' 'Victor Dhar,' and 'Vijay Dhar' appear on the screen. Sad-sounding music played in the background and Vijay had to step away for a moment and compose himself. Obviously his family was still alive.

But so many times they almost hadn't made it...

He eventually got to the R section, and found himself again an emotional mess as 'John Robinson,' 'Judy Robinson,' 'Maureen Robinson,' 'Penny Robinson,' and 'Will Robinson,' filled the screen. Vijay paused the sad music and took a screenshot of Penny, suddenly finding it ridiculous that he didn't have a photo of his best friend. And if she was gone... Perhaps that photo would be all he ever got of her. The girl who had broken his heart. And let him fall in love.

At some point, Vijay had been forced from his room by his mother, who needed help getting everything transferred from the Jupiter to the new house. Since there wasn't much left besides the clothes on their backs, they needed groceries and toiletries and clean outfits. As did every colonist in their group.

Which meant a lot of shopping. And then gratefully showering.

But still. No news of the Robinsons.

Vijay supposed life would have to go on, and come evening, it was actually very nice to be in a safe bedroom, not worrying about the ninety-six other kids in the camp around him.

Alpha Centauri should've felt like a vacation. But as the hours ticked by and Vijay stared at the ceiling of his empty room, undisturbed by everyone's loud snoring, he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so lonely.

Part III ~ Victor ~ The Return of the Robinsons

Victor was exhausted. He barely even knew what day it was. Events in his head transitioned from a morning on the Sunshine Base, to the resignation of death by robot, to a reunion with Vijay, to a sudden arrival on Alpha Centauri and then...a blur of organizational chaos. Somewhere in the disorder, he remembered seeing his new home and collapsing beside Prisha for five or six hours of rest. And then he'd been back to work.

"Sir, we transferred the Fortuna cryotubes to the hospital. When should we begin waking the crew?"

Victor looked up from the list of problems on his tablet. Most of them were housing related and could probably stand to wait a few hours.

"Check with Commander Kelly. If possible, he should be there to greet each of his crew members."

"Yes, sir." The med intern rushed off and Victor turned to his task list once more. This time, the buzzing of his comm interrupted him.

"Dhar speaking," he said, frowning at one housing inquiry. Angela had just requested a communal residence. Maybe being alone on Alpha Centauri for a night had been too much? He would have to pay her a visit and see how she was doing.

He added that to his to-do list.

"Sir, the Jupiter Two has entered orbit. Judy Robinson has requested a surgery room prepared for Will Robinson. The Jupiter will be docking on the emergency landing pad in roughly eighteen minutes."

Victor sank into the nearest chair and set down his tablet. "They made it."

"Yes, sir. We figured you would want to know."

"Thank you. Thank you!" He repeated. He immediately switched the comm channel to Prisha.

She answered quickly. "Victor? Is everything okay?"

"Good news, love. The Robinsons made it! Tell Vijay and meet me at the hospital in twenty minutes. Something happened to Will and he needs surgery, but aside from that, they're here."

Prisha gave a relieved sigh and called for Vijay. Victor could hear his son's excited shout in the background and he smiled, listening.

"See you soon," Prisha said. She hung up and Victor stood from his chair, reaching for his jacket.

The twenty-fourth colonist group would never be without tragedy. However, with the return of the Robinsons, it once more felt complete.

Every little thing was going to be all right.

Epilogue ~ Victor ~ The Blending of Families

~ Three years later ~

It was a lovely day for a picnic. Obviously Penny and Vijay didn't have the power to dictate the weather, but it couldn't have been better even if they had.

"Three years and I still find myself marveling at the blue skies," Victor told John, who was seated beside him at the park table. "I grew up in London, and the air there was almost toxic by the time I graduated university."

John just nodded, then grinned and continued talking about his corn harvest. "Maybe that's why I like farming so much. It's hard work, but each day it feels fresh. And important."

"It is important," said Victor. "Hopefully the twenty-fifth colonist group brings more farmers."

"The Solidarity is almost finished," said Maureen, seated across from John. "The Resolute took over a decade. But now we know what works best, and...our friends have been a big help," she said, glancing over at the 'Kids' table. Will and the robot were in some sort of conversation with Grant Kelly, while Don West and the Robinson girls appeared to be teasing Vijay about something. Victor smiled at Prisha, who was also watching their son laugh. Since he had started in the Arts program at the University of Alpha Centauri two years ago, he wasn't home as often.

Having an empty house made Victor feel old. Prisha said the same, and continually hinted that Vijay should propose soon.

"I'm ready to retire and visit my grandchildren everyday," she'd teased one night when Vijay had been home.

"Mom," Vijay had sighed, "Penny wants kids, but not until after her book is published and successful enough to earn a sequel." Vijay had then, of course, blushed and backtracked a bit. "And just because we talked about it once doesn't mean we're getting married tomorrow or anything. We both want to finish university and get jobs before we talk too seriously about marriage."

Victor had smiled, sure that it was only a matter of time.

Vijay and Penny had been through so much together already. They shared near-death experience stories, as well as a love for music and writing and close-knit family. If they had managed to stay together so far, and were still happy, Victor didn't see many obstacles.

And they were happy. So much so that Victor had asked his son if the picnic idea was actually an excuse to make an engagement announcement. Vijay had said no.

"We just wanted to get everyone together again. When was the last time you had dinner with the Robinsons?"

In truth, it had been months. Victor and Prisha considered John and Maureen some of their closest friends, but everyone had simply been busy, himself included.

"I've been talking with some of the other colony representatives about the idea for an inter-colony sporting competition," Victor told John and Maureen. "An Alpha-Centauri Olympic program if you will. Do you suppose Judy would be interested in representing us 24ths?"

"Are you kidding? She would love that?" Maureen answered, glancing at her eldest daughter, who now appeared to be combing Don West's hair for him while Penny and Vijay laughed. "And she would totally win."

Victor nodded. "Of course. As a government representative, who believes in unbiased equality...our colony is obviously the best."

Maureen and John both laughed. Despite his teasing words, Victor truly was guilty of a bias. But he couldn't help it. Most other colonists had arrived in huge numbers, their time together on the Resolute less than a week. The twenty-fourth group had been though two years of hell together. They'd sacrificed themselves time and again; they'd buried friends and risen to challenges with a bravery none of them had even imagined themselves capable of. Everyone knew each other by name - whenever he saw another 24th, even in the grocery store, Victor couldn't help but exchange a handshake and spend a few minutes catching up. The twenty-fourth colonists were a family. While the other groups had some loyalty, they weren't nearly as close. They hadn't been pushed to the limits or depended on each other for survival.

And in retrospect, Victor wouldn't have changed a thing they'd been though. Everyone was better because of the sufferings, himself included.

"What would be the prize for winning the Alpha Centauri Olympics?" John asked, still grinning at the idea.

"Good question. I suppose I should ask Judy what she would like her prize to be." Victor stood from the picnic table, stretching his legs, and moved over to where Judy and Don were sitting. The two were still playing with each other's hairstyles and Victor wondered vaguely if there was more to their friendship than most would assume. They looked comfortable together...like Penny and Vijay.

"Hi, dad," said Vijay. "Did you decide the kids' table looked like more fun?"

"Your answer should be 'yes,'" said Don. "We are SO much fun."

"So I'm aware," said Victor. He turned to Judy and explained the Olympic representative idea.

Before she had time to respond, Don was already getting excited. "Yes! I can be your coach! And Debbie can be your mascot!"

"If I needed a coach, I would have to be crazy to choose you," Judy retorted, flicking her hair in Don's face as she turned to Victor. "Would I be representing every event, or how is this working?"

"Well, we're still sorting out the details. We talked about one representative per colony, but if we wanted to be truer to Earth Olympic games, we could have more participants..." He trailed off, recognizing that typical Robinson look of thoughtfulness in Judy's expression. "Why don't you talk to some others who might be interested and get back to me," Victor said. "There's no rush."

"Yes there is! We have to start training right now if we want a chance," said Don, pounding the table.

"Um, sis," Penny frowned at Judy. "I think Don just called you out-of-shape."

"Did not!" retorted the mechanic, while Judy pretended to look hurt.

Victor headed back to his own table, nodding to himself. Don West may have been thirteen years older than Judy Robinson, but maturity wise, they were actually very close in age.

At his table, the conversation had shifted to - predictably - grandchildren. Victor figured Prisha was responsible for that.

"I don't know, Victor," said John, clapping his shoulder as Victor sat back down. "Having to share grandchildren with a politician...?"

"For all you know, I might not run again next year. Maybe I'll retire early too."

"No Victor, don't do that," said Maureen. "Everyone in the colony knows and trusts you. You can't retire for a long time."

"Yeah, I'll actually vote for you this next election," said John.

Prisha stifled a laugh.

"Thank you, John; Maureen," said Victor, nodding at them both. His throat felt oddly tight and he coughed into his fist. "The only votes that truly matter are those belonging to my family. And on the chance that we may be family soon..." He trailed off, then smiled. "I appreciate your confidence in me. And it actually means even more if you did vote for Hannigan last time."

"We did," said John, bluntly. "He'd been in the army. A tough guy. Fortunately for you, his speeches weren't as polished."

"He'll most likely be in the twenty-fifth colonist group," Victor surmised. "He's a fine leader."

"But he's not you," said John, again clapping Victor on the back. "Hannigan didn't suffer with the people on a sand planet for seven months, keeping up their spirits with those polished speeches. He didn't risk his life to save Will, or-"

"Or raise such a good son... " Maureen finished, glancing back at Penny and Vijay. She cleared her throat and squeezed one of Prisha's hands. "No matter what, we're all the better off for knowing each other. I'm thankful Hannigan didn't win."

Victor pressed his lips together, his eyes more watery than usual. "I am too. Thank you." He nodded again to John, but then sighed in mock confusion. "But sharing grandkids with a Navy SEAL? Now that's something I'm not so sure about. You'll have my proper Dhar grandchildren hitting each other with crowbars."

Everyone laughed. Everyone except for Vijay, who had wandered over during that last sentence and now looked horribly confused.

"Uhhh...We have ice cream in the cooler if you wanted dessert." He frowned. "Who's hitting each other with what?"

Everyone laughed again.

Victor smiled at his son, and then at Prisha, across the table. None of them had to say it aloud, but they were very grateful to be part of that Robinson family.