"Do you feel well?" John put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"I don't feel myself," Judy shook her head. "Not yet."

"Tell me when you do," John took his hand off as he walked away.

Judy rubbed her shoulder as the memory flashed through her mind.

The horror that she was forced to be part of unexpectedly happening and hurting her. A event that split her social circle in half. Her image of herself was slowly recovering to the scarless woman with beautiful skin, fair blonde hair, blue eyes that stood out, and pretty pink lips. The memories of that day had been soothed over by visits to the beach with Don while her face was heavily protected. He had given the space that was needed in the moment that she needed it.

Including the days when she went there without the protective bandages so she could feel the wind brush against her face and her hair fly in the air with a smile enjoying the sun. Memories that had been healed over but one part of it had to be smoothed over. And concern that had to be acknowledged then acted upon to fully move on the pain that Smith had accidentally released.

/////////////////////////////////////////

"Doctor Smith purchased this for you," Will then walked off leaving the women to the bag. "I will take a nap."

Judy picked up the bag of make up from the galley table.

"It looks fairly new," Maureen picked up a device from the bag then clicked it open. "Feels like Earth."

"So much like it," Judy agreed, picking up a silver case from the collection. "Mother. Can I take them?"

Maureen looked toward Robot.

"It depends on what Robot has to say about the threat level,"

"The threat level is very low, Maureen Robinson," Robot said.

Snoring was coming from Smith's halfway opened door.

"Yes," Maureen said. "You can take it." She got up from the table. "Make sure to leave some for me. After my nap, I like to experiment this new space make up."

A beautiful smile spread on Judy's face.

"I will," Judy said.

"I like to see how it looks on you first before trying it on," Penny remarked as Maureen went into her quarters.

"Me too," Judy said.

"You will look beautiful," Penny reassured. "Even if it makes you sparkle."

Judy picked up the bag then Robot wheeled toward Smith's door and she went into her quarters closing the door behind her. She set the bag on to the table then took out a mirror and set it up. The equipment was ready to be taken apart and put back together. Of all the space make up that she had put on, none of them felt like the ones on Earth or as bland as they were.

When she first painted her fingernails with space nail paint years ago, Judy felt the weight of her cosmos floating in her fingertips when her hands were reality light and unoccupied. A strange sensation that felt precious. Even awe inspiriting. Patting at her cheeks with the rounded pink fluff ball, she felt the same way up until a unexpected explosion sent her flying within the small secluded room.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"I know just the person who can listen to how you really feel," Maureen while weeding alongside Judy. "But. . ." Judy stopped what she was doing tearing her attention off the hydroponic garden on to her mother freezing where she stood. "Very difficult to find after finding him once."

"Where did you find him?" Judy asked.

"I am not the kind of woman to break her word," Maureen raised a brow.

"Silly me," Judy had a laugh. "For a moment there. . . I felt that you would."

"I am sure Professor Maureen Robinson would have broken her word," Maureen said.

"Professor Maureen Robinson!" The comment earned laughter from the two women pausing during their chore.

Their laughter died down until it were fits of giggles then transformed into snickering.

"But there is something I can tell you," Maureen said, squeezing her daughter's hand. "A carnival has just shown up. Not in the mountains but somewhere in the desert."

"So if Will and the others find it . . ." Judy said. "That is where he will be."

"Will is very good at finding him when he puts his mind to it," Maureen said. "If he were a hound on the other hand. . . Doctor Smith would be running away from Will." The women chuckled at the comment.

"It will be good to talk to him," Judy said. "And maybe. . . Maybe. . . I will feel myself after talking."

"I know you will," Maureen reassured with a smile of her own.

The women returned to weeding the garden and carefully tending to the plants.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"Doctor Smith?"

Smith was chipping away at a slab of rock wearing protection glasses when Will came up beside him in a way that startled the man. The doctor threw his chipper over his shoulder over a great distance away from the small group. Robot twirled toward the general direction that it had fallen then wheeled on ahead of the two.

"Yes?" Smith raised the helmet up looking over toward Will.

"I heard you sleep on the floor," Will said.

"Not anymore," Smith said.

"Point is, you should be sleeping providing yourself self-care," Will said. "Spiders need sleep."

Smith hung his head, exasperated. Of course the Robot had to tattle.

"I don't feel like a organic being," he shifted toward Will, placing the helmet onto the boulder beside him. "Sleep is for the sapient, the sane, the conscious," Smith had a momentary pause looking over bitterly then placed his hands onto his knees and turned his attention back toward Will. "and the ones who are not in constant pain."

"That's no excuse to treating yourself right," Will said.

"My back screeches in pain if I lay against a flat or hard surface," Smith said, then held his hand up stopping the boy from speaking then lowered his three fingers keeping his index finger up. "That is not a excuse." Smith lowered his hand. "It's a perfect reason."

"But rocks don't bother you because they're bumpy?" Will asked, in a incredulous tone.

"Not as bothersome," Smith scoffed. "Needles are a entirely different story."

"You may be turning into a hybrid," Will said. "but that doesn't mean you should not make yourself feel human."

"I am not human, William." Smith said. "It's hard to feel human when I am being dehumanized."

Smith slowly took off his gloves to reveal at what points his hand would be radiating pink was highlighted by blue. His fingers were getting longer but visibly thinner than they had been before, his fingernails had turned from pink to light gray even noticeably sharper, and his skin had faint lines on it. The color seemed to be a harmless blue, for now. It would get darker and darker over time until there was only the color of dark gray and light orange highlighting his torso among the thorns decorating his body. The gray would look purple at a certain light. Will looked at it curiously then straightened himself up and folded his arms.

"So that is why you have your hands in your pockets lately," Will said. "Why don't you try making yourself comfortable while becoming a more unique person?"

Smith rubbed along his calves with his hands trying to get down to a itch.

"I've told you once, and I will tell you again," Smith said. "Monsters don't need self-care. Monsters are not people."

Will shook his head.

"All monsters are people," Will said. "Long as you treat them right then they are the kindest people you ever met."

"You encountered monsters?" Smith raised his eyebrows with a startled tilt of his head.

"Aliens," Will corrected. "Just like you. They just wanted help," He sat down onto a small boulder. "They went about getting help the wrong way."

"Abduction, kidnapping, luring. . ." Smith said. "Is that how they did it?"

"A lot of the time," Will said. "You have been gone for a month. I feel like you have been avoiding everyone. Purposely."

"William. . ." Smith turned toward the boy. "You won't understand now. However, you will understand one day."

Smith sighed, lowering his head, clasping his hands on his knees.

"Being turned something more dangerous is more horrifying and deadly than something that eats fuel for consumption," Smith began to explain. "Something lethal that changes everything about you. It means having the ability to make a choice taken away regarding ones own body. The only thing that you can cling to through this experience is your soul and those that you care about as bits of you go away."

He walked away from the carving as his hands linked behind his back. His arms had become thick over the passing weeks and visibly wider. His legs had undergone the same change. Noticeably different and his feet were large enough that he wore a new type of boots. He was in a outfit that contrasted what he had gone out in. It was bright and sparkly black outfit compared to Will's technicolor lavender outfit with three arm bands instead of two. Will's arm bands bands were black, green, and purple contrasting the black, green, and yellow bands on the men's sleeves.

"From a outsiders view of it," Will said. "it is heartbreaking seeing someone that people cared about to withdraw from everyone they know. It doesn't have to be this way."

"They do it to protect them," Smith said, flatly.

Will looked off, looking back, then his eyes returned on to Smith.

"Why are you out so early in the morning?" Will asked.

"My cavern has to be fumigated," Smith said

"Uh, how long is that going to happen?"

"Two weeks. And yes, I have been using the tunnels but I can't use them right now when they are compromised."

"Why don't you come over and stay?"

"I got a lodging that I can stay at,"

"Who is that?"

"Vikari's carnival,"

"Who's Vikari?" Will and Penny chimed at once.

"A woman of some species but very respectable and honest, "

"Not everyone is honest out here,"

"I can sense evil, Will. I don't feel any from her,"

"Just because you are mutating doesn't mean you have now spidey senses and can discern who's bad and who's not," Will said. "No one knows that kind of thing unless they read their minds."

Smith fought back a smile from the boy's comment.

A battle that was lost as he turned his attention away away with a small and bitter smile.

So trusting of peoples words. Why did Will trust him and his counterpart? Like a admirer. What was there to admire about his deception? It had to be a fools dream. A dream that everything was fine as rain with a family that forgave him for his constant betrayal. A pure, innocent, and honorable boy. And it wasn't a dream or a fantasy.

"So far those instincts have been proven right time and time again," Penny and Robot walked on from the distance. "I am having some me time right now doing a task other than painting and resting on the modified rest chair."

"What is that, Doctor Smith?" Penny asked. "Is that a Egyptian carving?"

Smith turned toward Penny as a wicked but evil grin formed on his face at the comment,

"Double take if you will," Smith said. "Elegant but modern made."

"A forgery, you mean?" Will asked.

"A very skilled one," Smith said. "One day my skills shall be appreciated accordingly by future historians."

"They would be able to spot the difference quite clearly, Doctor Smith!" Robot said.

"You wish they would," Smith scoffed. "Some people can't tell forgeries apart."

"No one can tell forgeries apart," Will said. "That would take some serious science equipment."

"I forgot," Smith rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This is the 2000's."

"Not like you can tell apart forgeries," Will said.

"I have ocular implants in both eyes," Smith held open his eye. "That's one part of me that will not change."

Penny and Will saw thin blue strands leading up into Smith's eyes then he withdrew his hand leaning back into the makeshift chair with a arrogant smile.

"You promised us before you went in to rescue Robot that you would do some rock hunting," Penny said.

"Oh," Smith's face faltered with regret. "I did," his face turned apologetic. "I have neglected my promise. I can still make up for that. Can I?"

"If you feel yourself," Penny said.

"Despite the change I am undergoing," Smith covered the rock with a tarp then wrapped it around four bolts sticking out of the ground and discarded the equipment from between two rock crevices then dusted his hands off with a gleeful smile. "I have never felt more like a true Smith than I have today!"

"Then you can," Will said. "Come on, there is a rock slide I found yesterday full of rocks!"