After reading the latest and last novel of the series I was very happy that there were more Willa Philby scenes than in any of the other books. However, something that bothers me about the whole series in general is that none of the romantic relationships are ever solidified. No one really knows what is going on with their emotions. Hence, I created my own ending to the Wilby story. (Warning: KK7 SPOILERS)

Enjoy!

"Dell," Willa whispered, "What are you doing here?" Her eyebrows lit up then knit together in a scrutinizing way that scared the poor boy into thinking he had done something wrong. In the context of things, there was no reason for her to be whispering. It was nearing two o'clock in the afternoon when he knocked on her door of the small apartment she had inhabited for the last month. The barrier was barely a foot open, leaving Willa ample space to note the boy's appearance: blue and white striped button down, khaki pants, grey hoodie. It was enough to get the girl's heart pounding.

"I am here," his eyes glanced down sheepishly, "because I need to ask you something."

Willa, ever the skeptic, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door jam. "Continue."

"You are going to make this difficult aren't you?" Philby laughed a soft chuckle that seemed to travel up to his eyes.

Willa spoke matter-of-factly, part of her new demeanor of confidence that has grown immensely over the course of recent events. "I have no idea what you are talking about." The twinge of sarcastic grace settled a smile on her lips.

"Willa Angelo," a very noticeable, and un-Philby like breath escaped his lips. His ice-blue eyes locked on hers. "Will you go on date with me?"

With ever caress his voice takes to deliver the words gently, Willa's breathe hitches. Was he serious? Her scrutinize the situation, gears turning in her head. Not only was this moment unimaginable and desperately desired for the past three years, but now seemed entirely out of place. They were in a prison of sorts. He was offering her salvation on a variety of levels.

Philby who was always the gentleman, stood waiting politely for her answer with his hands behind his back. Watching her think had always been something he enjoyed. The way the corners of her eye crinkled, eyebrows slightly rose. The boy had to restrain himself from letting the corners of his mouth turn upward.

"I believe the word you are searching for in 'yes'." That broke her stony faced thinking. Willa's head cocked to the side. "A 'sure', would do as well." Willa rolled her eyes at him. He was persistent. "Or a simple 'okay' is sufficient to do the job."

The girl struggled to hold the scowling expression on her face. Finally giving up she took a step back, slinking into her room holding on to the door edge.

"How about a 'give me five minutes'?"

Just getting the beginning of his answer as she closed the door, Willa heard, "I'll take what I can get." If she had kept the door open a second longer, Willa would have witnessed his hands up in surrender followed by the repeatedly joyous fist pumping of success in to the air.

Delighted was just one word that could describe what Dell was feeling. After the moment in the bank vault, he had been itching to talk with Willa again. Alone. Just the two of them without the stress of the end of the world looming over their heads. Or even after that the stress of press and professionals breathing down their necks. It was nearly impossible to see each other, let alone speak two words.

Exactly as she had announced, Will stepped out less than five minutes later. She had thrown on a cardigan sweater and grabbed her bag. She had taken a spare moment to let her hair out of its braid, shaking a brush through its waves. It now rested just above her shoulders.

"Five minutes looks good on you."

Willa looked back smugly, "Thank you."

Philby twiddled his fingers in front of him, as they turned to walk down the hall. "I'm really glad that you said yes. Otherwise all the begging I did to get Brad to lend me a car for the night would have been worthless."

The realization caused the girl to stop in her tracks and then pick up the pace. "We get to leave the property?"

"If we want to. Of course, the driver is one of the Disney guys. He has a set course and destination."

Down the stairs, and out the doors stood their town car waiting for them.

"I would have never taken Dell Philby as one to pull out all the stops for a girl on the first date."

Philby sighed opening the car door for her. "Only when trying to impress the most amazingly stubborn girl he has ever known."

"I will take that as a compliment."

The boy smiled ear to ear, gently closing the door and rounding the car to his side.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going?" Willa asks curiously. Observant Philby notices that she is leaning in towards the middle of the seat, deliberately trying not to look outside the window next on her right. It's an obvious mark as result of what happened on their way to the oil rig. After seeing this action becomes almost instinctual to act like in that situation and protect her, help her seek comfort. He places a hand on top of hers which rest on her lap.

"That would ruin the surprise, my dear," the words flow off his lips without a thought. She looks up at him incredulously. "Don't give that look. I'm not telling you."

Without further word, Willa settles into the seat beside him. After a few minutes of driving, her body has visibly relaxed. Somewhere in this time she even slips off to sleep, restful, uninterrupted sleep. He doesn't mind at all. She looks even more light and delicate than normal. Briefly, Philby wonders if she has been having nightmares like the rest of them. They have all had trying days these last couple weeks. Even when they went to sleep they were going to work. The mind has been on overload. He lets her be. Gradual, and right on schedule, she wakes up bright eyed as they are arriving at their destination.

"You're taking me to the beach?!" she gazes wide-eyed out the window.

Turning around, Willa is beaming. She rests a pat on his hand and then nearly jumps out of the car leaving Philby stumbling afterward.

It's a short walk from the street to the water over white sand. The beach is miles long, stretching farther out than Willa has the time to look for. The blue waves lay ahead of her. Slipping off her shoes she sticks her toes into the water's edge feeling its cool current sweep her over.

"You said you missed home," Philby spoke quietly next to her. "This was the closest thing I could find. Of course, it's a different ocean, a different beach, but if you stare off into the distance the view is very similar."

Willa followed his gaze out onto the horizon sinking to her knees. She was happy she had worn shorts on this outing or the water's edge would have doused her. At this moment, however, she did not worry nor care.

"Thank you," she closed her squinting eyes away from the blue and let the wind blow her hair. Was breathing always this calming?

"My pleasure," Dell replied. He had sunken down next to her, feet in front of him, and supremely careful of the distance he placed between him.

"No really," she turned to gaze fully at him. "Thank you for everything you've done. Not just today or this last month, but every mess we have been in over the past few years I don't know how many times you have gotten the group through the disarray."

"I can name a few times you have done the same," Philby replied honestly. "You always saw what we didn't. And as for coming to the rescue," Willa's fingers ran across the base of her throat as if feeling for the cut that could have ended her life. "We all take care of each other. We are a team, a family."

The girl adjusted her body so she was sitting cross-legged. "Don't give me that look," she mocked his earlier statement. "I'm not going back on what I said." The smallest bit of a smile crept into her face.

Philby relaxed his body, leaning back on his hands in the sand. "Now," he had to choose his timing carefully. "Would you be talking about not taking back your gratitude or what you said when we were in the vault?"

Ever since that night, this had been the thought dragging on his mind. Willa had told him that she loved him. Had she really meant what she said? Could she really love him? Or was it the rush of the moment?

Willa bit her lip.

"You know we are going to have to talk about it some time," Dell continued. "I completely understand if you didn't mean it. We were in a rather stressful situation. People do and say things they do not really think. It's just that . . . the thought's been on my mind a lot lately. We have been friends for a long time. You probably know me better than any of the other guys. And when you said it I was . . . it was pretty much my life line to getting out of that wall. I thought maybe, if I was lucky, I would be able to tell you that I feel that way as well. You're everything to me."

Philby looked up semi-apologetically to see Willa jaw-dropped looking at the horizon like it was a hurt animal.

"How could you think I didn't mean it?"She asked. Her heart was doing flips

"You know me, I need to be positive."

Willa laughed at his blindness. "You can be so emotionally blind sometimes." A true, bright smile covered her face. "Dell, in the last four years, have I ever once shown interest in anyone else?"

"Well, granted we have been a bit distracted," he answered still confused. "So, is that a 'yes'?"

"Hmm," Willa feigned thinking through a hard decision. "I guess since I already said yes to the date, your question has already been answered." They laughed. "Honestly, why do you even have to ask?"

Philby found himself gazing down at her lips, sure now more than ever that he was falling for her. "I just had to know.

"I presume this means you are my girlfriend then." He finished leaning in closer to her.

"You presume correctly," she replied softly. They were so close that their breath mingled in the hot air. "But you should know one thing, first."

"And what would that be?"

Willa's left hand caressed the side of his face. She moved up onto her knees to gain height. "I don't kiss on the first date."

SPLASH!

Her hand came up through the splatter of water on her side sprinkling Philby in a shower of water droplets. In a quick movement, she jumped backwards to witness his upset, and frankly shocked expression. Willa's sly smile gave away her secret. She was going to make him work for that kiss.

"Alright," Philby stood up to recover, "that's how this is going to be."

With that Willa bolted. She jumped up running along the coast and eventually into the water itself, all the while kicking up splashes. She was lucky she was fast but in the end he caught her, knee deep in the water, where it was no longer easy to frolic. Philby caught her by the waist, and held her captive.

"Okay," she held her hands up and turned around in his grip. "I surrender. You get your kiss."

"No," he let go of her and stepped back smiling. The thrill of winning was evident on his freckled face. "It's your rule."

Willa threw her hands around, "oh, like we haven't broken the rules before!" She rushed him, reaching behind his neck and pulling his lips on to hers. Willa's new confidence sure was something. Philby reacted instinctively, still grinning, deepening the kiss. It was salty because of the water fight but sweet all around, so much better than either of them could have imagined in their wildest dreams.