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Chapter Text

The deep hollow of space stared back at her from the large window, swathed in white-chipped metal and chrome overlay. Penny bit her lip, wondering at the stars as they floated like tiny shards of glimmering glass, trying to push away the cavern in her chest, an open pit of useless despair that she could never quite push away. The dark feeling of never being enough pushed up from somewhere hollow inside, clawing at her insides, mind filled with Judy and Will and her perfect, impossible parents. It was odd, being in an exceptional family, filled with impossible achievements and an endless sheet of accomplishments when she was the odd one, the _normal_ amongst amazing and shining, and brilliance. 

“Penny?” Twisting around, heart surging in her throat she bit down on her lower lip so hard Penny tasted the tangy bite of copper pool in her mouth. Blood. 

Dammit she thought, spiteful of her own lacking self control, and utter obliviousness. She wasn’t safely swathed on earth. Her carelessness was going to get her killed, and maybe Vijay, or Will or Judy along with her if she wasn’t careful. 

“Judy,” Penny Breathed, forcing a half hearted smile on her unwilling lips. 

“Penny…” She drawled, voice threaded with sarcasm, her dark eyes laced with a worried sort of humor that set Penny’s teeth on edge. 
A long moment of silence stretched between them, the kind of silence only space could achieve in its empty bleakness and suffocation from living, breathing, human life. 

“Are you going to board?” Penny asked finally, picturing her Mother and Fathers faces when they saw then shattered ship that had appeared when they’d arrived, when all they had been expecting was the swath of a planet they were to call their new home, free of the toxic, dying earth that had been sucked dry from use and disaster. Alpha-Centauri, a fresh start, a new beginning. If they didn’t muck that up just like humans mad dashes to knit things back together and their desperation for a brighter future had done to earth.

“Yes, if for nothing else then to see what happened to him.”

“Ah huh,” Penny hummed, eyeing Judy, lips pressed in a contemplative line. 

“Well then, we’ve got work to do and people to feed.” Judy said brightly, more to herself than Penny or any other being who happened to be in vicinity. 

“And I suppose that you want me to sort it all out with Will so you can look into _that_.” Pointing a finger at the shattered ship, eyebrow crawling high on her forehead, Penny shoved away the stab of petty annoyance at Judy’s small nod. 

“Fine, go look into the miraculous destruction floating outside our window.” Twisting she stalked to the hull of the ship, ignoring the chattering laughter as it echoed and weaved through the hallways. 

A minuscule hand reached out, grasping at her pant leg with more force than Penny was expecting. She went crashing into the wall with a muttered curse and wince. 

“Sorry.”

Twisting around, Penny rolled her ankle with another wince, finding a small, waif-like toddler staring up at her with wide, glass-like blue eyes and a pert little button nose. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be with the other little ones?” Penny asked, single eyebrow raised, ruminating internally at how much she sounded like her mother. 

Tilting her head the girl tapped a single finger to her cheek in a strange pattern that may have been a tempo if it had been an instrument. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be watching us?” She asked, eyes wide, but painted with  a childish insistence. Penny huffed a small, weary laugh.  Biting the urge to cry. He parents were gone. Don was gone. Everything outside this small basin of humanity had vanished… maybe forever. 

“I’ll tell you what kid,” she crouched down, ignoring the stab of pain leaking from her ankle. “When you can steer a ship and read Shakespeare, then I’ll let you _try_ and tell me where I should be…Mini-Oreo.

“Thats not my name.” She huffed, crossing her arms.

“Oh,” Penny murmured, ruffling her hair, “then what is?” 

“Elizabeth.”

“Well Elizabeth you have a lovely name. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she teased, standing as a dizzying wave of pain crashed through her, tapering off into a dull throb that wouldn’t leave. Sucking in a sharp breath she closed her eyes for a long moment, praying that the pain would ebb away. 

“Whats your name?” Elizabeth demanded.
 
Penny laughed heartily for a long moment, wondering at the stubborn tilt of the girls chin that seemed familiar and strange at the same time. 

“Penny…” She hesitated, biting on the inside of her cheek. “Penny _Robinson_” 

“You’re a Robinson?” Elizabeth breathed, awe glimmering like a painful stab in her eyes as Penny looked upon her. 

“Don’t give me that look.” She breathed, trying to be humorous when all she really wanted to do was crawl away and pretend that her family wasn’t impossible and brilliant…at least not when she was so…Not.  “I’m just like everyone else.” She muttered forcing a jagged smile on her unwilling lips. 

“Oh,” Elizabeth whispered, disappointment fluttering across her small, elfin-like face. 

A gurgle erupted in the strange silence that stretched out between Penny and Elizabeth, and another warm laugh bubbled in Pennys chest, like a warm ray of sunshine on a frigid winters day. 

“Hungry are you?” She said between laughs. “Why don’t we go find out what’s for dinner _Mini-Oreo_?” 

“I told you, thats not my name.” Elizabeth huffed, tugging at long lock of her hair.  Biting her lip Elizabeth looked down the hall where the feint trickle of laugher and life echoed. 

“Do you think they’ll have Oreos? I like them.” Voice high and light, like the clear note of a piano Elizabeth pressed her lips together tightly. 

“You and me both.” Penny laughed, grasping Elizabeths hand and leading her closer to the noise, ignoring the way her ankle throbbed and twisted with pain. 
As they turned around a corner Will rushed at her face pale and twisted with panic that sent a stab of worried fear through Penny chest. Coming to an abrupt halt her gulped air in his lungs, completely ignoring Elizabeth as she gripped Pennys hand tighter, body laced with a tense sort of fear. 

“What is it?”

“The ship…Something strange is going on.”

“What kind of strange?” She murmured, brow climbing high, even as fear dug its claws deeper into her chest. 

“We didn’t travel through space alone,” he whispered, looking like he was about to fall. “We traveled through time as well.”

A cacophony of fear, disbelief and a deep sense of panic erupted inside her. 
Of course a Robinson would do the impossible once again. She thought, as another wave of pain erupted from her ankle and the world blurred from color to the welcoming arms of oblivion. 

The last thing she head was the feint sound of Wills panicked shout:  “Penny,” before the world went completely black. 

Chapter Text

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A strange noise pulled Penny from the lull of sleep and the cocoon of darkness she hesitated to leave. Prying her sleep crusted eyes open she peered blearily  at the muted ceiling, a dim beep fluttering ever presently in the background. 

“What happened?” She rasped.

“What happened is that you decided to walk on a sprained ankle and them collapse, turning your sprain into a messy break.” Judy’s scathing voice floated over the room. Turning her head to the side Penny blinked her eyes as the world sharpened and cleared around her.
 
“Who peed in your Cheerios?” 

Twisting suddenly Judy angrily reached for Penny’s shoulders as if she was about to shake her. 

“Don’t you know we can’t afford to loose anyone? Things are already dim enough, and we may be the last of humanity that will ever exist anywhere other than earth.” The earth that is dying and dead and nearly on its final breath/ Judy thought, her desperation a raw wound in her own mind. 

“We all could die out here. Thats just reality.” Pausing She bit her tongue. “When can I get out of here?”  

Huffing, a look of annoyed disbelief fluttered across Judy’s face. 

“You’re just like Dad.” Judy nearly spat, something hollow and tragic in her eyes. Penny glanced down at her hands. 

“Is that a bad thing?” She whispered, a sardonic half smile twisting her lips. 

A vivid memory of Wills panicked expression and erratic breathing flashed before her eyes, and his desperate confession. Time Travel .She barely held back a snort as an incredulous panic beat like a drum inside her chest. 

“Have you talked to Will lately?” She whispered, carefully eyeing the ceiling, avoiding the heavy weight of Judy’s gaze.  

Snorting Judy stalked to the side compartment, yanking open the doors to the cabinet roughly. 

“Time travel?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder “As improbable as it sounds, he isn’t wrong.” 

“How does that—“

“Penny!” The small cry tore through their discussion. Pulling her groggy attention toward the large doors Elizabeth appeared in the space between, smiling brightly. She rushed forward, pausing at the edge of the bed to glance nervously at Judy, who eyed her as she arranged medical instruments  in a neat line. 

“Hello to you too Little Oreo. ” 

Huffing Elizabeth rolled her eyes, then hopped on the bed, crawling into the hollow of Penny’s side as she watch Judy through dark slitted eyes encased in suspicion.  

“Are you going to tell me I have to go away again?” She challenged. 

Penny snorted as Judy’s shoulders crawled higher, back tense and taught. 

“No,” she answered shortly. 

Nodding to herself Elizabeth closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into Penny. 

“Where’d she come from?” 

Smiling Penny eyed Judy as she watched Elizabeth, an odd expression flickering across her face. 

“I don’t know, didn’t mom tell us kids grow on trees?” 

Poking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth Penny resisted the urge to laugh at her sisters expression. As if she wanted to be amused, but was too frustrated to allow it.  

“Get some sleep.” Pausing at the door she cast her gaze back towards the narrow bed. “Do you want me to take her back to the others?”

Peering down at the mop of hazel colored hair Penny smiled softly. 

“She can stay.” 

Playing with the ends of her hair she met Judy’s eyes, grim expression flickering across her face. 

“A three of us need to talk about Will’s declaration .”

“Later.”

“Not too much later, or should I go to the Fortuna and look for answers myself?” 

Judy grit her teeth.  “You can’t. Besides, the ship was already here. How could it have anything to do with our journey.”

“I hate to tell you this Judy, but you’re not mom, and you’re not the only one with the capability of making decisions, or the only one who wants answers. Besides, it may have answers to our impossible journey, or at the very least, it can tell us where exactly we needed up.” 

“Just let me look for answers.” Judy almost begged. She hated the weak, thready thing that her voice had become. Hated how pathetic she sounded. 

Penny smiled at her, tired eyes softening. “I’m sorry Judy, but no.” 

Clenching her hands into fists, Judy could feel the bite of her nails in the flesh of her palms. 

“Mom told me to look after you all. You’re my responsibility.” She grit. 

“And I, as a human being capable of rational thought, release you from that promise.”

Exhaustion, more than bone deep swept across her, settling into her skin, and making itself at home. 

“Just leave it Judy,” Penny whispered pinching the bridge between her nose. 

“Fine,” Judy grit “Just don’t come whining to me when you get yourself killed.”  Twisting she vanished from the makeshift med-bay, leaving Penny to her own thoughts and the soft breathing of Elizabeth as she drifted further into sleep.

3 Months Later

Breathing deeply Penny squeezed her eyes closed, then pushed from the metal hull. Beneath her lay stalks of wheat and rows of vegetables, swaying in the artificial air. From the corner of her eye she caught the fin of the Fortuna, reflecting an amber light.  Twisting she curled herself in a ball, rolling across the floor until she landed on her feet. The straps secured to her chest rattled as she began to unclasp them. 

“Is it that time already?”

 Vijay appeared from behind, a crooked grin splitting his face. 

Penny grinned back, flitting her eyes across his entire frame from his sweat soak coveralls and booted feet to the white tank that clung to his chest. When she met his eyes and single raised brow her cheeks flushed. 

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.” 

“How are our babies?” 

“I didn’t know you wanted to move that fast?” An impish grin lit Vijays face. 

Brow raised she held her hand out. “Give it here.” Pausing as she unlocked the tablet she risked glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. “Stupid.” She muttered at the smirk pulling at his lips and the smug look on his face. 

When she resolutely kept her gaze on the tablet Vijay sighed, running a dirt crusted hand through his unruly hair. 

“They’re fine. Happy with the new fertilizer we’ve been using.” He gestured to the perky stalks of corn to his left, reaching up to the top of the glass and chrome ceiling above, giving way to all that lay beyond their ships. 

“Good,” biting her lip she squinted her eyes at fear side of the cavernous space. “Where—“ 

“Penny” A squeal erupted, followed by a small burl of dark locks and a large ratty shirt hanging down past a delicate pair of knees. 

“There you are Mini-Oreo.” 

Crashing into her Elizabeth buried her face into Penny’s side. 

“Oomph,” she huffed teasingly, tossing her hair, head tilted to the side. “You must be growing like a beanstalk.” 

“I’m not that big,” Elizabeth huffed, glaring up at her before burying her face back into Penny’s side. 

“What took you so long?” Elizabeth whispered as Penny shared a humorous glance with Vijay. 

“I don’t know… I guess I’m human enough to need sleep, Mini-Oreo, unlike some superhuman we all know.” She reached down tweaking Elizabeths nose,  a gentle look fluttering across her face. 

“Judy and Grant want to see you about the filters.” 

Vijay sighed, digging his fingers into the back of his neck. “Great,” he muttered under his breath. 

Biting her lip Penny resisted the urge to reach out, and run a hand across the warm skin of his cheek. 

That would be a monstrously bad decision. she thought, not without a pang of longing. Mostly for the comfort of human touch, of intimacy, of family. 

“Penny…” Hand outreached he stepped towards her faltering when the crackle of her sisters voice sang across the air. 

“Vijay, Grant and I need to talk to you as soon as Penny comes to relieve you.” 

“On my way,” he said, annoyance slathered across his face. Stalking to where Penny had left the harness and steel rope, he strapped himself in  and hefted himself to the ladder poles above his head. 

With a jaunty salute he began to crawl, vanishing into he small opening far above them, shaped like a triangle. 

When they’d first been stranded Vijay at been her lifeline, a piece of normal in a place of chaos, despair and uncertainty. But then _it_ had happened, and as much as she still cared about him, Penny didn’t think she would ever trust him again, no matter how small and insignificant that instance had been in the long scheme of their lives that stretched out before them, unable to leave, unable meet anyone new, or feel the sun on their faces, or smell the fresh tang of ocean water as it crashed against the shore. 

“Did you bring it?” A mischievous grin lit Elizabeths face as she danced away from Penny.  Rolling her eyes Penny reach inside her jacket, grasping something cool and square. 

“You mean this?” She shook the blue package of Oreos, grin curling her lips as Elizabeth threw herself in the air like a rabid cat, eyes glue to the package. 

I wonder if this is how mom felt when I lunged for the Oreos when I was Elizabeths age.

“Yes!” Punching the air Elizabeth danced around Penny’s feet, joyous grin lighting her face. 

They passed the afternoon amidst the fragrant soil and lush greenery, enjoying the minuscule bit of earth that they were afforded. When her armband beeped,  Penny pulled her fingers from the soil, swiping at the sweat beading on her forehead. 

 Sighing,  a small smile pulling her lips Penny  punched the glowing _accept_ button lighting up the screen.  The mood was light and arid,  and so wonderfully calm. 

“Come on, it’s time to leave,” she called to a giggling Elizabeth, waving her toy in the air, a world unseen splayed before her eyes. 

“Do we have to?” Elizabeth whined,  arms falling to rest on her stomach as she craned her head to pout at Penny petulantly,  as she dipped her hands into a bowl of water, dirt running from her skin, spooling like black thread through the clear liquid. 

“You know the answer.” She replied, eyebrow arched as she turned to look at Elizabeth. 

“But I don’t want to go to school.” She whined. 

And I don’t want to meet with Captain Grant the creep and my sister who seems like more of a stranger every day. She though, frustration swiping through her.  It wasn’t as if the man had done anything overtly strange or peculiar, but Penny thought he seemed…unhinged, obsessed and strangely disconnected. She could never pin him down, and maybe that’s what had frightened her. She was reminded of Smith on his bad days, and that set her teeth on edge. 

Judy wouldn’t hear any suspicions, founded or not. She was too overjoyed at the fact that he’d lived and was there, a living, breathing, human, to consider how strange he seemed. It made Penny wonder, because she’d been perfectly militant in her idea that they survive, that they leave the others behind. 

Still bitter, aren’t you? a taunting voice echoed in her mind, sounding like Smith in its subtle glee and sick enjoyment. Gritting her teeth she vanished the apparition and walked to the dangling straps. 

Elizabeth followed behind her, pout still etched in her small face.  Crouching Penny began to strap her in, carefully pulling the buckles and slack rope tight. 

Grabbing the opposite end of the rope she settle the girl on her shoulders, walking to the  far wall. 

“Grab onto the first bar and pull yourself up.” 

“I know.” Elizabeth sighed dramatically, and Penny could almost feel the roll of her eyes. 

“Hush, or I’ll have Vijay assign you extra history homework.”

“Fine,” 

Elizabeth crawled up the ladder and into the triangle, a pale faced girl waiting for her at the top, a long snake of black hair pulled across her shoulder. 

Later

Penny forced her shoulders to relax as she approached the sliding doors, trying her best to think of what her mother would have done. What anyone who knew what the hell they were doing would do. Grant was lovely… Well as lovely as suspected psychopath could be. 

Letting the door swish open a practiced smirk curled across her lips. Grant and Judy were bent over the large flickering screen that took up the table, displaying their blinking place within the cosmos. The images made space look simple and straightforward, maybe even beautiful, with its glimmering stars and little spheres that contained life scattered across the black. It divorced it from the terror and cold and nothing it was so capable of, like claws reaching out to rip those that dared entered its clutches apart. 

“You demanded my presence?” She drawled, throwing herself casually in the chair, legs thrown across the side. Her sister pursed her lips in disapproval. Raising her brown Penny remained as she was, watching with growing satisfaction as Judy sighed raising her eyes heavenward. It gave Penny hope, that Judy was still inside there somewhere. In the madness and chaos and fear, and the tug of Grant on both her mind and heart Penny sometimes wondered if she was still in there. It was as if loosing their parents had removed something vital and living within her; she was there, but like half of her had been tugged out, and only something pale and wan and without her desperate hope and love of humanity had gone alongside wherever their mother and father were. 

Oh, and what about Don? Isn’t he  just like family?  her thoughts poked. Keeping her expression deliberately cool she ignored the memory bright and vivid that flashed before her minds eye. Don being carted away in handcuffs, the rich taste of chlorate turning to bitter ash in her mouth as he smiled at her before vanishing beyond the small room she and Vijay were ensconced in. 

Stop. she begged her own mid, wondering if she was beginning to grow as crazy as she knew in her gut Grant had become. 

“We need to get the power needed to make another jump.”

“Oh,” she drawled, eyeing her short clipped nails. “How are you going to do that?” Glancing up she straightened her spine. “Without the loss of over half the people on this ship, and no food to feed those who aren’t lucky enough to suffocate quickly.” 

Grant and Judy eyed each other. 

“We’re going to use robot.” 

Tensing, hands balling int fists she crouched forward, face contorting into a snarl.

“The robot we need to run the damn alien tech to make the jump.” She spat.  “Besides, we don’t even know if whatever powers him would even be compatible with our system on the ship. Or did you forget the little mistake called scarecrow  and how humans little abusive stunt nearly cost us our lives until Will talked some sense into them. A man had to die to make up for that little mistake.”

“Sometimes the means outweigh the—“

“And who are you to say that means outweigh the costs when you only ask for sacrifice and sacrifice nothing of yourself.” She growled, nails digging into her skin, blood welling in her palms. 

“We have to do something Penny, we can’t survive here forever.” Judy pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Can you give us a minute da-“ Glancing hastily at Penny’s furious “Grant.” 

Glancing between the two of them pushed from the worn metal chair. 

“Just remember Penny_if we don’t act soon the luxury of choice will be taken out of our hands.”

“How noble of you to want to kill us off to spare us the inevitable.” She hissed under her breath as the door snapped shut behind Grant. 

Whipping around to face Judy she barred her teeth. “How could you possibly forget our father so soon. And if, if you had the slightest bit of sense you would realize that whatever is left from Grant in that…man, whoever he is, he’s not your father. I thought Dad had taught us better than that.” She growled. 

“Do you think I like this Penny?” Judy whispered, voice like jagged glass. “That I take pleasure in the fact that our food supply will never be enough for more than a year or two at most? That I constantly wonder how close we are to the precipice every day we overtax systems that were never meant for long term tenure is space?” 

“No, but before you sacrificed our parents and then blindly followed a stranger I thought I knew you well enough to be the Robison that never left anyone behind, and did their damnedest  make sure nobody was left behind.”

Growling, Penny tugged on the edges of her flowing hair. “Even if someday, at sometime, we won’t be able to save everyone, we can sure as hell make sure we never stop trying. I though you understood that.” Biting her lip she glared sharply at Judy. “Hell, even Don figured that out. Did you forget he’s the only reason that I’m alive.” 

“Penny—“ 

“Get your priorities straight, and for all that is holy, start _trying_ again. Besides, even if we could  get the power needed and make the tech jump, I somehow doubt we could force it to travel though both space and time.” 

Stalking to the entrance Penny paused, glancing over her shoulder. 

“Stop looking at us like we’re already dead.” 

Judy’s face paled as she stumbled back, as if Penny had landed a physical blow. 

“Don’t make me start reacting Judy. I’d hate to see what all the children and crew thought if they knew you already were leading them to the sacrificial alter.”

“You wouldn’t.” She breathed. 

“Don’t test me Judy. I’m not the girl that was forced to leave her parents behind. She died when her sister sacrificed them so that she could live.” 

“Penny—“

“Goodbye Judy.” Her sisters protest slammed uselessly against the metal door as she exited the room, snaking through the curving halls, children and scar faced adults scattered around the hubs and large thick wires that trailed down the sides of the halls, connecting their ship to the Fortuna. 

Closing her eyes she paused, leaning against an entrance to a tiny supply closet shoved between two square stations, the monitors flickering with stats and bobbing green and multicolored dots. 

“Subtlety was never your forte.” 

“Shut up Smith.” She grit, head beginning to pound a dull melody in her temples. 

“You sound just like your mother and father.” 

Twisting around, eyes  slitted Penny glared. “I said…shut up.” 

Shrugging Smith sighed, a secretive sort of smirk twisting her narrow lips. 

“Have it your way Robinson.” She sang as she danced down the corridor, her voice echoing against the metal as she hummed an oddly familiar tune that sounded eerie and forlorn.

Chapter Text

Penny clenched her fists as Smith vanished beyond the hallway, and her strange tune trickled out of existence. Taking a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to center herself; she felt like a fraying piece of cloth, slowly being unravelled thread by thread.

Fraying Huh? Couldn’t you come up with anything more original? her own thoughts bit scathingly.

Ignoring the taunt she turned from the tiny closet and wove her way through the hallway smiling wanly at the teens that waved, and smiled at her as she passed.

The large rotund room in the heart of their ship was filled with murmuring and chattering children, several of the older teens flitting around the space, bent over the crouched children pondering over their studies with a petulance that Penny found achingly familiar.

A warm skinned girl approached her as Penny leaned against the edge of the sliding door jam. A snake of midnight dark hair trailed down her shoulder in an impeccably neat braid.

“Saanvi.” She muttered in greeting, a fleeting smile passing across her face.

Nodding a deferential manner that Penny ignored Saanvi turned to observe the room, a small contented smile pull at her lips.

“How are you fairing?” Saanvi, ending the long moment of companionable silence that stretched out between them. Her thick accent rolled over the world is a strange cadence that was exotic and yet after all these month familiar to those who knew her.

“Are you on the clock, Doctor?” Penny asked, glancing at her, eyebrow raised.

Snorting Saanvi huffed, eyes flittering to Elizabeth as she glared down at her digital-paper as if it had personally offended her.

“Just because Smith is crazy doesn’t mean everyone who wants to understand the mind is as insane as she is.” She muttered in derision, nose crinkling in disgust. “She’s like a bad penny, showing up where she is least expected and wanted.”

Smith was a sore subject. Their parents had sacrificed themselves so their children could live, and Smiths actions had nearly made that sacrifice useless, thanks to her manipulation and careless obsession to survive regardless of the cost. The only reason they hadn’t ejected her into the clutches of space to do with her what it wanted was because Penny couldn’t stomach that thought, and also because the Fortuna changed things, it was their saving grace, but it also seemed to be their downfall.

“How are they doing, really?” Penny murmured, her lips tilting down, face sharpening.

Saanvi sighed, turning to glance at her. “They’re fine, the question is how are you?”

Brow raised, Penny pursed her lips. “Peachy, I’m just peachy.”

Huffing Saanvi crossed her arms, peering at Penny with her head tilted, face marred by annoyance.

“Thank you for being so forthright.”

Ignoring the barb Penny pushed from the jam of the sliding doorway, stalking with purpose towards Vijay as he murmured to a gaggle of giggling girls batting their eyes.

“We need to talk.” She didn’t look at him as she brushed by, but Penny saw a glimpse of his tight nod as she gathered up a few scattered wires and computer guts before she turned sharply and vanished back into the hallway, ignoring Elizabeth’s curious stare as she passed.

As she snaked through the halls Penny caught the glance of a passing boy, a rumpled blue jumpsuit haphazardly shoved over a thin white tank, eyes glazed with sleep, dark nearly purple  bags painted beneath his eyes.

“Have you seen Will?”

Blinking blankly at Penny for a long moment the boy glanced at the hall beyond where a group of Fortuna men and women gathered, murmured softly to one another.

“Well? Have you?” She asked sharply.

Startled eyes refocused on her, lips pressed in a tight line.

“Will Robinson?”

“What other Will is there?” Penny asked distractedly.

The boy’s eyes gleamed with amusement.

“Several.”

Sighing, Penny tore a hand through her tangled red locks, skin feeling tight and restrictive. If given half the chance she feared she might jump from her own skin.

“Fine,” she spat. “Have you seen Will Robinson?” She bit her tongue until it nearly bled.

The boys lips quirked with amusement.

“You should try the control room.” He said after a long moment. “Last I heard he was up there checking one of his theories.”

Dammit Will, she thought. When are you going to learn to keep your mouth shut?

Pinching the bridge of her nose Penny squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, the boy had vanished.

______

The hub of the ship was sleepy and for the most part silent. Robot stood looming and and shadowed near the center of the room, peering down at a long pair of legs.

When had he gotten so tall?

Shaking away the thought she approached the console, laughter bubbling up at the soft curses drifting from beneath the metal and synthetic equipment.

“When did you get a sailors mouth will? What would our dear mother say if she heard you now?” Penny whispered as she crouched to her knees.

Instead of surprise, a sharp pair of eyes glanced at her as he twisted at bolt, lips pressed in a determined line.

“She’d have to get passed your own mouth, and the Mini-Oreo that follows you around.” He muttered, voice deep, dulcet and strangely cultured.

A sharp pain twisted Penny’s chest.

When had Will stopped being a child?

Probably the same time that you stopped giving a shit about what Judy thought. Her mind supplied sharply.

Ripping the thought away she jumped to her feet as Will slid out from under the console, swiping at the beads of sweat and dirt on his brow.

“What can I help you with?” He drawled as he stood, looming over her, unsettling similar to their father.

Pausing the mess of feelings and the thread of worry snaking through her Penny crossed her arms, staring up at Will with her lips in a firm line.

“Time Travel Will,” she said, brow lifting, “Time-Travel,”

Sighing, Will rubbed his temple. Peering at her through slitted eyes he sighed after a long moment of silence.

“Follow me,” he muttered, twisting gracefully on his heels he sauntered from the room, striding determinedly through the winding hallways.

As they passed Penny eyed those that watched Will pass in both awe and disgust and admiration, like a sick symphony that somehow fit together as horrifying as it was to observe.

A girl fluttered her eyelashes at him as he stalked passed, not even sparing her a glance.

Slamming on the side panel of the wall a door slid open, revealing a cramped set of quarters, reserved for a little boy, and not the man Will had become right under Penny’s nose.

He gestured to the small bed sharply, and the snort that Penny had managed to keep from escaping burst from her as amusement glittered in her eyes.

“What?” Will snapped.

“I didn’t know you had a fan club.” Penny teased as she leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms.

“Shut up,” He bit, sounding nothing like boy she was so familiar with, and more like a stranger and yet at the same time so eerily similar to their father her chest ached, and tears stung her eyes.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

Shoulders slumping Will sighed, an amusement smile curling the corners of his mouth.

“I think we’ve all woken up on the wrong side of whatever bed the universe landed us in.”

“Will,” she drawled, pressing a hand to her heart. “I’m absolutely shocked. Who has been landing in your bed?”

Smirking he loomed forward.

“I don’t sleep and tell dear sister.” He sung, twisting away to rummage through a pile of data pads he missed the shock and sadness that rushed across Penny’s face.

“Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?” She muttered, proud of how teasing her voice was.

“I grew up, Penny.” He glanced back at her, eyes sharp, deep and far too old to be set in such a young face. “If I hadn’t, things would have been much _different_ around here.” He murmured distractedly as he glanced back at the pile. A bolt of true fear snaked through her.

“Will,” she waited, growing frustrated when his eyes remained steadfastly on the pile.

“Will,” she said again, bending forward. “Look at me” she growled.

Twisting he leaned against the wall, peering at her through dull eyes.

“Yes,” he paused ”Mother?”

Wincing, Penny ignored the churning emotions inside her chest.

“What happened Will?” She asked, glancing at the near stranger that inhabited her brothers body.

“Oh Penny,” he breathed pityingly. “Nothing _happened_ accept the fact that I’ve grown up.”

“But you—“ she bit her tongue, pausing as Robot tilted it’s head, peering at Will like a cat before it stepped forward, hand outstretched towards her.

“Penny Robinson is sad.” It said in its strange monotonous voice.

Looking at the Robot a bit of her old childishness escaped, like the words that slipped far too easily from her lips.

“Will isn’t acting like Will.”

The Robot blinked, synthetic bolts clicking as it’s neck twisting even more.

“Will Robinson is Will Robison.” It said simply, before turning and walking from the room.

“I’d nearly forgotten how robust it’s vocabulary was.

Snorting, Will rolled his eyes.

“Do you want to hear about time-travel or not?”

Smirking, Penny tilted her head, whatever she saw on Wills face settling some of the concern that beat like a drum inside her chest.

“Give it to me.”

Leaning back against the wall, Will began to speak.

Chapter Text

Penny twisted, blanket’s tangling around her waist as her heart pounded, Will’s words echoing in the cavern of her dreams.  She was walking through a dark path, mist and fog hemming her in on either side. 

“Time…” a strange voice hissed. Screeching she jerked back from a caress against her cheek. “So little of it, and so ill used by you fickle being.” 

A dim light throbbed in the distance, the shadow of a man like a black scar across the weak light. 

“Penny.” The shadow called, a desperate edge to the deep male voice. “Penny!” 

Heart racing she broke free from her place, the world blurring around her. 

“Penny!” Another voice screamed, another shadow appearing beside the first. 

“Mom!” She cried, bare feet pounding against the frigid metal of the ship. As she moved it was like the shadows crept further away. 

Reaching her hand out Penny yelled “No!” When her mothers face appeared in the light, eyes lifeless and dead, hand outstretched toward her, face held captive with horror and disgust. 

The world around her warped and moulded, the strange voice screech echoing in her ears. 

“Time, time, time. It always rhymes. The beginning and the end must intertwine, for the first step to take is always behind.” It warned as Penny found herself in a quiet room, over looking the chasm of space. 

“Penny?” A rough voice whispered. Yanking around Penny tore her eyes from the endless black calling to her, like a siren demanding her death. 

On a cramped bed she found a man whom had tricked and saved her family, skin pale with the lack of sun, but still familiar and warm, his dark eyes washed with amazement. 

“Don?” She breathed, staggering back. 

Rubbing his eyes Don pushed himself from the narrow bed, the thin blue blanket falling into his lap, revealing a ripped and stained tee-shirt, bruises and scars littering his body, a vicious looking one curling up from the chest, curling up to the underside of his jaw. 

He blinked at her for a long moment, then his eyes sharpened, and he lunged from the bed, grabbing Penny by the forearms. 

“You’re here.” He breathed, running his gaze over her form. “How is this possible?” 

“I-“ a tug at her navel sent Penny stumbling back, ripping her from Don’s grasp. Air wretched from her lungs. She gasped raggedly, attempting to regain air. 

“You have to tell my parents—tell _everyone_ that we’re alive.” Another tug and Penny stumbled further towards the inky darkness withering like a living being in the corner, its tentacles slipping closer and closer. 

“Where are you Penny? What is going on?” He leapt over a tentacle, reaching out with his hand he grasped her hand. Another tug and Don followed Penny as she was yanked further back. Glancing over he shoulder fear gripped her chest like a vice. The withering mass hissed, it’s whispering chant growing louder and clearer. 

Whipping her gaze towards Don she peered into his eyes, hoping that this was only a nightmare and fearing that it wasn’t real at the same time. The emotions warring inside her. 

“Tell Dad I love him.” She whispered, smiling as her lips tumbled, an image of his weary smile flashing before her eyes. “Tell them—“

A violent pull wrenched Penny from Don. A serene smile twisted her lips as she sailed back, glad that whatever had taken her wouldn’t swallow him as well. 

“Be safe.” She called as the tendrils of dark swallowed her, Don’s face twisted with anger and helpless fear. 

“Penny!” He screamed, his voice echoing in her ears as everything faded to black. 

Time, time, time it takes too much to rhyme. A nickel and a dime to cross the divide.  Return once more, those connected across time.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Penny’s eyes snapped open. Sweat beaded her brow. She lay silently in her bed for a long moment, the strangeness of her dream leeching into her waking hours.  

“Dammit.” She spat after a long moment, throwing herself from the bed. 

The door to her cramped quarters hissed open, the hallway silent, the sleepy night shift eyeing her from their stations with both confusion and a quiet curiosity. Penny avoided their eyes, trying to breathe shallowly through her nose, her heart erratic and fear crawling up her spine. 

Stumbling from the doorway Penny slipped passed the curious glances, heart beating like a war drum in her chest. The lost Fortuna stalked her through the large windows as she crept by, trying desperately to rid herself of the fear that slithered through her veins. 

“Dammit,” she whispered, sliding down the rough metal wall, looking out at the wheat gently blowing in the artificial breeze. Hair gripped roughly in her hands Penny squeezed her eyes closed and took several harsh breaths through her nose, the image of Dons face slithering into the blackness of her mind, unfurling like ink across the cool empty space of her thoughts. 

Time, time, time a phantom of a mechanical hiss echoed in her ears. Eyes snapping open she glanced wildly around herself, the fear roaring to life, beating against her skin. 

“Stop it you stupid silly girl.” Biting her tongue Penny rose from her crouched position walking to the opposite side of the opening where the harness was strapped against the wall. Yanking it down she shoved her arms through the vest, yanking it over her chest. 

“What are you doing?” 

Hissing Penny tore her gaze up, her wild eyes meeting Vijays dark orbs, his face marred by sleeplessness. 

“Nothing,” Penny bit, wincing at the brittle harshness of her voice. 

Smirking sadly Vijay stepped carefully closer, eyeing her as if she was a wounded beast ready to pounce, or flee. 

“No offense Sweetheart, but you look a little hellish for it to be nothing.” He drawled. 

Clenching her fists to stop them from tumbling Penny glared at him, the black nightmarish creature from her dreams skittering across the edges of her vision. 

“Vijay, I know you have an ego the size of a planet, but right now I really just need you to leave me alone.” 

Pursing his lips Vijay eyed her carefully for a long moment. A Hedy mix of panic and anger licked up Pennys spine. 

“Suite yourself Pen.” He shrugged, lips tilting up at the corners. “You know where to find me.” With a careless shrug belayed by eyes brimming with concern Vijay turned, steps echoing as he vanished back into the quiet ship, his footsteps soft but sure. 

Penny watched the space he’d disappeared beyond for a long moment, then turned back to the field of wheat below, hands making quick work of the remaining fasteners. With a deep breath, hand gripped around the slack of the road, Penny leapt from the edge, her mind blanking for a blissful moment as she flew suspended in the air, until the monster at the corner of her gaze followed her down its eyes watching her hungrily as she anchored her feet to the metal wall, pulse jumping like a jack rabbit. 

There is only so much to run from, little human. The creature whispered before vanishing, leaving Penny alone with her longing, fear and the anger simmering in her blood, a soulmate to the fear that wouldn’t stop stalking her steps.