Sorry for the lateness of this chapter.

Thank you for my two reviewers. I don't know what I'd do without you two.

Guest: I'm glad you liked.

Max2013: They will be working on it in this chapter.

Judy Robinson had made a decision: she was staying on Earth. It was a hard one, but she felt it was best for her. Oh, she would miss her family like crazy, but the idea of going to Alpha Centauri, leaving her life behind was a daunting one. She had friends and a promising career in the theater.

What kind of future could she have in Alpha Centauri? She wasn't like her parents or her siblings either. She didn't have their inventive know-how. She certainly wasn't as smart as them. If anything, she would just be a useless goldbricker.

It really was the best thing for everyone if she stayed on Earth.

Judy heard the front door opening and assuming it was her father, decided it was now or never. She would march down the stairs and tell her father she would not be joining them on the Jupiter 2. She would remain firm, with nothing he could say would change her mind.

"Dad," Judy called as she walked down the stairs.

"Judy, you're just in time. Meet one of the pilot candidates: Don West."

The pilot in question turned to face her, a crocked grin and deep eyes. Judy almost tripped over her own feet, stumbling on the last step.

Don interrupted Judy's recounting of their first meeting. "Wait. You tripped? I don't remember that."

"Penny did," Judy recalled with a grimace. "She wouldn't let me live it down for an entire week." They were back at the fruit trees, picking the apples.

"I didn't notice because I was too busy getting memorized by those beautiful blue eyes," Don complimented with a grin.

"Oh you." Judy swatted at his chest playfully, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"So you changed your mind for me?" Don inquired, cocking his head quizzically. "About going into space."

"Well not just for you," Judy insisted, as she placed the apples in her basket. "I mean I couldn't see myself not missing my parents and siblings like crazy. But you certainly made me realize maybe I wanted a different future than I thought I wanted."

Don studied her for a few minutes, leaning against the tree. "And now? Any regrets?"

Judy breathed in deeply. "No. But I have been thinking of the future. And like I said before, I don't want to wait for something that never comes. Especially when I seem to be last on your list of priorities."

Don had a lot of things he could say to that. Pointing out how many responsibilities he had. How many Smith messes he had to clean up. How many times danger seemed to find the family.

But none of that would help. In fact, it would only lead to more arguing. Instead, he walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Babe, I love you. You will always be my first priority."

"Prove it," Judy challenged, although she did not move away from him. She promised herself she wouldn't get angry and storm off again. If Don was willing to work on their relationship, then so was she.

"Okay. I think we should move in together," Don informed her without even hesitating. "I know we discussed it a couple of times, but we never really made up our minds. And I think it's time."

"That's a start," she decided. "Anything else?"

"More walks, more alone missions," Don suggested. "Maybe that picnic I suggested."

"Boston cream pie?" Judy implored with a coy smile.

"I'll make the whole meal," replied Don.

Judy beamed at him and sealed the deal with a kiss. "Okay. You won me over."

After spending two hours with Don, they returned to the Jupiter 2 with a basket full of fruit they had collected. Judy went down to the galley and was surprised to find her mother cutting up and dicing apples.

"Mother, I thought you said that Dr. Smith ate all the apples," Judy accused, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Maureen Robinson affected a perfectly innocuous expression. "Did I? I must have been mistaken."

Judy put her hands on her hips in mock outrage. "Mother, did you lie to me?!"

"Never," Maureen denied as she continued to prepare for the apple pie. "It was clear that Don and you needed some time to talk alone, and I thought it might help if I sent you on an errand."

"Where is Dr. Smith?" Judy asked, her gaze sliding over to his cabin, wondering if he was still recovering from the "harrowing" ordeal.

"He went to find the robot," Maureen explained. "Something about needing his back cracked." She then scrutinized her daughter. "So how did your talk with Don go?"

"Better than the last one," Judy revealed as she walked to her mother, wanting to help her make the apple pie. "We talked about moving in together."

"Oh?" Maureen gave her a piercing look, a note of concern in her voice.

"Oh, Mother really. It is not the sixties anymore," Judy protested as she began kneading the dough. "Men and women can sleep in the same bed without being married."

"I know that," Maureen assured her. "But you need to be careful, Judy. We don't want any surprises."

"Surprises?" Judy's brow knitted in confusion before her expression cleared in understanding. "Oh. Don't worry, Mother. I promise Don and I will be very careful not have any surprises."

"Good because-"

"MOM! MOM!" Judy and Maureen glanced up as they heard Penny shouting. The lift lowered and Penny burst into the galley, looking panicked.

"Penny, what happened?" The older women ran to the teen, scrutinizing her appearance to be sure she was unharmed.

"It's Dad, he's hurt!" Penny exclaimed. "There was this big buffalo thing and it was charging at Dad. He couldn't get away fast enough."

Maureen didn't even wait for her daughter to finish before she was climbing up the ladder. Judy, on the other hand, comforted her sister.

"It will be all right, Penny." She embraced her, ignoring how her stomach was flip flopping, and she was beginning to feel lightheaded. Her father would be fine. He always was.