A/N: Hi! It's me again! Sorry for not posting another chapter immediately, but I have been occupied with school and other work. ;P Anyway, I'm back now, and I hope you all are enjoying this story so far! :) Again, just a reminder that when I refer to "Gilligan" or "Mary Ann" I mean the real Gilligan and Mary Ann, not the bodies they're in. Enjoy!
When Gilligan and the Skipper got back to the huts, the others were all gathered around the communal table waiting for them.
"There you guys are! Couldn't you have come here faster? The Professor said he found a solution to our curse." Mary Ann said impatiently.
"Now, Mary Ann, I already told you. I haven't found out a solution to get you back in your own bodies yet. Ginger and I have only figured out why you two have switched bodies to begin with." The Professor said.
It was becoming easier for the castaways to call Mary Ann and Gilligan by their real names rather than the ones of the bodies they now occupied.
"Well why's that?" The Skipper asked.
"Yes, Professor, we're just dying to find out," Mrs. Howell exclaimed.
"Boy, you sure are really smart if you figured this out," Gilligan said.
"Gilligan, I must give credit where it's due. Ginger is the one who figured this out, not me, and I must thank her." The Professor smiled.
"Oh thank you, Professor," Ginger smiled back at him.
"Well then you must be really smart, Ginger." Gilligan said.
Mary Ann could clearly notice the flirtatious exchanging of smiles between the Professor and Ginger, and she was sure everyone else could too. But right now, she had to focus on finding out the reason for her and Gilligan's curse.
"Why are we cursed?" Mary Ann asked, dying to find out.
"The rock that you two found while you were walking may very well be the cause of your apparent switched of bodies. As you know, I translated the message on the rock from Papuan. In English, it says 'He who awakens me shall become what their heart truly desires.' For a while I was confused on how this could have resulted in your switching bodies. I just assumed logically that there was no correlation between the rock and your curse. But then Ginger figured it out. However, before I reveal the reason you have switched your bodies, I must ask a few questions." The Professor said.
"What kind of questions?" Gilligan asked.
"Firstly, who was the one who picked up the rock and broke it?"
"Well, that was Gilligan," Mary Ann said.
"Alright then, Giliigan, what were you thinking of at the exact moment that you picked up the rock?"
"Oh, I don't remember what I was thinking. Probably something about food. I remember I was hungry."
"When isn't he hungry," Mr. Howell remarked.
"Professor, how's any of this relevant to the curse?" Skipper asked.
"If what I think is correct, then the rock took the literal meaning of the message that was written on it. If that isn't what took place, then I'm afraid we're back to square one."
"I don't understand. The literal meaning of what?" Mary Ann asked.
"The rock says that the person who touched the rock will become what their heart desires. So, whatever Giligan was desiring at the moment he touched the rock is what he became. If he became you, then in order for this theory to be scientifically possible, Gilligan must have desired you in one way or another while he was touching the rock." The Professor explained.
"Gilligan, were you thinking about Mary Ann when you touched the rock?" Skipper asked.
"I dunno, maybe? I can't remember that far back."
"Can't you do anything right?" The Skipper asked, fighting back the urge to hit Gilligan with his cap.
The most annoying part of this whole situation for the Skipper was not being able to hit Gilligan when he was annoyed because he looked like Mary Ann.
"Gilligan, do you love Mary Ann?" Ginger asked.
"Love?!" Gilligan's eyes went wide. How did she know that he loved Mary Ann? Was he being that obvious?
"What's love got anything to do with it, Ginger?" Skipper asked.
"Just a minute, Skipper, she's got a point. If Gilligan loved Mary Ann, then subconsciously his mind would have desired her. Now, I don't mean to pry, Gilligan, but I need to know if you love Mary Ann. It might be the only way to get somewhere on switching your bodies back."
"Well then, do you love her Gilligan?" The Skipper knew the answer to the question from their talk at the lagoon, but he didn't want to say anything. It wasn't his place to reveal Gilligan's love for Mary Ann.
"Oh! Finally, something interesting to talk about on this island other than coconuts. I just absolutely adore love!" Mrs. Howell exclaimed. She could already hear wedding bells ringing in her head. "I can't wait to plan the wedding!"
"Now, Lovey, don't get too ahead of yourself. The boy hasn't even answered the question yet."
"Gilligan?" The Professor waited on an answer.
"Uh, I don't think I love her. Well, what is love really? Huh, Professor? I don't think I love her." Gilligan stuttered out.
He really did love Mary Ann, but he was too scared to say anything about it. He wasn't even brave enough to tell Mary Ann herself, much less all of the castaways. Mrs. Howell mentioning a wedding didn't help either. Talk of marraige and love always sent Gilligan into a panic.
"Oh, well then that isn't the reason for your curse," the Professor said, "I'm afraid then that we are back to square one. Sorry, Mary Ann, but I do not know why you two are cursed. Mary Ann? Mary Ann, what's wrong?"
Mary Ann had suddenly burst into tears and ran off into the jungle. When Gilligan had said that he didn't love her, it broke her heart. She wasn't expecting love, but the way they had always interacted with each other on the island and their kiss earlier had created some hope in Mary Ann that there was a chance he might love her. Now, that hope was broken and so was her heart.
The other castaways were confused as to what had disappointed Mary Ann so much.
"I should go see what's wrong," Ginger said concerned for her best friend.
Gilligan didn't know for sure, but he had a hunch to why Mary Ann got so sad. If he was right, and him saying he didn't love Mary Ann was what hurt her feelings, he felt a responsibility to make sure she was alright and let her know that he didn't mean what he said.
"It's fine, I'll go," Gilligan said and went into the jungle after Mary Ann.