Last week, as you recall, the Robinsons were visited by Dr. Smith's cousin, Jeremiah, in an attempt to inherit the Smith family fortune, but both he and Dr. Smith gambled it all away. Then Dr. Smith was mistaken for a look alike gunslinger, a superswift, who was wanted by the law, but the criminal showed his true colors and Dr. Smith was free. While walking with Will, however, Dr. Smith found a lyre and when he plucked three strings, was transported to a place of fire and brimstone…

A Visit to Hades (Written by Carey Wilber)

Dr. Smith told no one about his encounter… not even Will. The sinister man was named "Morbus" and he challenged Smith to break the lyre, which was the key to his prison, and set him free.

The family gathered for breakfast, but Judy decided not to join them, saying that she wasn't hungry. Maureen asked her where she was going and Judy said that she was going for a walk and added, "Is there any rule against that?"

"I will not have you taking that tone of voice with me, Judy," Maureen stated.

"I'm not a child anymore, Mother. I would just like to be alone once in a while without someone always asking me where I'm going."

Maureen relented and told her not to go too far. John approached his wife and asked, "Trouble?"

"Oh, those growing pains," Maureen replied.

"You want me to talk to her again?"

"No. No. She'll be all right. She'll get over it in time."

They returned to the table and John asked Don, "Did you and Judy have a fight last night?"

Don was puzzled. "No. We didn't even spend any time together. In fact, she's been really distant lately." He sipped his coffee and his voice lowered. "I don't know… ever since that circus came through…"

"It seems to me that the girl is simply coming to her senses, Major. She is far too good for the likes of someone like you," Dr. Smith stated.

Don's patience was on its last thread. "You know, Smith, if I'd wanted your opinion, I would have asked you for it."

"Now, now, Major… so reactive… is it any wonder she no longer wants to be with you?"

Don jumped up and was ready to grab Smith by the collar when John intervened. He placed a hand on Don's shoulder and eased him back into his seat.

Maureen wondered if she was right about the growing pains… "John had mentioned that you and Judy were making some plans back when we hoped to return to Earth, Don."

"Yeah, but that's all by the wayside now," he replied.

"Would you care to share?" John asked.

Don thought about it moment. "Uh, no. Not without Judy here."

While on her walk, Judy encountered Mr. Morbus, but he was nothing like the sinister man whom Dr. Smith had met. He was rather charming and Judy felt an instant affinity for him. Judy took his hand and brought him to meet the family.

Dr. Smith immediately left the area, as neither he nor Mr. Morbus admitted to already having met earlier. Morbus was invited to breakfast and made his way to a seat beside Don. Don, for his part, never took his eyes off Judy. Her mood had drastically changed, and she was more animated than he had seen her in a long time.

The Robot entered camp warning about a dangerous alien life form, but was secretly zapped by Morbus before he could continue. Don was immediately suspicious of Judy's new friend and commented that Morbus was the only other life form in the area. Judy was upset with Don's attitude and when the Robot was given a new power pack, it had no memory of the warning and when asked about Mr. Morbus, stated that he was obviously human.

"Satisfied, Major West?" Morbus asked.

"I guess I don't have any choice at the moment, do I?" Don replied and stomped off.

Judy apologized for Don and Morbus commented, "Oh, I can understand the purely human emotion of jealousy."

"Don jealous? Of whom?" she asked.

"Well, perhaps he sees in me a rival for the only prize worth taking on this planet."

They walked off together and Judy asked Morbus about his home, Lyrae, which he described as a musical place full of song. Judy was entranced. It sounded like a planet she would enjoy and she asked why he had left. He said that he had tried to "stir things up a bit," and was asked to take a vacation of sorts. Then he asked Judy about herself.

"What about me?" she asked, obviously flattered by his attention.

"Oh, life, love the pursuit of happiness – that sort of thing. How do things stand between you and Major West?"

Judy sighed and shrugged, "Well—"

"—Ah, like that."

"Oh, I suppose someday we'll marry. Everyone seems to think we're a good match."

"Except you."

"Well, a girl likes to have a choice."

While Judy was off with Morbus, Don checked on the chariot, but there wasn't much work to be done on it at the moment. He paced back and forth in front of the vehicle and vented his frustrations to himself as he mumbled, "Morbus… he's old enough to be her father… And she's all smiles around him…" He slammed his hand hard against the vehicle and then pulled it away, trying to shake off the pain. 'Well, this isn't doing me any good,' he thought. 'Maybe John's found out more from the Robot.'

In the meantime, Dr. Smith approached the harp and tried to break it, but then realized the power he had in his hands. He played several notes on the lyre and Morbus ran to him, covering his ears in pain. Smith asked for riches, power and a return to Earth. Morbus made a deal with him, but only if he could find the correct notes to free him. Dr. Smith played several notes over and over and Morbus couldn't stand it anymore. He ran into the keyhole where the lyre sat and Judy ran up behind him to see if he was all right. Then they both disappeared. Smith threw the lyre down in fear and ran back to camp.

John and Will were still trying to find out why the Robot had no memory of his warning, and Don joined them. A few moments later, Maureen came out of the space ship and asked to speak with them. She was concerned because Judy had gone for a walk with Morbus two hours ago and had yet to return.

"Why'd you let her go?" Don asked.

"Well, after all, Don, she's pretty much grown up now," Maureen answered.

Don shrugged and thought that he didn't need Maureen to tell him that. He'd known that long before her parents did.

Will then called them over to hear what the Robot had to say. He had repaired its memory circuits and the Robot had information for them on the alien. Don asked if he was referring to Morbus, and the Robot replied, "Affirmative," and suggested that they ask Dr. Smith about Judy's whereabouts, as he was the one responsible for releasing the alien. "John, I swear – this time, I'm gonna tear that phony apart," Don threatened.

At that moment Smith came sauntering into camp. Don attacked him and demanded to know about Morbus, but Smith feigned ignorance. The Robot stated, "Dr. Smith, you are telling a nonfact."

Smith tried to talk his way out of the situation, but Don wouldn't let him off the hook. "You've got ten seconds to start talking!" Don exclaimed.

Smith pleaded for protection from John. "Professor, will you permit this outrage?" he asked. John was as anxious about Judy as Don was and refused to play along with Smith's game.

"Will, let's go inside. I think Don would like to talk to the good doctor in private," John stated. Smith finally broke down and told them the whole story. John and Don retrieved their weapons and dragged Smith along with them to look for Judy.

Judy found herself imprisoned with Morbus' in a time and space warp. He had been trying to get out for ten or twelve thousand years, but the harp would always bring him back because it was the harp that had created the prison. He hoped he could escape if the lyre could be broken. Judy asked him when that could happen, and he replied that he wouldn't get another chance for a thousand years or so. That was when Judy panicked. She had no idea what she was doing. All she knew was that she had to get out of that place. The more she tried, the more desperate she became until she finally reverted to the behavior of a three year, crying uncontrollably, which upset Morbus to no end.

Dr. Smith lead Don and John to the keyhole shaped niche and begged them not to pursue the matter. The Robot explained that the lyre was the key and that Dr. Smith knew the sequence of notes needed to descend to the home of the alien. Don forced Smith to play the notes and Smith was transported back to the fire and brimstone world outside Morbus' door.

Don said that he would go after Judy, but John balked, saying, "She's my daughter."

"I have strong feelings towards her too," Don replied, so John insisted that they both go and they were transported. John suggested that they separate to search for Judy.

Judy became more and more hysterical. She admitted to herself that it was mostly an act. She thought that if she was obnoxious enough, Morbus would find a way to send her back home. The monitor came to life and Judy switched off her childish antics and joined Morbus in looking at the monitor. They saw Smith running and crying out for help, so Morbus left to investigate.

Don also heard Smith's cries and took his blaster out of the holster. Morbus stopped Don from shooting the creature that was after Smith because it kept out the 'vermin.' He ordered Don to pick up the harp and took him back to his quarters, but he refused to take Smith.

Morbus knew he was stuck with both Judy and Don in his prison. Don, for his part, was upset with both Morbus and Judy. The more Morbus talked, the angrier Don became. Judy tried to deny his allegations that she was "singing sad songs because there was no romance in her life. Why do you think I chose to visit you in the first place?" Morbus asked. "To bring a little sunshine into your drab existence."

Don was disgusted with both of them and was on the edge. Morbus warned Don that Judy would drown him in tears.

"Now just a moment, here, Morbus!" Don stated. He was angry and had to take it out on someone…

"Don, control yourself," Judy told him.

"Yes, Don, you'd better control yourself," Morbus repeated. "I may be forced to do something unpleasant,"

"Oh, yeah?" Don replied. "Now, just what is it you think you're gonna do?"

"Oh, boy. This is gonna be a happy threesome through all eternity," Morbus commented.

"No, never mind that. Just repeat what you just said," Don stated.

"All right. I said, 'Don, control yourself' and stop acting like a child or I may have to treat you like one," Morbus explained.

"Yeah?"

"Not a very articulate child either," Morbus commented as he walked away.

Don followed him. "Okay, Morbus, now you listen, you just – "

Judy tried to intervene. "Please! You're not making anything easier."

"Judy, you just stay out of this," Don told her and he confronted Morbus in a fighter's stance. "Okay, I'm ready. Come on."

Morbus had no intention of fighting and tried to get Don to back down, but Don was past the point of no return. He thought this was his opportunity to redeem himself in Judy's eyes. Judy tried to get them to stop, but Don admonished her to stay out of it. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long while," Don commented, still haunted by Judy's comments about his fighting skills.

Morbus finally gave in, and took his own fighter's stance. Don threw a punch and Morbus disappeared and reappeared three feet away. Don gave it two more tries and the same thing happened. He finally yelled in frustration, "Will you stay still so I can hit ya!" Morbus gave in and Don swung and felt like his hand had hit a stone wall. Morbus tried to apologize, but Don told him to stay away from him. Judy ran over to help Don and grabbed the harp. She aimed it over Morbus' head, but hit Don instead. Don fell to the floor unconscious and the harp lay at his side in pieces.

Morbus saw that the harp was broken. His prison bars rose and he was free. As Don came to, Morbus realized that the harp could only be broken by the "pure in heart, the ingenuous… the kind and generous spirits of this world like you. You are the only people who could smash the harp and set me free."

John came rushing in and Judy, kneeling by Don's side, assured him that Don wasn't really hurt and that it had all been her fault. They followed Morbus out as the ceiling started to cave in over their heads, and the three of them reappeared in the keyhole niche. Maureen and Will were waiting and Judy ran to them saying that she never wanted to leave any of them ever again. Smith was found hanging in a tree, and they were able to retrieve him after much pulling, tugging and ripping of his trousers.

Later that evening, Dr. Smith's pants had been mended, but the same couldn't be said for Don and Judy's relationship. Dinner had been a lively affair, with Smith and Judy recounting their experiences to the family. Don, however, was uncharacteristically quiet as he tried to eat. Smith's appetite was quite robust as he complained, "I hope the man gets thrown back into prison... tricking me into believing that he was the Prince of Darkness… Humph."

"Oh, Dr. Smith, he wasn't that terrible," Judy commented. "He was quite kind, actually… and charming too." Don winced when she made that statement.

Maureen had been watching Don the entire evening. Not only was she concerned that he was suffering from a possible concussion, but she worried about his ego. "Don?" she asked, "Are you feeling nauseous?"

He shrugged. "Just not hungry." Then he rubbed his neck and pushed his plate aside.

Maureen stood and went into full mother mode. "Come with me. You can't put me off any longer."

"I'm all right."

"Well, you'll have to prove it to me by letting me take a good close look at you, and no arguing, young man."

Don sheepishly stood and allowed Maureen to lead him into the Jupiter. Judy watched them leave and guilt overwhelmed her. If he was hurt, it was her fault. What bothered her even more was how she had purposely ignored him the previous evening, which she knew probably hurt him more than the bump on is head.

John looked at his oldest daughter and wished he could help. Don had become his closest friend and he didn't want to see either one of them hurt. "Do I have your permission to talk with Don now?" he asked her.

Judy folded her arms and shook her head. "No, Dad. I think I should do that myself… but thank you."

Maureen diagnosed Don with another mild concussion. They were becoming routine for him by now. "You know the drill, Don. We'll wake you up every hour tonight."

"I'll be all right."

"I'm sure you will, but I'm still going to be sure you're taken care of."

"Thanks."

"Don? Do you mind if I ask you about Judy?"

A slight crease appeared on his forehead. "What about her?"

"Judy told me that – you and she almost eloped on the night your car exploded."

"So, she finally had the courage to talk to you about it?"

"Yes. John knows too. Don, I know we didn't welcome you with open arms back then, but now – well – now you know that we would both be proud to have you as a son-in-law."

"I, uh, I appreciate that, Maureen, but, uh, I'm… I'm not so sure that's going to happen now."

"Is it because you don't want it to?"

He wrinkled his brow. His head was aching now and he was finding it hard to think straight. "I don't… I do… I… I just want her to be happy."

"And you don't think she can be happy with you?"

"I don't know anymore, Maureen." He squeezed his eyes shut as the ache worsened. "May I have some aspirin?"

"Not tonight. It'll mask any other symptoms you might develop. Come on, I'll take you to your room and give you an ice pack."

John, Will, Penny… even Dr. Smith came to visit him as he was trying to get some rest… everyone but the one person he was desperate to see. Finally, Judy approached his open door and saw him sitting on his bed, one foot up with his knee bent and the other on the floor. His head was leaning against the wall and his eyes were closed while he held an ice pack to his bump. Penny gave Judy a nudge and said, "Go ahead. You know he wants to see you." Judy looked doubtfully at her sister, and Penny rolled her eyes and walked away shaking her head.

Don had no idea she was in the doorway and he flung the ice to the floor in frustration and then rubbed his eyes.

Judy rushed to his side. "Don?" she asked, "are you all right?"

His hands fell to his lap as he opened his eyes and shook his head.

"Do you want me to get my mother?"

He shook his head again. "Judy, I'm sorry."

She peered into his face and saw the pain there, but it was more than just a headache… the emotional hurt she had caused him was evident too. "No, Don. I'm sorry. I know I hurt you."

"I'll survive."

"I'm not talking about the harp. I'm talking about… everything else."

"Everything else as in…"

"Oh, Morbus… you… me… us…"

He put his elbow on his bent knee and rubbed his forehead. The pain just wouldn't stop, but he had to ask the next question. "Is there still an… us?" He couldn't bring himself to look at her for fear of what her answer might be.

Judy stood and closed his bedroom door. She knelt in front of him and gently moved his foot from the bed to the floor and then moved in between his knees. She took both his hands in hers and brought his palms to her lips, planting a kiss on each one. She placed his hands around her neck and then rubbed his thighs, leaning in towards him.

Encouraged, he opened his eyes and found her inches away from his face. Her hands traveled up his hips and his chest to his temples and she gently messaged them to soothe his pain. He bent his head so their foreheads touched. His hands slid down her back and he pulled her close. He whispered her name and she kissed him, hoping to erase all the doubts that had built up over the last twenty four hours.

"I'm sorry, Don. I was acting like a child," Judy confessed when their lips parted.

"No, I was..." he started to say, but she interrupted him.

"You didn't see me crying before you came in with Morbus. I was having a two year old temper tantrum."

He managed a chuckle. "And I was acting like a twelve year old, but… I was scared."

"Of losing me?"

"Yeah… and I couldn't figure out what I had done wrong and now… I know you need more romance in your life."

"It's not just romance, Don. I thought I needed more... men in my life, but when I saw you lying there on the floor, unconscious, I knew that what I really needed was more… you."

"More me?" he repeated.

She nodded.

"I can do that," he promised. "Starting now…" He pulled her in for another kiss and there was a knock on the doorframe.

"Don? Judy?" Maureen called. They parted and sighed together. Judy stood and opened the door. "This is my first hourly check, Don," Maureen announced. She walked over and checked Don's eyes. "You seem better. How do you feel?"

"The headache is still there, but everything else is better… much better," Don replied.

"And I'll check on him tonight, mother, just like I did last time," Judy offered.

"Well, all right, but remember to keep the door open."

She rolled her eyes, but said, "We will."

"Good." Maureen turned to go, but looked over her shoulder before she crossed the threshold. "And I'm glad you're both back on track."

"Dear Joan,

I know you would have tried to talk some sense into me before I let myself get so taken in by Morbus' charm, but I almost feel like it was something Don and I had to go through to get our relationship back in balance. There have been so many highs and lows since we left. I wonder what our lives would have been like if there had been no mission. Oh, I know, I probably never would have met him, but I believe in my heart that we were meant to be. If there hadn't been a mission, we would have gotten together one way or another.

We are trying to keep our relationship on track. Last night we went bowling (somehow our bowling equipment was overlooked when we were tossing out our non-essential equipment) and today he's going to teach me how to make Boston Cream Pie. He never told us he can cook! He was probably afraid we'd assign him galley duty."

While Judy and Don were cooking in the galley, Will and Dr. Smith were using the bowling equipment that had been left out the night before by Don. While investigating the appearance of a golden ball, Will and Smith encountered the dreaded Saticons, the very aliens that Jimmy Hapgood had warned them about…

To be continued…

NEXT WEEK!

SAME TIME…

SAME WEBSITE…