Note: And it's finished! Thank you for all the comments, and I would just like to remind everyone that this story has some beautiful fan art to accompany it - the link is in my profile. :)
.epilogue
"What if they don't approve?" Gi asked nervously. "We're not going to... You know... break up, are we?"
"That's what you're worried about?" Wheeler asked.
"Yes," Gi snapped. "You think Ma-Ti and Linka are going to take it well? 'Oh, by the way, after you guys left, the three of us started fucking each other.'"
Wheeler grinned at her. "Tell them like that. Please. I want to see Linka's face."
Gi put her hands on her hips. "Wheeler..."
He held his hands up. "I'm not gonna say anything," he said. "You and Kwame can deal with it."
"Why us?" Kwame asked indignantly.
"They're coming," Gi gasped suddenly, clutching his arm. "Look."
Purple haze was beginning to gather at the far end of the beach.
"Gi," Wheeler said quickly, "you've got nothin' to worry about. This ain't gonna be like it was the first time we were all put on this island together. Things have changed."
"And are things going to change again?" Gi asked, keeping her eyes on the thickening smoke by the water's edge.
"No," Kwame said firmly. "Gi, perhaps we will cross that bridge when we need to. Yes?"
"Definitely," Wheeler breathed. "And you never know, they might want to join in."
"In your dreams," Gi muttered. She smirked. "And I know you've been dreaming about it."
"I won't deny it," Wheeler said. He gave an excited yelp as Ma-Ti and Linka both finally became visible at the end of the beach. "Come on!"
The three of them raced one another along the sand.
Gi wasn't too concerned that she'd lose either of them. They were gaining two members of their family back.
She could not – would not – ever consider that to be a bad thing.
She had just become so very used to three, instead of five.
She supposed they were all just going to have to adapt. Again.
