I am so so so sorry about not being able to update, but after the trip to NYC school work just caught up with me. I hope you guys aren't too mad at me. Anyways, here is the final chapter of the story. I hope you all like it.

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Chapter 11- Say Goodbye

Lex hadn't slept at all that night. After the others went to sleep he had sat out by the fire waiting for morning to come so that he could surprise them. The night seemed to take forever to pass, and Lex had nothing to do but sit at the fire. But soon the sun was starting to peek over the horizon, and the rest of the group would start to wake up.

As they filed out of the tent, grabbed some breakfast and sat down at the fire, Lex stood up.

"Um, guys," Lex started. "I don't know how to say this, so sit down."

"What is it Lex, is something wrong?" Daley asked as she sat down next to her brother.

"No nothing's wrong." He said as the others took a seat around the fire. "Last night when you guys were having time to yourselves, I was working on fixing the radio. It was a hopeless cause so I gave up and I threw it on the ground. As I walked away I heard a voice. I turned around and realized that it was a voice on the radio, asking if someone needed help."

Everyone's faces seemed to lighten up at what they hoped would be coming next.

"And, luckily I was able to radio back that we were in trouble, and to tell them what I figure to be our location. And if all goes well a couple of planes should be arriving some time today."

Everyone in camp looked stunned, and excited.

"Lex, are you serious? A plane is coming? Here?" Daley asked him.

"Yes Daley. We're going home."

"Ohhhhhhhhhh, yes. Lex you are the best little brother ever, I love you so much. I can't believe you did this."

Melissa came over and gave him a hug. "Lex, what would we ever do without you?"

Nathan was next. "We wouldn't have survived as well as we have, and we probably wouldn't be going home today. Thank you Lex. Your the greatest."

Taylor, Eric and Jackson each took turns giving him a hug and telling him thanks.

Jackson spoke up. "Well then, I guess we should start packing."

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"Hey Daley."

"Hey Nathan." Daley said as she placed the last sleeping bag into a pile.

"How's it going?"

"Well, everybody's bag is packed, and I have all the sleeping bags rolled. I just need to take down the tent. Melissa and Jackson went to get some fruit for lunch and dinner in case the plane doesn't come until late, and I told Lex he's already done more than enough, so he's off somewhere. And, Taylor and Eric, well they're probably not doing anything, but surprisingly I don't care anymore.

"Here, I'll help you take down the tent." He paused. "Do you think things are going to change when we get home?"

Daley stopped taking down the tent to look at him. "Of course, I mean, we've all changed. Remember, we couldn't even say one thing to each other without being mean. Now I couldn't be mean toward you if I tried."

Nathan thought to himself for a moment." Yeah, I know what you mean. But you'll still want to be with me when we get home. There are a lot of other guys back at home that are a lot better than me."

Daley started to walk towards him. "Nathan, trust me. There is nobody else I would rather be with. I love you, okay. Don't ever doubt that." She gave him a small kiss and then continued to take down the tent.

"Yeah, okay. Come on, let's get this tent down." Nathan then started to help Daley tear down the tent.

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Taylor and Eric were swimming in the ocean that day because; there was no need to do chores. They were all going home later that day.

"When I get home, I'm going to order a ton of pizzas and just sit in front of the television all day, and stuff my face." Eric said.

"When I get back, the first thing I'm going to do is go to a spa, get a facial, get my hair done, oh and my nails are in a serious need for a manicure." Taylor then realized how she sounded at that moment. "Then, maybe, I could come over and...maybe, share some of that pizza?"

Eric put on a huge smile. "You can come over and eat pizza anytime you want to."

"Thanks Eric. I can't wait to go home and be with you in normal life, instead of here on this island. I love you, Eric."

"I love you too, Taylor."

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Jackson and Melissa had returned from picking fruit and everyone was sitting around the fire eating lunch. They were all laughing and talking about home, and what they were going to do when they got back.

"I just can't wait to see my family." Nathan said. "I really miss my parents, my sister, and my dogs."

"I am going to spend hours on my laptop. Probably till my eyes burn from looking at the light for so long." Lex laughed.

"I'll listen to music 24/7. Really loudly too, full blast. Till the speakers burst." Daley said. "What about you Jackson?"

"We'll I'm hoping to be cleared of the charges against me, and then I don't know, maybe I'll just..." He noticed Melissa sitting a few feet away from him, looking up into the sky with an unsure look on her face. "Mel, are you okay?"

"Do you hear that?" Melissa asked Jackson. "It does sound like a plane, doesn't it?"

Jackson listened for himself. "Yeah, that is definitely a plane alright. Let's go out onto the beach so they can see us, and will know where to land.

All 7 of them got up and ran out to the beach, waving their arms around and jumping up and down until the planes landed. There was a plane that landed in the water, and a helicopter that landed on the beach.

The kids ran up to the man who exited the helicopter. When he was close enough for them to hear him he yelled. "Are you the kids from 29 down?"

"Yep, that's us." Lex said.

"Can we go home now?" Eric asked him.

Taylor didn't care that she didn't even know this man. She ran up to him and gave him a hug. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much. I can't believe we're going home."

"Yeah just gather up all of your stuff and hop into that plane over their in the water."

Nathan asked the question everybody had been thinking. "Sir, there are 3 other kids and the pilot out in the jungle somewhere. What about them?"

"Don't worry, that's what the helicopter is for. You guys will go home in the plane, and I'll search for your friends in the helicopter. I'll find them, I promise. You guys go get your stuff so we can get you home."

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Climbing into the plane, Daley took one last look at the island. The island that had brought Nathan and her out of competition, brought Jackson out of his shell, and ultimately got them all together. She was so excited to be going home, but yet it saddened her to think she would never see this island again. It was such a big part of her life now, and she was just supposed to let it go?

Nathan climbed up behind her, but had to stop halfway because Daley was stopped in front of him. "Hey, Daley. Are you alright?" Nathan asked her, but she was just in a daze. "What is it, Day?"

Nathan brought her out of her daze and she twisted to face him. "Is it weird to tell you that I'm going to miss it here?"

"No, it isn't. To tell you the truth I'm going to miss it too." Nathan rubbed her arm to tell her it was okay to enter the plane.

They found a pair of seats in the front of the plane and sat down. Daley looked around. "Is everyone here?"

"Yeah Day, were all here." Lex answered.

"Good. Does everyone have everything that they need?"

Eric stood up. "Yes, we have everything. Are you going to ask us if we need to use the restroom before we take off or something. Let's just go, I've already waited forever to get home. So let's do this."

"Okay, okay. I'll be quiet now."

She turned around and stared out of the window just as everyone else did the same.

"It's hard to believe we're actually going home after being here for so long." Melissa said from her seat besides Jackson in the back of the plane.

The engine started and the plane started to move forward.

Lex spoke up. "Say goodbye everyone."

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It was a couple of hours into the flight but there were many more of them to go. Jackson was sitting in the back with Melissa sleeping next to him. He was looking out the window occasionally, watching the scenery go by. But he mostly just watched Melissa sleep, running his fingers through the smooth strands of her hair. He removed his eyes from her and stared down at the world below. They were now passing over land instead of water.

Jackson never thought he would have been so happy to be returning to his home. But now that he had Melissa by his side he knew he would be okay. As long as he had her, everything would be fine.

"Are you alright?" Melissa's voice pulled him out of his reverie.

He turned his face towards her. "Hey. I thought you were asleep."

"I was." Melissa sat up. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I was just looking outside. We've crossed over land now." He pulled her closer. "We should be landing in a couple of hours."

"Are you worried? About going home."

"A little. But at least now I have you and everyone else to help me through everything." He gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "Now, go back to sleep."

She laid back down and put her head in Jackson's lap, and soon she drifted off to dreamland. Jackson sat back and resumed running his fingers through her hair. He glanced around at each of his friends and was glad that he had each of them. Finally, for once in his life, he felt lucky.

He soon found himself falling asleep. He could hardly wait for the plane to land, when he could finally let go of his past, and move forward with his life.

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Boo-Hoo. That's all she wrote folks. Or rather that's all I wrote. I would like to thank everybody who took the time to read my story, and I hope that you guys liked it. pinklen98, you guessed it. I have decided to write a sequel. I hope you guys will like it just as much as this story, and I hope to have it up in a few weeks. You know what to do, review.