Well, everyone... this is the last chapter! Thank you all for reading and reviewing! This was a fun story to write. I always hoped that London and Zack would end up together, and really got my hopes up when they faked being married for a school assignment in one episode, but that's how it is. This story can be wishful thinking for all of us.

Look for more of my stories on this sight as well as FictionPress (I'm under the same username). Ta ta everyone! =)

Chapter 17

Mr. Moseby knew about Mr. Tipton coming this time, and the young adults stayed far away from the ship's owner when he came. All of them were seating around the smoothie counter as Johnathan, Zack's co-worker, was busy making a Banana Blast smoothie for an elderly lady, who was seated on the far right of the smoothie counter. She eyed all the young adults seated around the counter but they ignored her as they were absorbed in their conversation.

"I really hope that this works," Cody said as he had Bailey and Casey on either side of him. Casey was intentionally sitting closer to him, and Bailey had her arm in Cody's just to show possession. London snickered at that, thinking that Casey really had no chance with Cody, but the girl was determined. Just as all of them are with this whole situation they're in.

"It will work," Casey assured them. "My dad can be pretty convincing."

"And so can mine," London added. "This isn't going to be pretty."

"Well, we'll just have to see," Bailey said.

London didn't want to wait. She wants to see how this was unfolding. She stood up from her stool and told her friend, "I'm going to Daddy's suite and listen in on the conversation."

"You're going to eavesdrop?" Cody asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do. You guys can stay here and die of impatience and... that word where you really want to know something."

"Curiosity?" Cody guessed.

"Exactly."

She left, and as she left, she found Bailey and Cody come up to her, and of course, Casey was next to Cody. And of course again, Woody was next to Casey. "We'll come with," Bailey said. "I'm also curious to know how the conversation between Mr. Tipton and Mr. Covington plays out."

London smiled and turned and was on her way. Her friends followed her to her father's suite, and when they arrived at the doors, which didn't have security detail by them this time, they all leaned against the doors, listening in. London heard her father's voice first—

"Mr. Covington, are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"I am, Mr. Tipton," came another male voice. Casey smiled and whispered as she held onto Cody's arm, which Bailey wasn't thrilled about, "That's my dad." Both Cody and Bailey figured that they couldn't rid themselves of the girl, so they dealt with it.

"Shh," London whispered. "I want to hear this."

They all listened, and heard Mr. Covington's say, "Mr. Martin will graduate from Seven Seas High on my account. I have already contacted his mother, and she was very accepting of my offer. But... it is a bit difficult to have him graduate from said school when he is currently not attending it."

"Why would you care so much about Mr. Martin?"

"Well, he is a good friend of my daughter's, so I feel that it would be in her best interest that her friend be happy. And, I want her happy as well, so I would like it if your daughter remain here on the ship to keep my daughter company."

There was a pause for a moment. Mr. Tipton said, "Oh, I see what you are doing. You are trying to push those two together. Well, no. I will not allow Mr. Martin to be in the same place as London, and that's final."

"Would you really deprive my daughter of her happiness when you have already deprived your daughter of hers?"

"What did you just say?" Mr. Tipton said in an agitated voice.

"The truth. And, I understand that your company relies greatly on the revenue that my company gives to you. Will you be able to refuse my offer if my company simply stops sending you money?"

London held her breath, as well as her friends. Oh, her father's face is probably red with anger. She heard him chuckle, but it wasn't a happy chuckle. "You wouldn't do that, Mr. Covington, just so those clueless teenagers can see each other."

"Stopping the revenue will not do my company one bit of harm. On the contrary, it will benefit my company. My Board and other associates have actually advised me in the past to stop the revenue since Tipton Co asks for quite a sum."

"Then let us make a business deal that doesn't have to do with our children."

"You know that our children are far more important than our companies. I would do anything for my daughter. Wouldn't you?"

There was silence for a moment, and then Mr. Tipton said, not really answering the question, "Yes, our children are very important, but so is image and business."

"And you will lose more of your good image, as well as some of your business, when you lose collaboration with my company. I urge you to think about what is the best option for your company as well as your daughter—the two most important things in your life. Are you willing to sacrifice both of them for the sake of image?"

There was silence for a moment, and Bailey whispered, "Ooo, he really got him there. He won't be able to refuse now."

"Yeah, he gave him an ultimatum," Cody whispered.

London had no idea what an ultimatum was, but she knew that her father was in a bind. She knew that Mr. Covington is a large asset to Tipton Co, and without giving the company money, it will suffer. At least, until her father finds another source of money. It was doubtful that he would since the amount that Tipton Co needs is a high amount. Well, high in any normal person's eyes. She could understand why her father was having a hard time responding to this.

"This is all a bluff," Mr. Tipton said.

"I assure you that I am very serious," said Mr. Covington.

There was silence again, and London and her friends leaned in more to the door, and she could hear her heart hammer through her ears. How did her heart get into her ears? It doesn't matter. What is her father going to say now?

"I think this is it," Casey said.

"The anticipation is killing me," whispered Woody. "Is Mr. Tipton going to allow Zack to come back or not?"

They all listen in, and finally, Mr. Tipton said, "Fine. Fine, you win. Zack Martin can come back to Seven Seas High."

London couldn't help herself—she screamed and pushed her friends aside and went on into in the suite. Mr. Tipton was there in the living room area as Mr. Covington stood before him. "Daddy, are you serious?" she exclaimed, and she felt tears sting her eyes from her happiness. "Zack can come back?"

Mr. Tipton's expression turned from annoyed to loving. He came up and stood in front of his daughter. "Yes, London. I suppose I just needed to see where my priorities lie. I was putting Tipton Co before your happiness. If you want to date this Zack Martin, then okay. Just know that I won't like it, and I won't like the publicity that comes from it."

"People already know that we we're dating," London said, and then embraced her father. Those tears came. "Thank you so much, Daddy."

He wrapped his arms around his daughter. "You're welcome."

They stood out of the embrace, but Mr. Tipton still had his arm around London. He told Mr. Covington, "There is no need to hold the money. I will allow London and Zack to be on the ship at the same time."

Mr. Covington smiled. "That is wonderful. My work here is done." He looked to London. "I am sure that my daughter is standing outside of this suite?"

"Uh-huh," London said. "And so is Zack's twin brother and his girlfriend. And another friend."

Casey came on in right after London said that. She embraced her father. "Thanks, dad."

"Anything for you, buttercup," he cooed.

Mr. Tipton cleared his throat. "Now, if you all are done playing tricks on me and manipulating me, I have business to get to. London, see me off at the helicopter pad, alright?"

"Okay, Daddy. Thank you, again."

"Don't mention it. And I really mean it." He looked to Mr. Covington and Casey. "Not a word about this, understood?"

"Understood," Mr. Covington said at the same time as Casey.

"Very well," Mr. Tipton said. "Now, will you all excuse me?"

They all complied, and London stood outside of the suite with her friends. Bailey took her arm in excitement. "Oh my gosh, the plan really worked! It just made your father see just what was really important."

"I can't wait until Zack finds out about this," said Cody. "I'll call him right now."

London nodded, and she couldn't stop herself from hugging Bailey. Not that she wanted to hug her, she was just so happy that she and Zack can finally be together with her father's approval. Now, he just has to get back on the ship.

Naturally, Zack was through the roof. He didn't expect this plan to actually work, and in the way that it did. It took something that could ruin Mr. Tipton's company for him to see what really mattered—London's happiness.

"Well, honey, I'm glad that this all worked out, but I sure am going to miss you," Carey said as Zack was packing his suitcase in the living room of the suite. "And I'm a bit sad that Mr. Covington won't pay for your schooling. It was all a ruse to make Mr. Tipton agree."

"It didn't start out as a ruse. Mr. Covington was pretty serious."

"Yes, and that's what saddens me."

"It's fine, mom. Just be happy that I'm going to be happy."

She hugged her son, and Zack found himself inhaling his mother's flower perfume. "I know, and I am. Gosh, I'm going to miss my little Zacky."

"Okay, okay, mom, can't breath here," he said and stepped out of her tight embrace. He closed his suitcase. "Well, let's head out. We have to meet the jet in half-an-hour."

Zack took his two suitcases and they both left the suite. At the elevator, Carey said, "It was sure nice of Mr. Tipton to let you fly in one of his jets."

"You can thank London for that. Plus, how will an actual plane land on a ship in the middle of the Pacific?"

"Parachute?"

"Yeah, right. I like my legs, thank you."

They headed down, and soon made it to the jet which was at the same park he and London tried to escape to that time. And it was the same pilot who London chewed out after he snitched on them to Mr. Tipton.

"Well, Zack, I'll miss you." Carey brought him into her arms again. "Give Cody a hug for me, okay?"

"How about I just say that you miss him, too?" He patted her back. "See ya, mom. I'll miss you, too."

She let go, and Zack went and rolled both of his suitcases to the jet, and the pilot helped him board them onto the jet. Soon, Zack was zoomed away from Boston and over the Pacific. His heart pounded with excitement at being able to go back to Seven Seas High again, at being able to be around all his friends and his brother again and, more importantly, London. Now they can be together without her father constantly on their backs. The man's not happy that he and London are dating, but he'll just have to deal with it.

A couple hours later, the ship came into view out of Zack's window. It was just a white speck in the vast blue, and he heard the pilot say that they were approaching and to prepare to land. The ship came closer, and soon, he was stepping out of the plane. He instantly saw his friends and brother standing there to greet him, along with Mr. Moseby and Miss Tuttweiller. But where was London?

He stepped off of the stairs to the jet, with his suitcases, and his friends came up to him. Cody embraced him in a hug. "It's great to see ya, man," he said and patted Zack's back. "It wasn't the same without you here."

"Tell me about it," Woody said. "No one wanted to hit the buffet with me and scarf down the spicy shrimp."

Zack let go of his brother. "How about we hit the buffet for lunch tomorrow? I missed that spicy shrimp."

"Yes!" Woody exclaimed as he fist-pumped the air.

"So, where's London?" Zack asked everyone.

"She's in her room," Casey said as she was standing right next to Cody, and Woody was right next to her. Zack momentarily remembered Casey's instant crush on his twin brother. He wondered how Bailey was taking that. And he was told about Woody's crush on Casey. What a whacky love web those four created.

"She's in her room?" Zack asked, alarmed. "And not out here to greet me?"

"Yeah, she didn't want you to see her a crying mess."

"But I've already seen her like that, plenty of times."

"She's just so happy that you were coming back," Bailey said. "She told me to tell you to meet her at her room just so she has enough time to make herself beautiful."

"She's always beautiful. Let's go."

The five friends made it down to London's cabin, and once there, Cody offered to take Zack's suitcases and put them in Zack's room. The others left and Zack knocked on the door. "London? It's Zack."

The door flew open to reveal London with makeup tear streaks running down both cheeks. She immediately embraced Zack, nearly knocking him over. But he didn't mind. He hugged her back, tightly, relishing in her nearness and her intoxicating expensive perfume.

"You're here again," she said in a cracked voice into his shoulder."We can be together now."

"Yes, we can. Your dad finally came to his senses."

"Yeah, it really did take him long enough to realize that his daughter's happiness is more important than an image." She came out in front of him, but they still held onto each other. "Let's go for a walk. I can fix my face and then we can go somewhere we can be alone."

Zack smirked. "Sounds good to me."

London went on into room, redid her makeup, and then she and Zack were on their way. They soon were walking along the railing of the ship as the warm, salty sea wind blew, and the sun was setting over the ocean's blue horizon. London had her arm hooked with Zack's as they walked.

"I love this," she said, and Zack looked at her.

"I love you."

They stopped. She smiled and embraced him, and it felt as if his heart swelled five times its size as she did so. He never thought that he would be this happy in his life. Was he even allowed to be this happy and in love? After being the menace that he was? Well, he's a changed man now, and that's thanks to London. Now that he has her, he shockingly doesn't want to look at another girl again.

"I love you, too, Zack," London said quietly into his shoulder. "Who knew that this would happen with us, after me always thinking that you were a shrimpy kid who caused trouble all the time?"

"Yeah, and who knew after I always thought you were a vain rich girl?"

"I still am. And you still cause trouble. But you're not shrimpy—you're taller than me now."

He chuckled. "Yeah, that's true."

They stood there for a moment as the wind whipped their hair. He heard London mutter, "I'm so happy right now. This feels... right."

"Yeah, it does."

"Let's never break up, okay?"

Slightly alarmed, Zack looked back at her. "What? Why would we do that? I've more happy than I can ever remember being in my life, and I was absolutely miserable when we were separated. I mean, I missed you more than Cody, and he's my twin brother."

She smiled, and Zack's heart jumped. Gosh, she's beautiful. He stared at her mouth, and she noticed. They both leaned in and their lips met. Something shot through Zack's system like a rocket and he held London to him, kissing her mouth and loving how it felt as it moved with his. Her arms lifted tightened their hold around his neck. They continued kissing as more wind blew.

Oh, how wonderful it felt to do this without any hindrance or needing to hide. He can kiss London whenever he wants, and can be around her as much as he wants as well. London was right—who knew that they would end up like this, so happy and in love? Well, he certainly didn't...

Be he wasn't complaining one bit.