Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Steam no longer swirls above his nearly empty cup of coffee. Don finds himself staring at Maureen’s mug, vapor dancing along to her hand gestures while she speaks. He wonders if he should have made one cup, just for himself, as it doesn’t seem like she’ll touch hers.

“I mean, think about it,” Maureen says, “the possibilities of what we can achieve with the help of the robots are endless. Even with Sally leaving, the others who stayed back have been so generous already. I really think we can accomplish a lot together. Building the Solidarity in orbit will go so much more quickly, don’t you think?”

Don thinks Maureen produces her own inner source of energy. A bit like him. She doesn’t need that coffee. The thought of working with robots has her completely fired up.

“Don?”

“Yeah?” Don blinks at her, belatedly catching her question. “Sorry. Yeah, you’re right. It’ll go quick.”

“Why do I get the impression you’re not convinced?”

“I am. I think one of those things is at least ten Don Wests.” He takes a drink of coffee. “Can you imagine that? Ten of me… I mean the efficiency alone would—”

“Don, you’re rambling,” Maureen gently interrupts. “They each may be ten Don Wests but the point is, I could really use your help up there. Plus, it’s an amazing opportunity.”

Don finishes his lukewarm coffee. “Definitely better than my old job.” That is, if his smuggling offenses don’t mess things up for him now that everything is over. Smith got locked up for her shit, which is admittedly worse than his offenses. He knows the Robinsons wouldn’t let that happen to him, but they aren’t completely above the law, despite what their heroic events might prove.

“Then why do I feel a ‘no’ coming?” Maureen watches him kindly. “The Don West I know never shies from a chance to leave his mark.”

“He’s the unsung hero of the Robinsons' adventures,” Don replies. “Look, Maureen… I know what you’re doing. Get me a job with you, leverage my amazing skills, but at least if I’m doing something for the greater good it means I can stay outta trouble down here. Right?”

“I… No, I just…” Maureen stammers, “I thought you might want… Well, you don’t have to, but it’s a great opportunity.”

“It is, and I appreciate you looking out for me.”

Maureen softens. “You’re family, Don. Robinsons stick together and you’re part of that.”

Some days it’s still hard to believe how lucky he’s been with this family who accept him as one of their own. He has gone to the ends of worlds and back for them, and he would do it again if it meant keeping any one of them safe. But for once in a very long time, nobody is in danger, lost in space, or going to die. It seems a little selfish to turn down such an offer but Don knows he must.

“I know. I just can’t go back into space,” Don says, “I wanna stay down here. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay.” Maureen finally drinks her coffee to fill the ensuing pause. “Do you have another plan? You’re obviously welcome with us as long as you want. Will’s room will be vacant once he and Robot leave, and you were talking about that little den for Debbie out back…”

“I still gotta build that. She’s a teenager now. As for me,” Don says thoughtfully, “I’m gonna see about getting a place near you guys. Work down here.” He lightly fingers the rim of his cup. “I’m not going back to space anytime soon.”

“If you worked with me, you’d only be up there during the day—”

“Maureen.” Don holds his hand up. “We all know it only takes a few seconds in space for shit to go sideways. I’ll figure things out down here.”

“Okay.” Maureen seems to accept that as his final answer. She drinks her coffee so slowly, Don rises to pour himself another cup so she isn’t the only one drinking. “Can I ask why you’d rather stay on Alpha Centauri?” she brings up while his back is still turned. “I imagine it's about more than wanting solid ground beneath your feet.”

“Well, it honestly is that simple.” Don rejoins her at the kitchen table. “I want to be closer to family. To you guys. Give old John a break, y’know… I could do things for you while you’re up there, like make sure Penny stays in school and out of trouble.”

Maureen chuckles, so Don comes up with a couple other ways to be useful. He doesn’t get around to the real reason he wants to stay.

Down the hall, one of the bedroom doors opens and out comes Judy. She is dressed for the day, no doubt on her way to do doctor things. Don’s attention falls away from Maureen. He catches Judy’s eye and then watches her greet her mother.

“First day at the hospital?” Maureen asks.

Judy nods. “I want to get something to eat but I don’t know any places around there yet… Yes, Don?”

His hand is up the moment he hears Judy’s minor predicament. “I know a place,” he offers like a good student. “Drive you there and then to work, if you want. And, if you promise to wake up earlier tomorrow, I might even make you breakfast.”

The offer receives an eye roll, but Judy seems willing to humor him. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Don gladly jumps to his feet and grabs his jacket from the chair. “See Maureen?” he says, hustling backwards after Judy. “Don West is more useful down here.”

Hopefully Maureen’s approving smile and wave means the matter is settled.

Chapter Text

It’s a short line to the counter. The place is not too busy for mid-morning, which is both a blessing and a curse. Don knows Judy is in a rush. The quickly moving queue only lessens the time he has with her, a third of which he has completely wasted by talking about Debbie’s rebellious years on the ride over. He needs to work on the rambling, a defense mechanism that has gotten him through life up to this point, yet now fails him when it comes to saying anything relevant to Judy. Maybe he just needs to work on the backflips his stomach starts doing when he is alone with her. He thought he had that under control long ago but apparently not.

“How do you know this place?” asks Judy while they advance in line. Her arms are crossed patiently over her chest. “I haven’t seen it before.”

“I know everythin’, that’s how.” He watches the people around going about their business. “Hospital wouldn’t let me in with you guys when Will needed surgery. They said ‘family only’.” Don grunts with displeasure. “I came here to kill some time.”

Judy turns to him and when Don looks at her, he sees Maureen’s empathetic expression. “I was wondering where you were after I got something for my shoulder,” Judy says.

“How’s that feeling by the way?”

Judy rolls it to demonstrate and the motion makes her backpack sway a little. “The fracture is all better now. Motion restored.”

“Good. All that matters is you guys back in good shape.” He taps her arm when it's their turn at the counter. Don doesn’t order anything, though it’s on him, so he encourages Judy to go crazy. “First day at the hospital. You’re gonna need it.”

Judy gets a sandwich and a latte that she insists on having in the Chariot, despite Don’s attempts to prolong their time together. He drives her to work and parks a few meters from the main entrance.

“Thanks for the ride,” Judy says, then hops out of the vehicle.

“You’re welcome. Hey, wait up.” Don barely manages to hustle beside her. Judy’s hands are full — how is she going to get that entrance door without his help? When they get there, he remembers it’s motion-sensor activated. “In ya go,” Don says nonetheless with flourish. “Good luck on your first day. Fix lots of broken noses.” He walks with her through the hospital as far as he can go. “What’re you doin’ for lunch?”

“I don’t know,” Judy calls over her shoulder, “I’ll figure something out. I really need to go, so see you at dinner?”

Don finally stops and lets her get on. “Sounds like a plan. Break a leg!” he calls right before she disappears. He sighs, then turns around and sees a nurse watching him disapprovingly. “Uhh, not literally break a leg. Just want her to do a good job, you know? Hey, Don West. Nice to mee—”

The nurse moves around him and walks away. With that out of the way, Don treks outside to face the day. He kicks imaginary rocks for a few minutes, trying to come up with a new plan to spend time with Judy, since this one has gone up in flames, though for an impromptu suggestion, it wasn’t bad. He remembers pulling a couple of smiles out of her during the ride, and that’s always a win in his book.

Back in the Chariot, he contacts John briefly to check if Robinsons need their vehicle. Maureen is already off to work, and John, Will, and Robot have plans at home. Don puts in his first destination, where he goes to see about a job.

It takes him longer than he would like, but he is glad to see certain people recognize his name at least. Like Maureen said, most of the really good gigs are up in the stars, but Don eventually manages to talk his way into some dam and turbine repairs. It’s a bit rough but it’ll keep him on Alpha Centaurian soil, with the potential of something more down the line.

Time gets away from him, due to being underground for so long. It’s only when Judy’s voice weaves through the comm device that he realizes he’s been here almost all day.

“Do you still have the Chariot?” asks Judy. “I’m going home soon.”

“Yeah, I have to work late. I'll come drop it off to you now,” Don replies. “Gimme ten minutes?”

“Okay!”

He sees her standing outside the hospital. It’s dark out, but her face is illuminated by surrounding lights. “Sorry to keep ya waitin’,” Don says when he comes up to her. “How was your first day?”

“It was good,” Judy replies airily. “Still getting used to how they do things at this hospital, but I jumped right into my residency and saw some patients today.”

Don raises his palm and Judy high-fives him. He smiles proudly at her. “Nice. Hey, you might be a bigger legend than Don West.”

“The one and only.” Judy scoffs. “Where were you all day, anyway?”

“I found some work repairing equipment for the turbines and dams. But I gotta get back actually, so…” He tosses her the key. “Chariot’s all yours.”

“You’re not coming for dinner?”

Don shrugs away the tickle of pleasure at what looks like disappointment on Judy’s face. He can’t stare at it too long or he knows it’ll make him blow off work. Wouldn’t be the first time puppy eyes won him over. This time Don has to resist because he needs this job so he can stay on land. He wants to be nearer Judy.

“Sorry, raincheck.” Don backs away to lead Judy to the Chariot. She follows him, just like Debbie. “Tell Maureen to let me know if she needs anything done down here. I’ll be out late.” Don opens the door so Judy can climb in, and then he watches her settle.

“I will,” Judy replies. “Hey, shouldn’t you be on the Solidarity with her? I know she really wanted your help up there.”

They are at eye-level like this, Judy boosted in the Chariot while Don stands outside. He smiles briefly at the changed perspective. It reminds him of when he’s sitting on a patient bed and she’s putting his nose back in place.

“I may be a legend but I can’t be in two places at once,” Don replies. “All of us have been separated so many times in space… I don’t want that to happen again.” He’s never been able to be anything other than completely honest with Judy. She brings that out of him so easily. All it takes is a softly spoken question and he is putty in her hands. “This time I want to stay.”

With the family, but most of all, with her.

“I thought you wanted a nice retirement on a dying planet,” Judy hums.

Don shakes his head. His future is here. “Not anymore. Go, drive safe. I’ll see you later.”

“See ya…” Judy spares him a soft smile, then starts the Chariot.

Don shuts the door. He steps back to watch the vehicle disappear in the night.

Chapter Text

Hunting for a place to live is just as hard as Don remembers it on earth. It’s one reason he prefers being on the road, never staying in the same place too long. The places he’s called home have always been transitory: a shared room in an orphanage, small temporary laborer units, work locations, sometimes even modes of transportation.

Now he wants a place to call his own. Somewhere to settle down, with a yard Debbie can roam freely. A place he can retire to after a long day, where Judy might want to come over, maybe for a night, longer if he’s lucky. He knows it will take a while but family life is on his mind lately, in a way it hasn’t been before, and he wants to be viewed as a provider.

Naturally his first choice is the house next door to the Robinsons, but another family already lives there. Another barrier is the way housing is allocated on Alpha Centauri. A single man and his chicken don’t stand a chance to have a big house, so Don is shown mostly small apartments that don’t quite match his vision.

Eventually, the housing agent he works with yields by agreeing to show Don some new constructions that are yet to be occupied due to the Resolute’s accidents and the ongoing Solidarity builds. It’ll be another couple of years before new colonists arrive and Don points out it’d be a shame to let the units gather dust.

Debbie in tow, Don meets the agent at the location, about twenty minutes by Chariot from the Robinson home. It is a bit too far from them for his liking, but on paper it meets his requirements. The unit feels homey as soon as he walks in. Two stories high, with a quaint front yard, and a medium-sized backyard. Living areas are downstairs and the two bedrooms are upstairs.

Don likes what he sees. It drives home that his desire is to share the space someday. He wouldn’t have nearly enough stuff to fill this unit. The master bedroom feels a little too big, and his only idea for the second bedroom is for it to serve someone else’s needs.

“As you can see, these units are designed for working couples or new parents,” the agent tells him. “Even if you’re approved, when the new colonies arrive they would be prioritized if you lived here alone.”

“So, you’re saying you would evict me and Debbie. But if I was married could I stay?” Don asks.

“If you were married, you would have the right to a bigger housing allocation.”

“Huh.” Just when Don thinks the tour is over, he learns the units here have private roof decks. He doesn’t think much of this until he sees the way the sky goes on forever. The view is remarkable. He thinks Judy would like it.

“Wow… Check it out,” Don says to Debbie, as he strolls the length of the deck. “I know I’m getting ahead of myself but hear me out: we get some lights strung up, little decor furniture, some single malt scotch, nice dinner. Invite Judy over, work my magic. She'll be your mommy before you know it. What d'you think?”

The chicken blinks and does not utter so much as a cluck. Despite the idyllic picture Don paints, Debbie’s not impressed.

“Okay, fine.” Don raises Debbie up to his face. “How about just tellin’ her we like her up here?”

Debbie turns one eye toward him, then lightly twitches in his grasp.

“Yeah,” sighs Don. “Let’s start here.” To the agent, he yells, “I’ll take it! Put me on your list, let’s get the ball rolling.”

Don hopes he’ll get approved for the unit. His backup is a small apartment in the city, that is at least close to the hospital. After parting ways with the agent, Don takes Debbie back to the Robinsons’ to feed her before heading back to work. He’s been burning through his breaks looking for a place in the last couple of days which has been tough.

Three days and quite a bit of back and forth later, Don is conditionally approved for the place. Unfortunately his schedule doesn’t overlap with the Robinsons’, so he doesn’t get to share the good news until the night of Will’s departure. The young Robinson will be off on an expedition with Robot. John has been helping them get all set up for the voyage these last few weeks but the mood at dinner is bittersweet.

“If you’re gonna come back any taller,” Don says to Will, “make sure it’s more than your old man. You’ll be missed y’know.”

“I’ll try to stay the same height,” replies Will. “There’s still time if you want to come. Might be more exciting than crashing in my room.”

“Don’t bother, Will,” Maureen says. “I failed to persuade him to come work in orbit with me.”

Don grins and shoots a glance at Robot. “What do you need me for? You got this guy watchin’ your back,” he says. “But speaking of crashing — I have some good news.”

Will, John, and Maureen look curious. Judy keeps eating. She’s been withdrawn since Don came back from work, talking mostly to Will. Penny looks up and says, “Let me guess: Debbie’s chicken coop is complete. Can you and Dad stop that hammering on Saturday mornings now?”

“Good guess, but no. Casa Del Debbie to be complete tomorrow,” Don says through Penny’s groan. “I found a place!”

Judy’s head snaps up and she looks at Don for the first time. He smiles widely at her, but she does not mirror his expression.

“Isn't it great?” Don says, as he now looks around the table. He’s the only one smiling. “I’m gettin’ out of your hair. Alright, don’t all shout at once now.”

Maureen breaks the silence first. “It’s a surprise,” she says. “That was quick.”

“Congrats,” says John. “Happy for you, but I thought you liked staying with us. I mean, I know it’s a little tight but it’s only been a couple of weeks, and you have to admit this house is nothing like the Jupiter.”

“Those may have been the best seven months of my life,” Don says, “but now that I can actually stay on this planet I thought it was time to settle somewhere.”

“It’s Will’s last night with us until… who knows how long,” Maureen says. “I wasn’t expecting more than one person to leave home tonight.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. He’s probably moving next door,” Penny remarks dryly.

“I tried that, actually, but some family already lives there,” Don replies. “New place is twenty minutes away. You won’t even notice I’m gone! Tell you what, we can share custody of Debbie.”

That brings out the smiles and laughter he’d hoped for, but when Don glances at Judy, he can’t read her expression. He has no idea if she’s happy for him, sad he’s leaving close proximity, or if she even cares. It’s like they’re worlds apart right now and he’ll do anything to bridge the gap between them.

“Yes, Judy,” Don calls on her, even though her hand isn’t raised. “I know you’re burning with questions.”

“When do you leave?” Judy simply asks.

“I get the access code tomorrow, then I’m all cleared to move in.” Don wants to ask if she’d like to check out the unit sometime, but Penny wants to know the place is like, leading him to describe everything including how he got the agent to show him the area, and the weird loophole with his tenancy.

Judy excuses herself from the table by the time he’s finished talking. Although he goes looking, Don doesn’t see her for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

After Will leaves, Judy signs up for extra shifts at the hospital. The more hands-on experience she can have, the better. She thinks she may be able to open her own practice one day but for now she will need to learn as much about how to run a hospital as possible. Occasionally she helps her mom on the Solidarity build, which is going very well, but for the most part, her days consist of home, hospital, and back home again with her family — a group now short one person and soon to be two when Don leaves them.

Judy doesn’t understand his haste. She thought he liked living with them. He’d even told her the reason he turned down a gig on the Solidarity was to be closer to them. How exactly moving twenty whole minutes away consists of being closer to them is beyond Judy, though in the grand scheme of planets and galaxies, maybe twenty minutes isn’t so bad.

It doesn’t mean Judy has to like it. In fact, she hates it a lot more than she thought she would. She knows it’s the reason she throws herself into work à la Maureen Robinson, so as to avoid family breakfasts or dinners when he’ll be around, smiling his dopey smile and gesticulating along whatever story he’s recounting.

She’s avoiding Don. Judy knows that, just like she knows her reason for disliking his move. Deep down, Judy suspects he wants to sleep around. Handsome guy like Don West certainly catches the eye and can get around. She has witnessed him smooth-talk his way out of trouble and win over perfect strangers. No doubt his new place will be a bachelor pad — one she wishes he wouldn’t ask the family's help to move into.

It’s hard to avoid these thoughts, but Judy figures if she’s at work most of the time, she won’t have to deal with complex feelings on what should really be a simple matter of man needing his space.

The problem with sneaking out of the house while Don softly snores on the pull-out couch is it makes Judy very forgetful. One day it’s her comm device, which her dad kindly brings her. The next day, it’s her backpack — Penny delivers that. Today, it’s her lunch, which her mom allegedly packed especially for her after Judy called it an unusually early night the previous day.

“I didn’t know it was in the fridge,” Judy admits while she works. “I’ll have it for dinner tonight.”

“Your dad could bring it, but he’s going up in orbit with me today.” Maureen’s reply is crisp through the comm device. “Will you be alright? You’ve been forgetting things lately.”

“I’m fine. I’m not really hungry,” Judy says. “I’ll just get something here when I am.”

“What about Don?” John asks Maureen. “Is he around?”

“You know what, I think he might be. Judy, Don could—”

“I gotta go Mom, bye.” Judy cuts out the line. She doesn’t want to hear the end of that sentence and she certainly doesn’t want all of her hard work avoiding a certain charming chicken father to come undone due to her carelessness. Within thirty minutes, she finishes up the blood work she had to get through then makes her way out of the lab. Judy stretches her arms above her head. It’s time for her break and contrary to what she told her mom, she is quite hungry. She considers going home and having a quiet lunch by herself.

As she comes to the general hall, Judy stops in her tracks upon seeing bright orange. Clad in a stained mechanic uniform, Don idles at reception, smiling at the pretty front-desk brunette. Judy overhears what he says from where she stands.

“Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, great neighborhood, chicken coop outside,” Don says, “and once I build that roof-deck cover, it’s gonna be real classy. Dare I say, romantic?”

The receptionist looks around and locks eyes with Judy, then quickly turns back to Don, seeming pretty relieved. “Mr. West,” she sighs, then she points at Judy. “Goodbye.”

When Don sees Judy, his charmer’s expression gives way to what Judy calls Crazy Don: wide grin, his arms spread out like he’s expecting to be tackled, and a strut he most definitely learned from Debbie. Only he can act this way, and make a dirty uniform look good. His behavior usually elicits an eye roll and smile, yet now Judy regrets not having snuck out the back of the hospital.

“Hey doc!” cries Don as he comes up, finally lowering his arms.

“What are you doing here?” asks Judy. “Shouldn’t you be at work?

“I’m on my break.” Don doesn’t let Judy rain on his parade. He lifts her lunch box. “Brought you some food. Maureen told me you forgot this.”

“I’m not hungry.” Judy crosses her arms. “I already ate.”

That seems to surprise Don.

“Oh…” He stares, like a lost puppy pressed for answers, at the lunch box. Judy finds this especially cute, and she jealously thinks of the other women who will get to experience this side of him. “Then, what do I do with this?”

“I don’t know.” Judy shrugs. “I’m not eating it.” Before he can respond she walks away from him, needing to lose him, for if she stays any longer around him, he might realize she’s upset.

Don follows and quickly slides next to her. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine.”

“Well, I think you should still take the food.” Don stops her by swerving in front of her. Again he tries to hand over her lunch. “You could have it for dinner. Are you staying late?”

Judy sighs long and sharp. “If I take that, will you leave me alone?”

Don frowns like he didn’t hear her properly. “Judy, is something going on? You’ve been kinda off lately… At least when I see you. Seems like you spend all your time in this place.”

“I’m tired.” Judy takes the lunch box. “Thanks for bringing this, now I really need to go, okay?”

“Sure.” His words are soft, but his nod is firm. He’ll give her space. “What time do you get out tonight?”

“Why?”

“Said you’re tired. I can drive you.”

Judy wants to tell him that won’t be necessary. But she knows if she does, she’ll have to face another side of him: Wounded Don. Judy has no defenses against it (or Pouty Don, perhaps his strongest form). Besides, he hasn't technically done anything wrong. He simply did as Maureen asked, in record time.

“Seven,” Judy replies, “but it’s fine if you have work—”

“No, no. I’ll see you then.” Don pats her arm. “Don’t overwork yourself.”

After he leaves, Judy hugs her lunch to her chest and goes out to the terrace where her colleagues gather. The group setting helps to distract her. Later on, she thinks many times about telling Don she’ll stay late and going home on her own. Then she remembers he may just wait, or come later on to get her. She knows he would do it and probably complain about it, but follow through nonetheless.

At the end of her shift Judy changes into regular clothes. Don is already waiting by the time she exits the hospital. He’s no longer in uniform, instead wearing a black t-shirt against which the metal of his dog tags glistens, jeans and black boots. Don seems deep in thought where he leans against the parked vehicle. When he sees her, the thought clears from his dark eyes and he pushes off the vehicle to walk toward her.

“Hey,” he says, his raspy voice more mellow than usual. “Tough day?”

“Yeah. I should cool it on the extra shifts.” As she stops to look up at him, Judy wishes he would spread his arms again. She debates asking for it. She has the urge to hug him, to be held and feel his warmth, to briefly listen to his strong heart. It may be one of her last sincere chances. “I’m ready to go.”

Don helps by taking her backpack from her. He then opens the vehicle door. “Hop in,” he says. “Let’s get you home. Thought we could make a quick stop first if you’re not too tired.”

“That’s fine.” Judy doesn’t ask where. She thinks she may already know.

The neighborhood is rather cute and quiet. Town-homes line the street as far as the eye can see. Don pulls up to a unit with the front lights on.

“So this is it, huh?” says Judy as she goes inside. She’s not sure she wants to be here. “Your new place.”

“Hell yeah. I’ve been dying to show you.” Don follows after her. “It’s not ready yet but it looks a lot better than before. Some of the furniture was already there.”

Don shows her around and Judy quietly looks over everything. It’s a comfortable looking unit, different than she thought it would be. When she voices that thought, Don says, “You’re the last to see it, except for Will I guess. Penny and Maureen are helping decorate. John is giving me a hand with the heavy lifting.”

Judy follows Don upstairs where his explanations come to a quiet halt. He shows her the master bedroom by entering and standing in one corner, far from her. The room is spacious and somewhat bare. It has a bathroom as well, with an inviting glass shower.

While Judy strolls around, Don looks over the bedroom as if trying to see it through fresh eyes, perhaps Judy's.

“What do you think?” Don finally asks. He runs a hand over dark stubble. “Like it?”

“It’s fine.” Whether she likes it or not doesn’t matter. She thinks of the women who will sleep with Don, a hurtful picture Judy wants out of her head. “There’s another room?” she asks, and goes looking.

“Oh. Yeah.” Once he catches up to her, Don stands in the doorway of the second room. “Not sure what to do with it yet. Actually, I was hoping to get your thoughts on it.”

Judy is surprised by that statement. “Why would you want that?”

Don fish-mouths. Something about him seems nervous. “You want the truth?”

It’s Judy’s turn to watch him from the other end of the room.

“I’ve never had this much space to myself before,” Don says. “I don’t know what to do with all of it.”

“Then why didn’t you get a smaller place?”

“Because.” Don clears his throat. “I wanted some place I could share one day. With someone else.”

“So, you want my opinion on how to set up your place for company. Why don’t you ask your lady friends?”

“What lady friends?”

Judy shakes her head, feeling a bit agitated. “Don’t play coy, Don, it doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m not! I’m flattered you think I’m so popular but that is not what I—.”

“How about a second bedroom?” Judy proposes. She begins pacing, because Don stands in the doorway. “Or an entertainment room. Or hey, maybe you guys can be roommates that sleep together and switch up where.”

Don raises his hand in surrender. “Woah,” he says, “alright, hold it right there.”

“What?”

“Why are you getting mad?” asks Don.

“Because I didn’t want to come here.”

“You said it was fine to make a stop. Did that change in the last twenty minutes?”

“Yes,” Judy snaps. “I don’t want to see your stupid bachelor pad, or future whatever this is with whoever you’re flirting with these days.”

“Flirting with—what? Hey now, I may be the sexiest, most badass mechanic in the galaxy, but I am not flirtin’ with anyone.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Judy is left with no choice but to push past him to exit the room. “You said there’s a deck.”

“I’m not sure you should be up there right now. What’s with all the accusations?”

Judy ignores the question. She finds her way to the deck quickly enough. Her breath hangs when she sees it, and her heart picks up in pace. The deck is spacious and the sky above is breathtaking. There’s nothing up here except fairy lights, strung in a dazzling fashion, criss-crossed very nicely. Judy doesn’t notice Don standing next to her until a few minutes later.

“I was thinking of an enclosed fire pit there,” Don points to the center of the deck. “Furniture all around, get this deck covered up. I could have you all over more. But, Judy, about what you said downstairs—”

“It’s beautiful, Don,” Judy says, before he can finish. “Actually it really suits you.”

“Thanks.” Don shifts to stand before her and his voice softens considerably. “Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you downstairs. Just wanted your opinion. You know that, right?”

“I do. Sorry… It’s been a long day.” Judy can’t hold his gaze for long. Don is looking at her in the gently piercing way that always makes her knees a little weak. Instead she focuses on his boots, then his hands, fighting the want to hold them. Hands that can make her own almost disappear from their size.

“The second room should be anything you want,” Judy goes on to say, after a deep breath. “Something you always wanted to have but couldn’t before. A place for your favorite tools, or space gear, or some hobby. Don, just make this place your own. Your home. You can fit someone else in when…” Judy feels a lump form in her throat. These words signify she is accepting the inevitable he’ll go for someone else before she has a chance to make a move. This is what she gets for waiting years. “When the time comes.”

“Judy… Are you crying?”

Judy isn’t, but she might if he says anything else. “No,” she smiles. “Let’s go.”

She leaves Don behind to head downstairs and outside.

Chapter Text

Judy sleeps in the next day, as she doesn’t have work. She awakes to the sound voices somewhere beyond her bedroom door. Penny and Don to one side, her parents seemingly out in the backyard. The chatter grows more crisp as the fog of sleep escapes her eyelids. Don and Penny’s conversation consists of their usual duel of wits. Their ‘sibling’ dynamic is not a problem, but being Penny's sister herself, Judy sometimes finds herself wondering if Don also sees her platonically. After seeing his place the previous night, she is unsure where they stand.

As she gets out of bed to freshen up, Judy reflects on their dynamic in the last few years. Things were different when they first met. They grew close in a short amount of time, connecting on shared traumatic experiences and principles. Judy believes she quickly saw through Don’s bravado, the shield of noise and chatter surrounding him, inflating his character to hide the Don West underneath. Judy likes the real him way better, and she once believed the real him might have liked her too.

Now it seems, perhaps of her own doing, she’s just Judy to him.

With plans to exercise a bit later on, Judy dresses in running clothes that accentuate her physique and emerges from her bedroom. Outside, her mom and dad wave at her through the screen door and Judy happily returns the gesture before casting Don and Penny quick glances.

“Hey guys,” Judy greets them.

“There she is,” Don replies cheerfully. His beard is growing thicker and it’s ridiculously fetching. “Good morning.”

Judy joins them in the kitchen. A large box that Penny currently fills up occupies half the table. Judy takes a peek within and, finding nothing of interest to her, reroutes to the counter. “Is there any coffee?”

“All done,” Penny replies.

“But you're in luck. I was about to make another pot,” Don says.

“You were?” Penny sounds skeptical. “I thought we were taking this box of stuff to your new house. Vijay said he has one of those parts for the chicken coop.”

Judy pretends to ignore them as she searches for fruit and a bowl. In reality, she is hyper aware of Don’s movements around her now — the mechanic is determined to brew coffee.

“I showed it to Judy last night,” he tells Penny. “She said it needs improvement.”

Judy is getting a spoon from a drawer when she hears those words. “I didn’t say that,” she replies. “I didn’t even see the chicken coop.”

“I meant the whole place," Don says, briefly eyeing her workout gear. “You didn’t seem impressed.”

“Oh…” Judy can’t recall saying it needs improvement. Clearly that is how Don interpreted it. She pours a bit of cereal with milk and says, “It’s a nice place. I think you’ll be just fine there.”

“Just fine?” Don says, as he makes the coffee. By the time she's completed cutting up her fruit, he places a mug where Judy sits, before even serving himself. “What about ‘happy’, or ‘right at home’, or ‘delighted’?”

Thankfully Judy is too busy chewing to say much more. Penny declines another Cup of Joe, so Don helps himself. He comes to sit in the chair beside Judy. She can tell from his body language, with most of his extremities facing her, that Don is no longer as focused on Penny.

“How did you sleep?” Don inquires.

“Pretty good,” Judy replies between bites. “Didn’t wake up until twenty minutes ago.”

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Judy notices Don’s demeanor seems tentative, like he’s trying to read her mood without revealing his intentions. She realizes her behavior the previous night may still be on his mind, and immediately, Judy wishes she could smoosh his face with affection to reassure him. “I’ll probably take it easy after my run today. What about you?”

He points at the box on the table which Penny continues to fill. “Take the last of my stuff over, do some remodeling.” Don takes a drink of coffee, then twists the mug idly between thick, tan fingers. “Judy, about that second room at my place…”

“Ah. The problem room.”

“Yeah…” Don half chuckles. “Just curious, if it was up to you, what would you do with it?”

Judy arches her brows, surprised by his phrasing. She chews thoughtfully on the question. “I don’t know,” she says after a minute. “What would I do if I were you? Or as myself?”

“If you lived there,” Don clarifies.

That is even more surprising. He appears to really want an answer, so Judy puts down her spoon in the nearly empty cereal bowl.

“I'd make it an office, a workspace,” Judy says, mentally conjuring up the room now. “When you walk in, a desk to the left. Not too far from the desk, I’d have a bookshelf for all my med school things, manuals Mom wrote, Penny’s books, etc. A rug in the center of the room, a couch by the window. A cute coffee table, and maybe a TV?” Judy grows a bit lost with the picture she paints. “Oh, and in the closet: medical supplies only. Can never have enough storage for health needs, right?”

Upon focusing back on Don, Judy is transported by the look on his face. It takes her back to their early days: the edge of a cliff, a ‘thank you’, putting his nose back in place, all moments he held this same expression. One that made her believe something she now doubts.

“Anyway, I don’t live there.” Judy quickly breaks eye-contact. “This is all useless to you. It’d be like turning the room into a nursery.”

“Like for babies?” says Don hoarsely. His wires visibly short-circuit, like plugging a Jupiter’s in to the out.

“I was kidding.” Judy starts on her coffee. “Definitely don’t do that.”

Penny laughs nearby too. “Can you imagine Don with a kid?”

“Hey! I’d make a great dad,” he defends himself. All his powers are back on again and he’s made a full recovery into his jovial character. “Ask Debbie who’s the number one space-dad alive.”

“John Robinson,” Penny says.

“Fine. Number two.”

“Grant Kelly,” Judy says. “Then Victor Dhar, Ben Adler, Hiroki Wantanabe…”

“Come on, man, you’re just naming fathers.” Don rises, taking Judy’s empty bowl to the sink. “My fun-loving nature and innate sense of compassion will make me the ideal dad, hands down. Changing diapers? No problem. You know how many times Debbie’s gone number one and number two on me?”

Judy crinkles her nose and Penny audibly gags. They both burst out laughing. Judy tucks her chin in her palm and watches Don's back as he does the dishes. She can’t believe he had to move out, when he fits so well, right where he stands.

If she could go back in time, she’d have snuck Don in that Jupiter instead of Smith.

“As hilarious and disgusting as that sounds,” Judy says, “chickens don’t pee, Don.”

“They don’t?” Don cleans out his mug and sets all dishes on the drying rack. “Man… Debbie’s got some loose stools. Farts a lot, too. Last week, she let out something yellow and real—”

“Don, please!” Judy covers her ears. “Fine, you’re number one space-dad. Can we please stop talking about chicken shit?”

At that, Don throws a kitchen towel over his shoulder, and he turns the sweetest, most radiant smile toward her. It’s like watching the sun rise. “Alright, princess.”

Judy plans to scream into a pillow as soon as Don leaves.

Chapter Text

Don hosts a housewarming party on his finished roof. John and Maureen, and Don’s mechanic friends are the first to show up. About an hour into the party, acquaintances come crashing. This mixed wave of guests consists of Resolute crew, women from the restaurant-bars Don sometimes goes to, or folks from cafes he visits on his breaks — the kind of people he knows because he talks to everyone he meets.

Judy, who is supposedly on her way, calls Don with an unfortunate last minute change of plans. She can no longer make it, saying she has to unexpectedly work late. Don supplies his understanding and lets her get on, in case she has a medical emergency on her hands. He revels in the company of those present but by the end of the night, Don has forced one too many smiles. He feels Judy’s absence quite strongly, wishing she could have come.

The next day, he scouts for materials and furniture for his second upstairs room. He acquires a rug, a neat coffee table, and materials for a bookshelf and desk. The desk takes him ten minutes to set up. It’s a while longer for the bookshelf but once assembled, Don decorates it with prized power tools. He works into the evening to remodel the closet, giving it a few sturdy storage shelves.

Don passes out on the couch in the room. In the morning, he looks over his work with fresh eyes and feels proud. It could be an office, a hangout room since the couch is extremely comfortable, or with some changes, converted into a child’s room. Again he thinks about bringing Judy over, wondering if her reaction might differ this time. He tried telling her the last time that she was way off-base with her assumptions. Don has been wanting to clear the air. He’s well aware that means confessing his lingering feelings for her.

He would have done it if she’d come to the housewarming party. He had pictured an earnest moment on the roof deck once everyone else was gone, telling her she is the best thing to happen to him, and that if she is willing, he would like to fill the same role for her — to be there for her, as her man. The moment could theoretically be re-staged, or Don could keep it simple: go over to the Robinsons’, sit her down on the couch, and tell her. That way, once it’s out, he can let John and Maureen know he has feelings for their brilliant daughter, and get punched in the face.

Not that Don thinks that’ll happen, but there’s a possibility. Don has grown close enough to the family to understand his position in their little tribe. He looks out for Penny and Will like he would his own relatives, if he had any. But he doesn’t see Judy so platonically, he never has, and it would be best to remove the blurred lines.

His idea evolves into taking Judy out someplace unique. Don decides on a daytrip somewhere they can hang out, hike, and have an honest conversation. At work, he asks around for suggestions of nice places with cool sights. Once he has a decent list of options, he calls Judy. It’s around the end of her workday, or evening break if she is staying late.

“Doctor Robinson, come in,” Don says on his comm device. “Do you copy?”

“Read you loud and clear, Don,” Judy says. “Where are you?”

“Onsite, taking a break.” He paces a few feet back and forth. “What about you?”

“I’m heading home. My dad and I are going out to dinner.”

“Sounds fun. When are you going out to dinner with me?”

“You’re the one who moved, mister,” Judy says, her voice pleasant. “We could’ve had as many dinners as you want, but you left.”

“Fair enough.”

“Is that why you’re calling?” asks Judy. “If you’re hungry we can get you something to go.”

“No, I’m good. Thanks, though,” Don says. “I wanted to know if you’ve heard of the sights this side of Alpha Centauri has to offer. Paradise Hills, Little Heaven, Moonwalk. It’s what they use to advertise this place.”

“Yeah, actually, I read about those! Little Heaven is supposedly the only place you can see the Red Dwarf, sometimes even during the day. Some of my friends and I wanted to go…”

Don is pleased to hear her interest. He flexes his hands, clad in fingerless gloves. “Come with me! We make a road trip out of it, maybe hit two spots?” Don bites his lip when silence follows. It’s almost like he’s lost connection with her, but then Don hears Judy’s intake of breath. She seems to be walking uphill. “Judy? Still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here.” Judy exhales sharply, like she has come to a stop. “Which did you want to visit?”

“Little Heaven. It has the most to offer. You down?”

“Don… Wouldn’t you rather take someone else?”

“Like who?” Don asks, perplexed. “Who’s better company than Judy Robinson?”

“Lots of people,” Judy says. “Penny told me a lot of… people crashed your party.”

Don strokes his beard slowly, needing a moment to digest the statement. For some reason, he’s not entirely convinced Judy heard that from Penny, who helped set up but didn’t stay long after claiming a party with her parents present is lame. Judy secretly showing up then leaving is more likely than a second hand account from her sister, who definitely did not overlap with the crashers.

There’s also the way Judy said ‘people’. Don is inclined to believe she means ‘women’, of which there were admittedly many at his gathering. Truthfully, he enjoyed their attention, or when they laughed at his quips. As an orphaned individual, his desire to be liked and accepted runs deeper than most people, and for the first time, he has a real place, a normal life in which friends want to show up. He played great host to everyone that evening, and was generous with his personal booze, but Don sent every last person home that night.

Then again, Judy may be rejecting him right now. Perhaps letting him down easy since they’ve known each other a while.

He might have been too focused on his own wants to realize she would not be receptive to his interest in her. Don knows even a single curl on Judy’s blessed head is out of his league. She has a societal standing, her family is basically legendary by now, and she’s an accomplished doctor-astronaut-leader. It doesn’t get any more badass and beautiful than Judy, and Don feels like a speck of stardust in her solar system.

If this is Judy’s perspective, Don is certainly troubled. But he can’t say he blames her, because if he were Judy Robinson, the heartbreaking truth is: Don West would not be his first choice.

“You don’t wanna come?” Don asks.

“I want to see Little Heaven,” Judy says. “But a day trip… I don’t know. Might be more fun with someone else. Why don’t you ask someone who’s caught your fancy?”

“Judy, what do you think I’m doing?”

Again with the silence. Don reflects this conversation would have been better in person. Over comm, Don has no way to assess if Judy is reluctant or uninterested. He supposes it would be best to prepare for either outcome, whether she agrees tonight or not.

“Tell you what,” Don says first, “take some time, think about it. And if you’re down to go, gimme a call.”

Judy takes a long, deep breath. “Don…?”

“I’m here.”

“I really want to go with you,” she says.

Don shuts his eyes and fist pumps. “Yeah?”

“Absolutely. Let’s do it.”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about.” He smiles, then foolishly tries to cover it up, even though he’s alone. “Send me your days off, we can set something up.”

“Check your comm,” Judy says and, a few moments later, they have a date.

Chapter Text

Judy has been wrong before. Despite what Penny may think, the eldest Robinson sibling does not know it all and does make mistakes. As far as Don is concerned, it appears she may have been completely wrong about the attention he receives. She’s home from dinner now, showering off a long day, yet his words echo in her mind.

‘What do you think I’m doing?’

She honestly cannot believe it yet she opts to remain cautiously optimistic. Don’s behavior aligns with his words so far, explaining the way he’s conveniently available to do things for her, even when he supposedly has work. It’s hard to believe because he’s kept his distance these last few years. They both have, in one way or another, and Judy thought that would be the way things went.

Glad to be wrong on this one, Judy changes into nightwear and goes out of her room to bid her dad goodnight. She finds him outside, looking up at the sky the way he does anytime Maureen won’t be back from orbit for a while.

“Hey,” John says when he notices Judy. “Ready for bed?”

Judy nods. “Just wanted to say goodnight. You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Restaurant was pretty good, right?”

“We have to go back with Penny.” Judy gives her dad a hug, in which she lingers for a few moments as John holds her and kisses her head. “Dad, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What do you think of Don?”

“Don West?” John says.

“We only know one Don,” Judy points out.

“Right. Well,” John says, “he’s alright. Loyal. There when you need him. Talks a whole lot, but he’s a damn good mechanic. Why do you ask?”

Judy has never felt sure of her parents’ stance on a potential match between her and Don. Certainly they would approve since they all like him so much, but on the off-chance it is not accepted, she will hurt, as she wouldn’t want to wound her family. She pulls away from her father’s side and twiddles her thumbs.

“Dad… I think he likes me.”

“‘Course he likes you, Judy. He does whatever you say.”

“No, I mean…” Judy arches her brows to make her father understand, though in many ways, what he says rings true to her own point.

“You think?” John asks dubiously. “Don West?”

“You keep saying his name like it'll make this about someone else.” Judy can’t help but to grin. Her dad is not the greatest at conversations like these, but she knows he tries. He's always been approachable, willing to offer fatherly advice when needed, or simply listen. “He asked me somewhere in a couple of days. I’m looking forward to it.”

“So, that means,” John says slowly, visibly thinking, “you like him too?”

Judy inhales steadily. “I just want to know, if that were the case and it went somewhere, whether it would be okay with you and Mom, or if it would be uncomfortable.”

“You don’t need my approval, Judy. You’re an adult.”

“I know that but, it’s Don.”

“Right.” John sighs and stares back up at the sky. The backyard light accentuates the copper hue of his beard. “I wouldn’t have thought he was your type.”

Judy playfully taps her father's arm. “What would you know about my type?”

“I thought you’d go for some doctor, or someone like your mom.” John smirks long and slow. “Hell, an astronaut, or a navy seal. Not a… mechanic chicken dad.”

“That’s offensive to Don and Debbie,” says Judy.

“Well, good thing they moved out.” They share a laugh. “I can’t speak for your mom but I don’t have a problem with it. We know him and I trust him. Just be careful, Jude. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Judy nods to signal she understands, then steals another hug from her dad. “Alright. Good talk. Night.”

John squeezes her back with a soft laugh. “Night, champ.”

She feels good knowing what she now does. Her mom will likely hear about this from her dad at some point. For now, all Judy needs to focus on is getting enough rest for work the next day. An hour later, she’s tossing and turning, seemingly unable to switch off her mind. It is consumed by anticipation for her road trip in a couple of days. She also can’t stop thinking about silly things, like Don’s animated facial expressions, or the way he sometimes mellows out while working and positively smolders.

Reaching over the nightstand, Judy grabs her comm and presses a few keys. After much deliberation, she starts a new line of communication and waits for the signal to clear.

“Judy to Don?” she says softly.

His voice comes a few moments later, tired, but still alert. “Hey. Can’t sleep?”

“No,” she says truthfully. “What are you doing awake?”

“Thinking about you.”

Judy feels her entire face warm up, other parts following right along. She flails internally. “Sorry to make it worse by calling.”

Don laughs softly. “It’s fine. I was going to do the same. Didn’t think you’d be awake.”

“I would love to fall asleep, I have an early start tomorrow.”

“But you called me instead. Miss me?”

Judy does. Instead, she proposes, “Tell me a story. I’ll definitely fall asleep.”

“Just so I understand correctly: are you saying my stories put you to sleep?”

“I’m saying I like the sound of your voice.”

“Oh. Well,” Don says, sounding like he's smiling, “since you’re twisting my arm, I can tell you about the first time I had to cover my tracks. It was my first trip to Alpha Centauri…”

Judy snuggles comfortably in bed to listen to Don, the comm device close to her head making her feel as if he’s near. She can’t remember falling asleep, only that her dreams that night, and for the next couple of nights, are filled with beautiful images like Don’s smiling eyes.

On the morning of their trip, which finds Judy all packed up and buzzing with excitement, those same beautiful eyes greet her when Don pulls up in a Chariot. Judy watches from the doorstep as he comes out of the vehicle that is blasting music.

For all the times she’s imagined dating Don West, this moment he walks toward her, looking at her like that, is better than any daydream.

“Mornin’!” Don calls out and, smiling, Judy runs toward him.

“You ready to roll?” she says.

Don devil horns with both hands and nods for her to follow. Judy gives him her bags when he offers to take them then jumps in the vehicle.

Chapter Text

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Judy Robinson is Don’s absolute favorite. He’s happy to go on record with that because Goddamn did the cute-meter explode when he saw her coming out the house. He'd nearly turned around to see if she could have been smiling at someone else. Now that they make their way through the city, Judy casts a long glance behind her and gasps at the packed Chariot.

“Did you rob a grocery store?!” cries Judy.

“No?” Don says as if betrayed. “What the hell? I have a job.”

“It’s just a lot of stuff back here.”

“It’s two backpacks and one cooler. A tent in case we camp out. You bring your telescope?”

“Sure did.” Judy pats one of the bags situated behind her seat. “I haven’t used it yet.”

“Looks like you packed light.”

“I tried to fit essentials in my backpack. The telescope has its own travel case,” Judy says. “I packed a first aid kit just in case.”

“I knew bringing you was a good idea.” Don’s grip on the steering wheel relaxes as he leads them toward highway lanes. “Anything happens to me, you’ll have to answer Debbie.”

“I’ll make sure she still has a father after this.” Judy chuckles and lets out what sounds like a happy sigh. “I’m really so excited for today.”

Don finds it hard to keep his eyes on the road. If Judy is that excited, he can’t think of a word to describe how he’s feeling. For all the danger they’ve faced together, this ordinary little outing is so beyond refreshing that he has nothing to compare it to.

Judy cracks a window on her side, letting in some fresh air. Her dark curls dance in the small breeze. Awestruck, Don wants to live in this moment forever.

“I’ve been looking forward to this,” Don says, returning his attention on the road. In his periphery, he catches the way Judy’s head turns toward him and stays that way. He finds her smiling once he checks. Don shoots her a wink and Judy’s smile widens.

Don accelerates until the city is behind them about an hour and half later. Now their surroundings consist of open roads and tall trees on either side of the guard rails. Judy seems quite relaxed as she tells him about hospital encounters or her friends. Don tells her stories and she calls him out on the more exaggerated parts until he tones it down a little. After a while it feels like they’ve been laughing together forever.

The road to Little Heaven takes a couple of hours and they make one rest stop. Once they get close to their destination, Don says, “What do you say we start with the easy hike, stop for a break, then drive to where we can see the Red Dwarf?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Judy replies. “It won’t be all that visible until later. Anyway, I heard these trails are really breathtaking on all sides. You could make days’ worth of a trip out of it.”

“Guess we’ll have to come back.” Don pulls into a parking lot that is lined with several other vehicles. Already, it seems they are on a different planet based on the vistas alone. He straps on his backpack after adding a few things for their break and they set off on foot.

“Think there’s any robots hiding out here?” Don asks while they trek.

“Unlikely,” replies Judy, “but who knows around here. I don’t think anything will surprise me ever again after the last few years.”

Don agrees. “Paralyzing algae, talking alien robots, a horse on a ship.”

“Fuel eating eels, planets broken in half, my biological father being alive.”

“How’s Grant doing these days?” asks Don. “Haven’t seen or spoken much to him.”

“He’s good, I think he’s up in Orbit on the Solidarity.”

“You think he’ll go back to Earth?”

“I don’t know.” Judy furrows her brow and cautiously watches her footing. “I hope not, but he may one of these days.”

Don has heard all about Judy rescuing Grant Kelly. He’s heard about all of Judy’s accomplishments, like running across kilometers of threats to save John, or saving her and Maureen from being swallowed by a giant alien slug. “What was it like pulling him out of cryo?”

“Nerve-wracking.” Judy reaches out to steady herself using Don’s bicep and he slows down to help her. “I practiced what I’d say to him and then I didn’t even tell him I was his daughter until way later. I worried about how he might react.”

“I know he loved you,” Don replies. Judy’s hand falls away far too quickly. “Lucky you with your two dads.”

“Mm, we got along. Sort of.” She looks at him. “Your family on Earth is…?”

“Irrelevant. Not in my life, never were.”

Her tone softens when she says, “Did you ever try to contact them?”

“Once.” Don comes to a halt to check the map. “Found my parents. It didn’t go so well. They didn’t want me as a kid and turns out that didn’t change in twenty years. That’s why I don’t look back.” He resumes walking, hoping to leave the topic behind, yet all he does is outpace Judy as the climb grows steeper. She can handle it but they came here together, so he makes himself slow down again, then extends a hand out to her.

“Thanks,” Judy says after she takes it. “I won’t ask about your parents if you don’t like to talk about it.”

“It’s fine. Just… Nothing left to tell.”

Judy accepts that much, so Don changes the topic. The nature around them is awe-inspiring but all Don cares about is holding Judy’s hand. She hasn’t let go and he’s not planning to anytime soon. Sometimes they pause to take in beautiful views. In those moments, they often catch each other’s sneaky glimpse yet all that proves is they are both terrible at pretending not to look at each other.

Finally they come to the rest stop on their digital map. They put down their things and share a meal. Judy approves of what Don packed and eats merrily. After the meal, they sit side by side on the ground in happy, contemplative silence.

“Can I ask you something?” Don eventually says. After all, here comes the opportunity he sought these last few weeks. He would be a fool not to seize it. “How do you see me?”

“What do you mean?” asks Judy.

“Do you see me as a friend, or a mechanic, or the guy who launched into space with your dad, or…?”

“Are you just listing things you’ve done or are good at?”

Don meets Judy’s eye. He can tell she’s being playful, but she also seems to quickly realize he’s being serious, and so her smile fades a little. “You know how I see you, Don…”

“Actually, I don’t.” Don raises his knees and hangs his arms over them. “I know you see me as family. But that’s ambiguous.”

“You do feel like family. Just… different.”

“Different how?”

Judy hums thoughtfully. She shifts the way she sits to face him more. “Like the hot neighbor who comes for Christmas dinner?”

Don cracks a small smile of disbelief. What a way to both throw him off topic and delight him. He wonders what it is about him that does it for her. If only Judy knew what her slight lisp does to him, or how long he contemplates her form-fitting workout clothes.

“You think I’m hot?” he teases. “How hot are we talkin’ here, doc? Had I known the sexy mechanic thing was workin’ for ya, I’d have led with that.”

“S-Shut up.” Judy shoves him. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Well,” Don says mildly, “I see you as the pretty lady who’s caught my eye for a while now. That’s why I asked you here, and why I want your thoughts on my new place. It’s the reason I won't work in Orbit if I can help it.”

They spend a few moments gazing at each other, letting the confession sink in. For once Don isn’t left guessing. Judy at least thinks he’s attractive, which is quite significant. There may be better looking men out there, but she likes what she sees in him. Soon Judy drops her gaze and upon closer inspection, Don finds her cheeks are tinting.

“Okay, good,” Judy says in a rational tone. “How long?”

“‘How long’ what?”

“How long is a while. How long have you felt this way?”

Don realizes she’s flustered and boy, if it isn’t the most endearing thing he’s seen. He reaches out to her and tilts her face up by the chin. “Long enough to know this here is way overdue.” Despite this, Judy will hardly meet his eye. Don gently touches her shoulder. “You okay?”

“I am,” Judy says in a shaky voice. She smiles with trembling lips and draws breath. “Better than okay, actually. Um… Don you should know that I have feelings for you, and I’ve had them for a really long time too. Things became weird after we came back on the Fortuna. I didn’t want to make things awkward and then when you said you’ve moving, I thought you’d decided to go your own way. And I know I’m usually competitive and good at everything, but being lost in space doesn’t really leave much room for dating — unless you’re Penny — and I really do not enjoy seeing other women around you because I don’t know how to handle it, so… yeah.”

At last, Judy pauses for breath. It hits Don at that moment, how tortured the poor thing has been. He would readily believe Judy does not fancy him, but never would he have imagined she not only likes him, she’s kept all of this bottled up so long it was bound to come out into a nearly incoherent wave, one that makes his chest squeeze with affection. Everything inside him wants to make things right and let her know he only wants to be in her life.

“Judy,” Don says, and she looks up doe-eyed at him when he cups her cheek. “I have feelings for you, too.”

He moves in to close the few remaining inches between them and their lips meet, Judy’s parting willingly for his own. It tastes like the first of many kisses. Don makes it last, savoring what it’s like to run his hands freely through her hair or stroke her neck. They both breathe each other in. Between kisses, he feels her truly relax and finally, Don sees Judy smiling happily. He pulls away for a moment, their mouths inches apart.

“What d’you say we give this dating thing a shot?” Don asks as he looks into her eyes.

Judy shakes her head and throws her arms around his neck. “Screw dating. You’re mine,” Judy says, and captures her lips again like she’ll never let go.

Don supposes that works too.

Chapter Text

Judy can’t say she’s seen Don quite like this before. A version of the mechanic that seems more whole and genuine. His dimpled smiles bear a boyish softness to them and they come languidly now, like he doesn’t have to pretend or try to be funny anymore. It’s the look of a man who feels seen and accepted. He is relaxed, and affectionate, though she’d witnessed that before — with Debbie. Now, Don holds her hand firmly as they make their way back to the Chariot and from his grip alone, Judy can tell he will always be by her side.

The gentle and steady excitement in her chest must be what it’s like to be head over heels for someone and be with them. Judy can’t properly articulate why it finally makes sense. All she knows is it doesn’t burden her the way her previous crush had done. Sleepless nights and restless days, fluctuating and downright obsessive emotions that used to leave her longing for Don from afar. Now that she doesn’t have to hide, she cannot imagine what she did when they were separated.

They drive to the observatory field and make it by early evening. Judy helps Don pitch their tent, then she begins to set up her telescope. She hums a tune while she works, a familiar song playing from the Chariot. Don leaves her to her own devices as he sits in a camping chair near her and enjoys a beer. He watches the sunset thoughtfully, and Judy smiles at his peaceful expression. She can’t wait to join him in the chair next to his own, though upon considering the way he spreads, his lap seems just as inviting.

Catching her eyes on him, Don turns to Judy. “How’s it coming?”

“Good, I’m almost done,” she replies as she tinkers. “I can show you what I’m hoping to see when I’m done.”

“I just hope we don’t see anything bad out there, like an alien ship.”

Judy smirks. “You can say that again.”

Don makes a sound of agreement. He drinks more of his beer and then lets out the sharp exhale of an imminent change of subject. “So, doc, what do you think about the future?”

“Our future?”

“In general. What are your plans? What do you wanna do?”

Judy thinks about it for a minute. She has many dreams and aspirations. Although her time in space has made quite a few come true, she’s always wanted to help people and provide adequate care. The longer she works in a hospital the more she feels she could be doing things her own way to benefit others.

“I want to open a medical practice,” Judy says. “I plan to stay close to my family for the next few years and I figure it’ll be a good time to get something off the ground. I'd love for my career to really take off but I also want a quiet life. Definitely not up to exploring alien planets anytime soon.” Finally, the telescope is all set up. Judy takes a peek and sees a lot, but not yet what she’s looking for. She’s glad Don asked, as it makes her curious about his own plans. “What about you?”

“Marriage and kids,” Don immediately says.

Judy glances at him and lets out an amused scoff. “Really?” she says teasingly. “Is that your final answer?”

“I didn’t have a family growing up and I want that,” Don replies like it’s a no-brainer.

Judy realizes he’s serious, not even remotely trying to be funny. “Right, sorry.” She looks away from the telescope. “Of course.”

“You seem caught off guard,” Don remarks, somewhat apprehensively. “Do you want that?”

“Yes. I do want to start a family someday.” Judy comes around to sit next to him. “I thought we were speaking about professional aspirations.”

“Opening a clinic or medical practice,” he wags a finger at her, “that’s very on-brand for you. Going to need real estate for it.”

“And a number of licenses.” Judy is still thinking through all the requirements. “I don’t know how I’m going to do it. That’s why it’s still a dream.” She tilts her head curiously at Don. “Do you have any big dreams?”

Don raises a fist to his mouth and gives a quiet belch. He then shakes his head, eyes lowered, his face mainly illuminated by the Chariot light through the open door. “Dreaming big isn’t for guys like me,” he answers. “We’re on Alpha Centauri, this promised land, but plenty of things remain the same.”

“You used to dream of retiring somewhere with unlimited margaritas.”

“Yeah, keyword: retiring.”

“Right.” Judy nods slowly. “Well, for the record, I don’t care what you do for work. As long as it’s legal and you’re happy, I will support it.”

“You’re saying you don’t wanna be with a smuggler.”

“No… I just meant something that won’t get you in trouble,” Judy quickly explains. “I don’t want anything to mess up what we have.”

Judy does recall having a problem with Don being a smuggler once, for about three seconds. She stopped caring the minute she realized he’s a good man trying to get by. Over the years he’s proven to be a friend to her parents, an accomplice to her and her siblings, and even Penny’s rescuer. Like John had said, Don is there when one needs him.

Don strokes her cheek with the back of his hand. “Then, you’re in luck. I don’t do that anymore. Most of my goods went down with the Resolute. Still have some things to get rid of down here.”

Judy catches his hand before it falls away. She kisses his knuckles then asks, “How are you going to do that?”

“I don’t know yet. Economy works a little differently down here but I’ll find a way.” He interlinks his cool fingers with hers. “Don’t worry, Judy. I’m gonna be a provider. Tell me more about this medical practice you want.”

“Oh, where to begin.” Judy breathes deeply and tells him some aspects of the hospital she thinks could be improved. Though her ideas are sound, she doesn't have much of a voice as a newbie for decision making.

Judy believes she can provide more personalized care in a medical practice of her own, and she envisions research opportunities to fuse man-made organs with alien technology — just like Robot did for Will. “It’s a lot to think about and the hospital does things a certain way that may not change.” She deflates a little. “Anyway, I don’t have the kind of money or resources for that yet.”

Don opens a beer and hands it to her. Judy gratefully accepts and takes a sip, then continues speaking on the subject for a few more minutes. She thought he would be bored by now, but he continues to listen thoughtfully.

“When do you want all this?” asks Don at the end of her spiel, as though he doesn’t doubt for a second she can do it. His quiet confidence in her is energizing.

“In a couple of years,” Judy says.

“Before starting a family, or after?”

“You don’t waste any time, do you?” Judy laughs because she has known Don for so long, this conversation feels natural and almost overdue. She slips out of her chair and sits into his lap, nestling comfortably as his arms wrap around her middle. With her free hand, Judy runs her fingers through his dark hair. She’s always wanted to do that when he is awake, as she has done it in the past while caring for his unconscious form. “You ask every girl on a first date if she wants kids?”

“No, no.” Don flushes attractively, as if he’s never asked that question before and is embarrassed the one time he does. “Just wondering if you have a timeline.”

“Would you wait if I said before family life?”

“I’m on your time, Judy,” Don says, looking her right in the eye. “I’ll wait as long as I have to.”

Judy makes a helpless sound. She grasps Don’s cheeks between her fingers and peppers his mouth with kisses. “You’re so cute. Good,” she says, “because I was thinking after kids. And I was thinking two.”

“Clinics?”

“Children.” Judy is rewarded with Don’s caught-off-guard smile. “Maybe three, but let’s not get too crazy. Three little Don Wests running around Alpha Centauri. We’d have our hands full.”

Don’s smile grows brighter and his gaze grows distant as he imagines this future. “With your brain and my good looks, they’ll be super heroes.”

“Our good looks,” Judy corrects.

“That’s what I said. Man, Debbie can finally have a sibling…”

Judy rolls her eyes, then kisses Don. They spend the evening looking through the telescope and enjoying dinner at their little camp. Both of them agree they’d rather be here together stargazing than lost in space, but they bear no regrets for the experiences that brought them to this moment. A happy night is spent together in the tent.

The next day, Judy almost wishes they wouldn’t drive back to the city. Waking up to Don that morning, being in his arms whenever she wanted, feeling the pleasant scratch of his stubbly kisses, it had all felt like dreaming with her eyes open.

Don promises they’ll take another trip when their schedules allow it. At her house, he helps to bring her things inside. Penny’s brows rise so high as she watches Don and Judy, they seem intent on disappearing in her hair.

“So, is this a thing now?” Penny asks once Don leaves.

Judy makes no reply other than a coy little hum.

Don and Judy try to hang out over the next few weeks, but it’s hard since they both work. Sometimes the most they can manage is coffee or lunch together. Other times, they go for dinner, drinks, fun nights out Judy gets to wear something short and end the evening in Don’s bed. Due to their busy schedules they both fall into the trap of trying to plan things weeks in advance and one night, as she lies bare against him, Judy frowns at her schedule and realizes it just doesn’t work.

Upon seeing her distress, Don jokes that one of them would have to quit their jobs so they can meet more often.

“Your schedule is all over the place,” Judy replies. Unlike her, Don doesn’t have things planned out on his comm, which doesn’t help their case. “You might as well be in Orbit. I see you about as often as my mom.”

Don takes her comm away. “The real question,” he says, peering at the device with a frown, “is what the hell you do so early four times a week.”

“It’s six a.m,” Judy raises her head up to his bare shoulder. “And that’s my morning run.”

“That’s way too early to go running. Or to be awake.”

“You get used to it.” Judy leaves her comm with Don and gets up to shower. She would spend the night if she had clothes here for work the next day. When she comes back into the bedroom, Don is dressed to drop her home. She yawns during the ride. “I can skip yoga classes next week again, so we can meet then?”

“You sure?”

Judy would rather this whole thing were easier. “Well, it’s either that or see you next month.”

Don frowns with distaste but says nothing until they’re at her front door. “If you don’t mind company, maybe I can come on your run tomorrow.”

Judy makes a face, snorts and wraps her arms around his warm middle. “Don West can’t wake up before six o’clock,” she replies. “Besides, you’re not really a runner.”

“Maybe it’s time I get in shape.” Don leans down and kisses her. “Seriously, wait for me tomorrow.”

“Don,” Judy pulls away to see his face. “I run really early, and far. I don’t mind if you join, but you might hate it and complain the whole time. Are you sure?”

“When have I ever complained about doing something good?” Don protests, and almost immediately, he reconsiders when Judy opens her mouth to counter. “Okay, don’t answer that. The point is, I’m sure. Just don’t be late.”

“Okay…” Judy bites her lip and jumps a little when he smacks her butt as they part ways. She expects he will change his mind. Don is a man of his word, but jogging is out of character for him.

The next morning, just as she’s lacing up, Don calls her comm. “Change of heart?” Judy answers with a smirk.

“No. Come outside.”

Curious, Judy looks out the window and sees Don waiting, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. She gasps softly and hurries outside. “Oh, my God, you were serious.”

Don rubs his eyes, still a bit droopy with sleep. “Don’t look so surprised. C’mon.”

“Unh unh. You need to stretch first,” Judy says. “I don’t want you hurting anything.”

She shows him how and stifles her laughter from how stiff he is. He’s attractive but he is not quite as in shape as she is. He gets winded within ten to fifteen minutes and Judy laughs at him, though she agrees on small breaks throughout the run.

Don looks absolutely miserable the entire ninety minutes, but he keeps up. Once they get back to her house he collapses dramatically on the couch and, heaving great gulps of air, he declares he has officially died. Judy shakes her head, smiling. She hydrates, then fills a glass of water for Don and makes him a smoothie.

“I need to get ready for work. This is for you,” Judy says, placing his drinks on the coffee table. She smooths back his damp hair and pecks his sweaty forehead. “Come back to life before my dad sees you.”

“Copy that,” Don pants.

By the time Judy is ready for the hospital, the drinks and Don have disappeared. She checks her comm before leaving and finds a message from him: Same time tomorrow?

Chapter Text

It takes Don six months to become a real runner. Somehow, it escapes his notice in that time just how much Judy likes his company in the morning. Unexpectedly stuck at work one night, Don lets Judy know he won’t be able to join her the next day. Judy decides before they hang up, she won’t go either.

“It’s our thing,” she says, “and it’s not really the same without you.”

He signs up for the yoga class she’s been taking the very next day. Judy teased the idea to him a few times, but it’s not really his thing. Then again, neither was running a few months ago. Two nights a week, he manages to skip out of work a bit earlier to meet Judy at the hospital. The yoga studio is a short walk that they spend together, holding hands and catching up.

Don is the only man there and he’s terrible at yoga. Sometimes he exaggerates a bit because it brings out Judy’s possessiveness, and she comes to his aid before the instructor or a classmate. He can tell she’s grown more assured since they got together, but the way she scoots to his side after class or holds his arm just that much tighter when they are surrounded by people always warms him.

Between exercising and real dates, their life together starts taking shape. Don is still there when the Robinsons need him, but his girlfriend becomes his focus. More of Judy’s clothes end up in Don's dressers or closet, and his second room slowly turns into her home office. After a year together, Judy decides of her own volition to move in with him.

They are only ever apart when work or duty requires it. Judy's career advances at the hospital while Don transitions into repair management. As such, they drop the yoga class, but Don moves some furniture around to turn a portion of their living room into a space for Judy to continue the practice.

A few months after Judy moves in, Don finally manages to tie up all remaining loose ends with his smuggled goods. It’s taken the better part of a year to trade them on Alpha Centauri, because for once he tried to do it legally and it was unsurprisingly difficult. But it’s worth the trouble for the goal he’s had. One weekend afternoon, while repairing Debbie’s coop, Don sees a missed message from the previous day on his comm that makes him drop everything.

“Be right back, Debbie,” he says and quickly hurries inside the house to find Judy. “Babe, get up. We gotta get somewhere.”

Judy lounges under a blanket on the couch, her curly hair in a messy bun with locks framing her face. Her eyes focus on the TV screen as she says, “No, thank you.”

“Come on, it’s going to be worth it.” He comes to the couch and pulls off the blanket. “C’mon. Up, up, up.”

“Dooon.” Judy pouts mightily. “I thought we had no plans until Mom and Penny get here.”

“We didn’t, but I really need to show you something.”

Judy yanks the blanket back and pulls it up to her chin. “Can it wait until tomorrow? I’m tired…”

Don has been waiting more than a year for this moment. He cannot delay it any further and so he leans down, picks up Judy, and throws her on his shoulder. “Go put on some pants. It’ll be quick alright?”

“Don, you caveman!” Judy protests half-heartedly, knocking fists into his back as he takes her upstairs. “Pants were supposed to be optional today. Now I’m being abducted.”

It takes about ten minutes to get in the Chariot. Judy is annoyed and grows even grumpier when she sees the construction site where Don parks.

“Seriously? This pile of rubble couldn’t wait?” she asks with a huff.

“Trust me, it’s been waiting.” Don exits the Chariot and checks his comm for an exact location. Judy complains the entire time, and Don thinks it’s both endearing and tragic — sometimes her behavior attests to how long she’s spent around him, and though she remains his wonderfully brilliant and fearless Judy, there’s a bit of him in her now, too.

After getting a bit lost, Don eventually locates the correct address. Scaffolding is in place, more than Don last saw the last time he was here. Yet it is clear they stand before a lovely future building.

“This is it.” Hands at his waist, Don sighs gladly and tells Judy, “They’re looking to complete it in a year or so. The same developer is in charge of the whole street. Buyers have been going crazy for a spot here in the last few months. What do you think?”

Judy looks perplexed, then searches for words as she frowns at the site. “It’s… big? Good location, but it seems like it’ll be work spaces. Why would we want to move here?”

“Who said anything about moving?”

Judy peeks curiously up at Don. He loves that she has no idea why she’s here.

He clears his throat then gestures, as if reading from an official sign: “Robinson Family Practice, or maybe Robinson Medical Practice.”

“Wait, what?” Judy takes a few steps forward. “This place…?”

“All yours,” Don says.

“What? We don’t have that kind of money yet. How could you—”

“Afford it?” Don finishes, as he can’t wait to tell her. He casually slides beside her. “Remember all the remaining goods for my retirement?”

“They were worth a building under construction?!”

“Well, the first and second floor. And after selling the goods I may have also put half my savings in here,” Don rapidly explains, “then taken out a loan—”

“Don!”

“And pulled some strings with a former client who knows the developer. The point is, the paperwork came through.”

Judy looks around in disbelief. Her gaze settles on advertising signs nearby for the vision of these buildings. “You leased it?”

“I bought it. For you.”

Judy’s jaw drops and Don has to admit, her reaction is worth it. She seems truly impressed. She steps forth to take another stunned look at the building, then squeals and runs back to tackle him. Arms and legs weave around his frame, pushing him back a few steps, though he hoists Judy up with ease and holds her close.

“I can’t believe you really did this,” Judy says close to his ear. She then pulls away, bright eyed, her hands in his hair. “You didn’t forget.”

“I never would.”

Judy lays a deep kiss onto his lips. Then, reality sinks into her features. “Don, I’m not ready…”

He looks around. “Neither is the building.”

“No, I mean I’m not ready to do this alone. I still have exams to take, licenses to earn. And then…” Judy gets back down to her feet. “This place is going to need to be set up. Equipment, paint, and furniture.”

“You let me worry about that.” Don holds Judy by the waist. He hasn’t come this far to let her work through this dream without help. “Focus on the book-smart stuff. I’ll handle the rest.”

“And if I change my mind or something happens?”

“Then we figure something else out. Mechanic shop? Bar?” Don proposes with a shrug. “I have your back, Judy. And you have plenty of time.”

Judy looks like she can't decide if she’ll smile or cry. “I love you so much.”

Don loves her more than anything. He claims her lips in a kiss before she can shed a tear. “Me too, princess. Always,” Don says, then shows her around.

A handful of days later, Don hitches a ride on a Jupiter up in Orbit. Maureen and John are surprisingly hard to catch together. Now that the Solidarity is nearly finished, they both happen to be working on the build of a new, smaller model. Don volunteers to help that day, then sits them down to present his intentions for their daughter. The time feels right. With their blessing, he gets back on land and asks Judy to marry him.

They meet down the aisle several months later in a wedding attended by all Robinsons, even Will and Robot, who have come back. Clad in a suit, Don is clean shaven, feeling a nervous excitement at the prospect of this major celebration. All of his nerves vanish when he sees Judy in her dress and the vision becomes stamped in his memory, because it’s at that moment it really sinks in. He gets to walk by her side for life.

After the wedding, Don tries not to look at the photos too often. Some of them decorate their home, others hang in their respective offices, or at her parents’ house. The one time he watches their wedding video at home alone, his eyes mist over.

Judy makes him a dad a year and half later. Their adorable child bears his shock of black hair with Judy’s curls. Don thinks the baby takes after Judy. All Robinsons claim the baby resembles Don. Having never seen a photo of himself before a certain age, Don can’t tell who’s right and he realizes it doesn’t matter. He has a happy wife and a healthy child and the three of them make a little family.

Don’s new life now consists of a night shift, up at odd hours with the baby so Judy can rest. It brings his stint as a runner to a halt but Judy easily gets back into her early jogs. Don hopes to rejoin her one day, likely with their kid strapped in a stroller. For now, it’s a baby carrier for Don, and morning walks.

It’s just after seven o’clock one morning when father and six-month-old baby are ready for their outing. Don leaves the house and greets his new neighbors from Earth, who ask after Judy, his in-laws, or Debbie when they’re not fawning over his kid. As he escapes onto the sidewalk, Don spots the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes on jogging toward them. Seeing her feels like falling in love again. She slows down and beams, her attention drawn to the cute human hanging over Don's chest and facing outward. On instinct, the baby coos happily and kicks.

“Good morning, ma’am!” Don says. “Today is your lucky day. Sexy Mechanic Space Dad, baby included, on sale for $8.99. Limited offer, act now.”

Judy grins at his pitch and shakes her head as if she can’t believe this is who she married. She leans forward to dote lovingly on their child. “You can’t sell our baby, Don,” she says, and then spares his jaw a peck as well. “Can’t sell my handsome husband either.”

“What if I lower the price to $7.99?” he calls after Judy. A busy day at her medical practice awaits so she heads in to get ready. “$6.99?!”

“Not for sale!”

The door shuts behind Judy. Don pretends to be disappointed and then carries on with his walk. It’s a pleasant morning and he has nowhere urgent to be, aside from a coffee shop for his morning boost, then work later. Don has time to live and to be a dad, lots of it.

“C’mon buddy,” Don says to his tiny companion, “let’s go raise our value til Mommy can’t afford us. You wouldn’t know this, but I used to go on sale for $2.99…”