The elevator brought Robot down into the residential deck which is where he detected familiar whistling.

"Doctor Smith, aren't you supposed to be napping?"

The sound of Smith's footsteps stopped.

"I would be had my nail bed not exploded on me and had the make up that I purchased not exploded on Judy," Came out rather bitterly.

Robot's head bobbed up in alarm.

"No,"

"Oh yes,"

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Yes. But, very dearly at the price of coming out alive," came out regretful from the younger Smith. "If only. . . If only that last skin regenerator had not malfunctioned in Don's hand then I wouldn't need to do a skin grafting at all." Smith shook his head. "The horror. The horror!"

Smith rubbed the center of his head as he shook it.

"My sensors detect a bucket in your hand," Smith lowered his hand looking down toward Robot.

"The major already left for the mall roughly a hour ago with the product,"

"Then what is in it?"

"Oh, that's the stomach pouch and dead skin tissue,"

"Your stomach fell off? This does not compute."

"It's the old skin, ninny,"

"Stomach is not skin tissue,"

"My stomach is now flat as a cardboard," The sound of patting on what was undoubtedly scales brought some disturbance in the Robot's circuits. "And dead skin, the rest of my hair, my right ear," Smith stopped, briefly, with a disgusted sigh. "Turned out it needed a explosion for that part to fall off for the new space spider ear to appear. I still have my left very human ear. How I envy you." The sound of Smith clapping his hand against his fist was loud. "You're still whole, unchangeable, immune to the wrath of time."

"I can get rusty, Doctor Smith," Robot replied.

"Oh, reeeaaaallllly?" Smith asked.

Just for a complete second, only a second, Robot's sensors heard the familiar older deep voice.

"Really," Robot replied.

"Then why haven't I been needing to give you a oil bath since I got here?"

Robot could feel the man's glare resting on his bubble head.

"Now excuse me, I have to find a proper way to dispose of this waste that won't be eaten and absorbed by some poor unfortunate soul."

Smith walked past the Robot in silence heading toward the elevator.

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

Don walked through the doors steaming in rage. His hands were shaking with fury pressed against his palms and had one hand hovered above the laser pistol looking around the mall. He held a bucket in one hand that was full of all the explosive material. All the material that had once decorated Judy's quarters and ruined it (and make up) for her. The material that had caused someone that he loved hurt in layers. Layers that impacted her quite dearly. Layers that had to be healed one by one with love, patience, and time.

He was walking with such calm that it was easy to mistake him as a being that wasn't quite human nor was it quite humanized at all. The only thing that made it stand out regarding his feelings were the shaking fists. The mall wasn't bright but now it was dark with spot lights seen on different stations that Don walked through. His eyes searching from side to side in the dark peering out for moving figures. He half expected a familiar figure to come running his way, frantically, and insist they leave the mall.

"Hello there," Cackler's voice came from behind.

Don came to a stop in his tracks, his eyes burning, staring in the direction of Cackler.

"I am here to return your things," Don said.

With a loud thud, Don dropped the bucket to the table.

"Now, did you mean to kill your customer?" Don approached Cackler. "Or make some noise."

"Make some noise," Cackler said. "Why?" Don's fist knocked the man down to the ground. Cackler wiped away a portion of blood from his lip then looked up with a smile. "Did I hurt someone? A little friend of your---"

Don grabbed Cackler by the tunic then smacked him against the wall.

"She isn't little," Don said, sliding Cackler up against the wall.

"Ah," Cackler said. "Your lover."

"What you did was a cruel kind of agony for everyone!" Don said. "Not just for me!"

Don threw Cackler onto a table sending merchandise crashing and breaking into pieces onto the floor. Cackler got up to his feet then charged back in the direction of the major. Don ducked then swung his fist at the man's face. Cackler staggered back wiping off blood from the corner of his mouth then grinned.

"I always do like a good fight!"

Cackler charged toward Don.

"Alrighty then!"

Don delivered one punch to the man's face that knocked him out.

"Why don't you look at that," Don placed his hands on his hips standing over Cackler's unconscious figure with a smile. "I won."

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

Penny and Will were tending to the hydroponic garden per the orders of their parents during the operation was being proceeded. They only started after Smith returned with a empty bucket while happily humming to himself contrasting against his normally unhappy demeanor and dark cloud looming over his head. It was odd to the doctor quite happy in a miserable situation. Whatever had came his way during the very personal clean up had to have been a good one and lifted up spirits.

Their attention went away from Smith soon as he vanished into the Jupiter 2. The two tore out the weeds, the dead branches that had to be removed, and insects that didn't quite belong. Time passed during the tending but it did little to ease the quite shaken demeanor from Will's figure. Penny placed a hand on her Will's shoulder making so he stopped what was being done. He turned his attention on to Penny.

"I am scared, too," Penny said. "That it could have been me. Judy offered me one but I declined."

"I was suspicious of it," Will said. "I could have told Robot not to get it and overrode his order."

"I would have listened to your order," Robot joined the group. "I did not detect any explosives in the make up."

"Strange," Will said. "Normally, when we are given explosives. . . we can tell."

"This must be new technology," Penny noted. "Must be the latest."

"Why now?" Will asked. "Why make it smaller? Is businesses working with defense?"

"A sound theory, Will Robinson," Robot replied. "This is very new."

"And concerning," Will said. "They must be testing it out with business before rolling it out for other people."

"Am I late for the party?" Don asked, coming to the campsite.

"Not at all," Penny said. "Mother and father went in a little while ago."

"That mall will be leaving very soon," Don said. "And doubtful that he will ever show his face again."

"He will," Robot said.

"Why so certain?" Don asked. "Robot, what did Smith do?"

"This time he had done nothing at all," Robot said. "Cackler transported me to his mall, threatened everyone, I detected that he was sincere."

"Why did you not tell us earlier, Robot?" Will asked.

"I did not believe that he would act upon it," Robot replied. "I was wrong."

"If he was being serious about sticking around for you," Don said. "I doubt that he has any certainty now."

"You didn't!" Penny said.

Don rubbed his fist.

"Ah huh," Don said. "Got what he wanted," he looked off toward the Jupiter. "How was she?"

"She wasn't in really good shape," Penny said.

"She will get better," Will said.

"Robot," Don said. "You have to tell John about this."

"Is that a order?" Robot asked.

"It is," Don said. "Soon as they are out of surgery. They have to know."

"Affirmative," Robot replied. "I will do so."

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

Four hours ticked by painfully slow for the Robinsons waiting word for Judy's condition during the operation. The crew waiting in the residential deck, specifically in the galley, waiting for Smith to come out and give them the heads up that the operation was over. Robot remained at the campsite then turned toward the Jupiter 2, silently turned away, then rolled away.

It was quiet outside of the Jupiter 2. Not a sound could be heard from the conn. The only sound made was when either Penny or Will got up to their feet then went back up but came down sometime later with dirty hands from tending to the hydroponic garden then went to clean them off.

Don was the member of the crew that stuck in the galley, sitting in the chair, looking out toward Judy's cabin. Smith moved like a fly. Hard to spot when flying incredibly fast in the air. It was hard to tell if he were holding anything switching from cabin to cabin. Don noticed Smith walked slowly out of Judy's quarters back into the room that Maureen and John were in.

Smith slowly closed the door behind him approaching the head of the family in their shared quarters. Smith was in a new outfit that fit him quite snugly but his figure seemed different than how it had been before.

"Judy is doing very well," Smith reported. "Her wounds will heal quickly and accept the donated skin."

"So when does she get to take the bandages off?" John asked.

"I believe a month," Smith said.

"A month?" John said, skeptically earning a nod from the doctor.

"I do recommend that I do not stay around this area until she is well enough," Smith said. "Haven't you noticed how dark it has gotten?"

"No," Maureen said. "We don't know what you mean."

"If I stay around any longer in your home then parts of my universe will spill further," Smith shuddered. "Bright to dark. I hate to imagine what would happen if I stayed longer."

"I won't argue with you," Maureen said.

"Neither will I," John said.

"And the reason why I say a month for Judy's recovery is because healing here is a lot faster," Smith said.

"What makes you say that?" Maureen asked.

"That burn you got on your hand from cooking dinner," Smith note.

"What about it?" Maureen glanced up from her hand toward Smith.

"You got it a week ago," Smith said. "Look at your hand. Again."

Maureen looked toward down toward her hand then looked up.

"It is in good condition," Maureen said. "No scarring."

"That kind of burn you had would have taken longer than five days to heal over," Smith said. "The cut on Will's hand has been healing slower unlike how it did for you." Maureen looked down toward her hand then back placing her hand to her side. "You will be able to take off those bandages by the time the week is over. Removing the dead skin was necessary. The body can't heal over dead skin."

"I met another version of myself a long time ago," John said. "Our worlds didn't react the way it did like it has been with you."

"Everything running backwards," Maureen said. "Once was enough when everything malfunctioned."

"It was," John said.

"It may be just a one time thing," Maureen said. "A blood moon with Judy."

"I. . ." Smith didn't know what to say at first then held up his hand. "Things have gone your way for so long. But, I am afraid. Very afraid." Smith shook his head. "That you will learn the hard way it doesn't go your way with me being in your ship if I stay. That you can't change it in your favor and I can't modify it either." he linked his hands behind his back. "Things will only get worse. I don't want that. Imagine what might happen to Penny if I brought something back one day and it killed her shortly after. I am a liability. Always have and always will. If I do come back, it's not to stay, it's temporary lodging."

John thought it over for a moment.

"Did it go our way where you are from?" John asked.

"Bitterly," Smith said. "Not happily and painless for all parties as it happens here more often than not."

"We are very lucky," John said.

"You mean to say that. . ." Maureen tried to start but couldn't finish.

"Yes, you are," Smith said. "I regret coming into your universe. I regret so many things that I hadn't until I came here."

"You could not have known," Maureen said.

"I could have, Madame. I could have." Smith said. "Your daughter doesn't deserve that. None of your children do."

"You are picking this planet," John asked.

"That is the case," Smith said. "Professor, Madame. . ." he looked toward them very apologetically and regretful. "Anything I purchase in the future will be brought to a place of my choosing and I will not share it with any of you."

"We can live with that," Maureen said.

"We all can," John agreed, nodding. "Is our daughter awake?"

"She is," Smith said. "I will get my belongings while the others are visiting Judy."

"Thank you, Doctor Smith," Maureen said.

"A pleasure, madame," Smith smiled then slipped out of the cabin.

He went toward the galley that had Penny and Don seated across from each other while from behind John and Maureen entered Judy's cabin.

"The operation was very successful." They grew alert leaning off the table and the chairs, sitting up right, at the man's sudden arrival. "You may visit her, now."

Don and Penny bolted past Smith leaving a dust trail of their figures behind. Smith sighed, closing his eyes, relieved. He turned toward the direction of the cabins then walked off toward his cabin passing by Judy's cabin. He packed away what belongings that he had acquired by either legal or illegal means.

Trinkets of past experience that remained shiny, mystifying, and mind boggling how it was considered valueless when in his hands, they strangely changed in his hands and looked entirely different from what it had been in other people's hands. He took out the hidden camping equipment from the closet after moving the clothing into the suitcase.

Smith closed the cabin door from beside him. He went into the elevator car, closed the elevator, then pressed the side button and withdrew his hand to the large bulk of material in his arms. The elevator came to a rocky stop then he withdrew the barrier to the elevator.

He closed the barrier right behind him with a free hand, pressed the down button, then moved toward the door of the Jupiter 2. He came to a stop in his tracks. There was Will looking around the area for the campsite of the Jupiter 2 increasingly becoming alarmed. Smith resumed walking down the platform leading down to the ground.

"What is the matter, my boy?" Smith asked, approaching Will. "Playing hide and seek with that bobbed cylon?"

Will turned away from the rock.

"I can't seem to find Robot,"

"He can't be that far,"

"I have been looking for him for half a hour in all the places that he would think he would go,"

"That is concerning. He must be suffering some kind of guilt for his part in Judy's wound,"

"Is Judy okay?"

"She is good for visitors and needs little concern,"

"Robot is really concerning me,"

"This is ridiculous. He has no reason to be sulking over that issue," Smith shook his head. " No matter. He will return."

"He hasn't came down in the last few hours," Will said. "Finding him would be easier if there were more than one person."

"Not my problem," Smith said. "I recommend you get someone who would be better interested in your bubble machine getting back. Such as your father." Then began to walk off.

"But, he is your friend!" Will got in the way of the doctor grabbing him by the forearm.

Smith shifted toward Will then yanked his arm away.

"More fiend than a friend," Smith said.

Will shook his head.

"You don't mean that, Doctor Smith," Will said.

Smith looked up from the boy then toward John and his attention returned toward the boy.

"William," Smith's voice became quiet. "Robot and I's relationship is different from the one that you know. We don't know each other. Nor do you or he know the history that I had with his counterpart." The next few words were chosen wisely. Words that could break anyone's heart. "We are acquaintances."

Smith turned away then walked away leaving Will behind.

"I have a good idea where Robot could be." John placed a hand on Will's shoulder joining his side.