Sorry it took long to update! Not a big fan of this story myself, so I try to put it off... But then the guilt sets in! Short chapter, just for the sake of an update.
WOODLAWNIAN: No, this isn't a prequel to A FaithFul Reunion, seeing how Eric likes Taylor, and if it was then the party scene wouldn't make sense, since the music is present day, and A Faithful Reunion is set in present as well. :)
For the rest of the day, everyone was off doing their own thing, since survival was not that big of a thing on their lists, they actually spent the day relaxing on the beach, and talking about anything and everything.
"Finally! What this whole trip was supposed to be!" Eric exclaimed falling down beside Taylor on a beach towel.
"I know... I was getting so sick of following Daleys orders..." Taylor said, her eyes were closed and her faces was tilted towards the sun.
"Hm, uh-huh, right. That's why you softened up a little around the middle of that month?" Eric teased.
"That, was different. Jackson liked Melissa because she was nice."
Erics heart sank.
"Oh, you still like Jackson?"
Taylor's eyes remained closed, and she shrugged. "He's with Melissa now, but I did date a little when we got back home..."
Eric pretended this didn't bother him and lay beside her, watching the clouds.
"Hey you two! Watch out!" A voice called.
"Now what?" Taylor groaned. She sat up and looked around when a splash of cool water hit her back.
"ACK! NATHAN!"
"Haha come on! It was fun!"
"ERIC!" Taylor shrieked.
Eric laughed and scrambled up from his own towel and ran back to the campsite, returning seconds later with his own water bottle.
"WATER FIGHT!" He shouted and he and Nathan started squirting each other while Taylor calmly dried herself.
She wiped the last few drops off when more came and hit her.
"NATHAN!"
"Wasn't me!" Nathan was quick to defend himself.
"Then who was it?" She asked, glaring at Eric. But his bottle lay a few feet away from him, empty.
More water fell onto her and she screamed and jumped.
"Come on Taylor! Join in!" Abby laughed, and ducked just as Ian and Jory fired more water in her direction.
"Hey, what's going on he-ahh!" The front of Daley's shirt was soaked by Nathan, who laughed and ran back to the campsite.
He found Lex checking on Ms. Speckles, Melissa stroking the fire, and Jackson cleaning some fish.
"Hey you guys! Come on, you're missing all the fun!" He said to them. He grabbed two water jugs and ran back to the beach.
"What do you think that's all about?" Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow, setting down the camp knife.
"I dunno. Let's go find out!" Lex said eagerly and Melissa and Jackson followed him back to the beach.
The second they stepped onto the beach however, they were instantly soaked by all seven of the others.
"Oh you asked for it!" Jackson laughed and ran and tackled Eric to the ground, laughing. Daley threw Melissa a water bottle and she ran and attacked Nathan, who ran and hid behind Taylor. Which, didn't do much at all.
Hours must've passed, because the next thing they knew Daley was asking if they were hungry, and if they should set up dinner.
Dinner that night was exactly what everyone had expected it to be. Although, it was quite different enjoying the meal with Jory, Ian and Abby there. Well, maybe not Abby so much since they'd eaten with her before, but Ian and Jory made their dinner quite enjoyable.
"So, since we had to go back to living on the island for the weekend..." Lex started and everyone looked at him, curious to see what he was going to say next.
"I wanted to make Melissa a birthday cake. I hope you don't mind though..." He said and pulled a lump out of a box.
"Um, junior?"
"Yeah Eric?"
"That's not a cake! That's... That's a salad stuck together!"
Lex shrugged and passed it to Melissa who looked down at it, grinning.
"Well sorry Eric but I don't recall planting icing seeds and flour. Those are some of the vegetables we grew before we were rescued. There's corn, tomatoes, potatoes... I had a hard time sticking them together, but I managed to by cooking them in that form. Not sure how it really happened but..." He shrugged and looked at Melissa hopefully.
"Aww Lex! It's great. Thank you so much." She smiled, set the veggie cake down and hugged Lex.
"How are we gonna cut it?" Daley asked, looking at the marvel of colors. "We don't exactly have cuttlery."
Melissa shrugged. "Why not just pass it around and eat the veggies we want?"
The others agreed to this idea, and twenty minutes later all that was left were a few ends of the veggies.
"That was great Lex!" Melissa smiled and hugged him again.
"So, presents?" Jackson suggested looking around at them.
"What? I thought the island was the present..."
"Well we thought so too, but Jackson made us- I mean no not at all!" Eric said, catching Jackson's stare.
Everyone started pulling out brightly wrapped boxes.
"No, you guys-"
"You're getting presents!" They said laughing and each of them handed her their presents.
It was different than what she expected. Daley and Taylor had given her drawing tools, Abby and Jory gave her a necklace that greatly resembeled the one she had left in the plane, Lex a book of poetry (which received some snide remarks from Eric, but Melissa loved it all the same) and Ian, Eric, Nathan and Jackson had pulled together a painting of Melissa.
"How did you-?" She gasped, looking at the amazing portrait.
Jackson grinned. "My foster mom."
Melissa grinned back at him and hugged him.
"Thank's everyone. Really... You didn't have to do this." She said hugging each of them in turn.
"You kidding? Mel, if you hadn't been on the island, we would've had a harder time getting through it. You're an angel Mel." Nathan said, grinning.
Melissa blushed as everyone agreed.
"To Melissa!" Lex said, holding up his cocount shell cup.
"To Melissa!" The others echoed.
After dinner, everyone seemed to disperse back around the beach and campsite, and went on doing what they wished.
Melissa sat with her back against her favorite tree, and looked out at the vast ocean. This time, it was not fear or worry that sunk into her veins at the sigh of a ship-free horizon, but pure joy. She heard someone come up behind her and turned to see Jackson, leaning against a tree smiling.
"Hey." She smiled.
"Hey." He said and sat down beside her and followed her gaze to the ocean.
"You know, I didn't give you my enitre present." He said quietly, after making sure no one was around.
"Jackson! You really don't have to-"
But she was silenced as Jackson started to kiss her, gently at first but deepening it.
They broke apart ten minutes later, each gasping for breath, and glad to be in each others company.
"Happy Birthday Melissa." He breathed and kissed her again, much lighter this time.
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