"Women, children, get down to the lower decks, now!"
It was a announcement that once came from Professor John Robinson but instead, it came from the youngest of the family that was now the eldest member of the family. Mason looked on toward the time portal that was bound to be the savior of the family that had gathered over the last twenty years. People who hadn't thought to be possible over twenty years ago to be in a state of being. The Jupiter 2 was a large ship that was breezing through the battlefield.
"Mason!" Will announced. "Go down, now!"
The ship threw him aside then he crashed alongside the wall and made a bolt after the two older women, Branca and Vulet, crashing into the lift. Gale was on the upper decks of the ship in the installed fighting system returning fire as Will and Robot were seated side by side as the damaged to the hulls of the ship grew the more extensive as panic flew from deck to deck of the Jupiter 2 that was actively being scarred.
"Robot, how is the flight?"
"Exceptionally well given that we are in the middle of a fire fight."
"Ready to go home?"
"Home isn't a place, Will. I have always been home."
"Well then, we are going home home."
"Affirmative."
"Do we have enough fuel to make the flight in light speed?"
"My calculations indicate there is exceptionally enough fuel for this endeavor."
Will took the receiver off then clicked it.
"Bridge to lower decks, are you all stripped in?"
"Lower decks here," Vulet replied as her very British voice came over the line. "Rose and Zachary and Mason are strapped in."
"Brace yourselves, we are going to make it into the time warp. Tell Mason that he can finally stop running with us once we get there."
"He heard." Vulet replied as a loud whoop came over the line and Will smiled. "Good luck. Lower decks out."
Will clamped the radio receiver down.
"Let's go home."
Will slid the handle forward and the ship bolted on after the time portal as Will exclaimed, "Woohoooo!" through the swirling blue portal that was resting across from the armies wedged between two planets in silent chorus full of flames and electrical sizzling from damaged parts of the ships. The portal closed upon the entrance of the Jupiter 2. The Jupiter 2 flew through the time portal. Will guided the ship as it wedged side from side to side fighting against the currents with ease alongside Robot keeping the other side quite still.
The Jupiter 2 tore through the portal landing into the confines of space once more. Will looked out in awe then grinned. He made his way to the freezing tube then pressed a button. Smith staggered out of the tube but was caught by the younger man with a start. The elderly man leaned against the frame of the freezing tube as the silence echoed from deck to deck. The lift lowered across from them with Gale in the background. He came over to the side of the younger man. Smith's aged blue eyes struggled to open then faced the younger man.
"Hello, Doctor Smith." Will greeted.
"Good morning, William." Smith wore a tired smile, half out of it, half in it, as he were visibly swaying. "Have another child?"
Will chuckled at the elderly man's comment.
"You mean did I get into trouble that only you can reverse?" Then Will shook his head. "No."
Smith laughed, softly, then looked up toward Gale.
"How nice to see you, my dear friend." Smith said.
"As to you." Gale nodded back with a smile.
"If it not for another momentous and high stakes occasion, then whatever for, my dear captain?" Smith asked.
Will looked toward Gale and the younger man nodded.
"You have to see this for yourself." Will said.
Will and Gale helped the fragile elderly man up to his feet then guided him toward the window of the ship.
"Oh?" Smith lifted a brow. "Another Kavaiaic?"
"No, Doctor Smith." Will replied. "It's Earth."
"The planet that you so fondly talk about to us." Gale said. "How diverse, how much culture it has, and its history, and landscape."
Smith's eyes flashed open as he looked on spotting the familiar planet with a single moon orbiting it and the continents were where he had last remembered them. The outline of New York city standing out against the darkness of the night as did notable large cities of the planet that stood united against the wrath of space and over population problems. Smith began to tremble as his eyes became watery seeing the planet before the view screen with no problems behind them, no restrictions, no rush, no tricks, just that it were their next destination.
"Earth? Earth!" Smith cried clapping his hands together quite gleefully. "Eeeeeeaaaaaarth!" he threw his hands up into the air. "We're home!"
"Finally." Will chipped in.
Smith grinned then looked up toward Will.
"I always believed in you, my dear boy! You brought us home! Bravo!" Smith applauded for the captain. "You brought us home!"
"It only took another momentous occasion that didn't require your assistance." Will replied.
"What kind of momentous occasion?" Smith squinted at the duo as he looked back and forth then lifted a brow.
"Just one been taken care of nicely." Gale finished for the younger man.
"How far are we to . . " Smith was struck by certain emotion then wiped a tear off. "Earth?"
"We are twenty-two hours away from landing point," Robot announced. "Long range sensors indicate we are on the day of the launch of the Jupiter 2. The Jupiter 2 will launch in twenty-four hours."
"We are back at the beginning." Smith said with widened eyes as he looked in. "Only one day."
"Affirmative." Robot confirmed.
"Robot, we are two hours away from Earth, is that what you mean to say?" Will asked.
"That is what I do mean to say." Robot replied.
The women and the children and Mason came up then crashed into hugs with various individuals of the crew. Will laughed, louder, for the first time than he had in a very long time as he hugged the two women in joy then hugged the other members as Gale relayed what had been told. Vulet and Branca looked toward the planet in awe in a group as the children were leaning forward side by side in front of the control console. Will cried a little then sighed.
"We're gonna get Doctor Smith not to board." Will said. "Doctor Smith, will you do us the favor and set the coordinates?"
Smith's head bobbed up then grinned.
"Why yes!" Smith said then went over to the joy stick and inputted the coordinates to the landing area as he grinned.
"Will, I require transfer to my environmental model."
"Gale, take over control of the ship in the mean time. Let's have ourselves a party!"
The family cheered as Gale took over control and Robot slid his navigation figure out of the chair then waddled toward the elevator surrounded by the Robinsons, Mason, and Smith. Mason had his arm landed around the elderly man's shoulder as he grinned.
"Doctor Smith, can you believe twenty years ago that we started as strangers?" Mason asked.
"Hmph, that was THREE years ago to me, you pompous gloon!" Smith retorted.
"What does gloon mean?" Mason asked.
"Ask Gale," Smith said as he joined the crowd.
"Are you coming down with us, Sir Yahetson?" Vulet asked.
"In a moment." Mason replied, flashing a smile.
"Let's go down." Rose said, excited then pressed the side button and the family descended down the stairs.
Mason came to the Mezoniac's side.
"What does gloon mean?" Mason asked.
"Gloomy goon." Gale replied. "Mason. . ."
"Yeah?" Mason asked.
"I meant what I said earlier." Gale warned, his eyes focused on the orb laying ahead of them. "Any secret that I am keeping should he die will be revealed."
"Not as if you have some of the captain's DNA in you." Mason said.
The comment only earned a hum from the warrior.
"You removed his DNA from your veins. Remember?" he shook his hand leaning against the frame of the second chair and frowned. "That whole ordeal."
"He will know the secret and you will be stuffed into the freezing tube." Gale turned his attention toward the former prince with a dark glare. "My people shared bonds with the owed's family."
Mason leaned forward then straightened up with a gulp.
"I will see what I can do about that." Mason said. "I won't stir trouble down there with my last name and all."
"You have come a long way as a runaway former prince." Gale reminded. "You have been there when we had our first welcomed guests as children, been there when we met Vulet and Branca, been there when Will met his first love on a jungle planet and had Rose, been there in the wild west planet, been there for all of us in the last twenty years, been there when your father caught our ship and yet you wavered some," Gale sighed, lowering his head, tsking. "I hate to see that development being bold and courageous for your new family when we get on to the planet being undone."
Mason was quiet.
"It won't." Mason promised.
And Mason walked away then went down the decks through the corridor.
A/N No, Smith is not going to die.
Yes, this fic hit me as a 'elderly smith goes to the past after losing everything and preventing his counterpart from boarding the Jupiter 2 and makes sure the Robinsons get to Alpha Centauri' so, instead, I decided to turn this into two different story ideas. One, the return to the prison ship. Two, this fic as I couldn't let him go back ALL ALONE. Nope. Nopedy nope.