A/N: Hi! This chapter again focuses on the castaways, but starting from the next chapter the real plot begins. Please reveiw! Enjoy! Btw, sorry for the bit of a delay with posting.

In Gilligan and the Skipper's hut...

Gilligan woke up groggily that morning having not had enough sleep the previous night. One reason for this was that Gilligan felt he was being watched, a sensation that deeply disturbed him. He even let the Skipper know that he thought he saw a blonde woman looking at them during dinner, but he said that Gilligan was just imagining things.

The main reason that he hadn't been able to sleep, however, was that he had been trying to figure out a solution to his problem. His problem was one related to a field he didn't have much experience in, love.

Until recently, Gilligan had never been in love. That all changed when he met Mary Ann. He always thought she was cute, from the moment his eyes laid on her before their three hour tour on the S.S. Minnow. He didn't do anything about it, though, because he didn't expect that he'd be stranded on an island with her for over three years. The closest he ever got to saying how he felt about her was when the Howells tried to matchmake the two of them.

That was too early on, however. They couldn't have pursued a relationship then because they would've been too young, and neither of them ever planned on staying on their island for this long. But things changed after a while.

Last Thanksgiving after everyone had finished eating dinner and gone to sleep, Mary Ann stayed behind to wash the dishes. Gilligan offered to help her because she looked upset to him, and she agreed. After they finished, the two of them began to talk about their lives and what they missed most about civilization. Their conversation ended in a kiss and soon after their relationship began to progress.

Of course everyone else found out about this immediately. One of the downsides to having such a close knit group together on a teeny tiny island. Needless to say, everyone was happy for the young couple.

It took enough for Gilligan to try and learn enough romance to keep their relationship loving. He took dance lessons from Ginger and Mrs. Howell, borrowed suits for Mr. Howell, and asked the Professor to help him make gifts for Mary Ann. The Skipper also helped him with things multiple times.

Now, he had a new problem in front of him: He wanted to propose to her. He didn't know how he'd do this, but he knew he had to. Mary Ann had expressed her want to get married, and Gilligan had tried to propose to her multiple failed times before. He even already had the ring. He had gotten the Professor to fix together a plain band Mrs. Howell owned and one of the stones he found on the island. Now he just had to find a way to romantically propose to her.

Trying to get this problem out of his head, Gilligan got dressed and ready for the day. Quietly, he left for the door, sure to not wake up the Skipper who was still sleeping. As he was exiting the hut, he paused by the door because he saw that there were two envelopes slipped underneath it.

"I wonder who that's from," he thought.

He ripped one of them open and saw a letter inside of it.

In neat cursive writing it said, "You have been cordially invited to the annual Howell Cotillion Ball. Festivities will begin Friday at sunset. Dress formally in your nicest clothes. If nice clothes are not available, Thurston Howell III himself will be happy to provide you with a suit. Bring a date if possible. - Eunice Wentworth Howell and Thurston Howell III"

"Oh boy, a party!" Gilligan exclaimed forgetting all about the Skipper.

"Gilligan!" the Skipper yelled having been unceremoniously awoken from his slumber. "Do you have to scream so early in the morning?"

"Oops. I'm sorry, Skipper. I just couldn't sleep, so I woke up to get ready and I found the Howell's invitation to their party."

"The Howells are holding a party?" the Skipper asked.

"Yeah, I just found the invitation under our door. Don't worry, there's one for you this time, too," Gilligan joked, referring to the time when everyone thought the Howells had snubbed the Skipper's invitation to their annual cotillion.

"What does it say?" the Skipper asked now awake.

"It just says a bunch of fancy stuff about how we're invited. And to dress nice, too."

"Oh, so just the usual. It'll just be like those parties we always have here."

"I don't think it'll be boring this time, Skipper."

"What makes you say that?"

"I want to propose to Mary Ann finally this time."

"Oh little buddy! You really mean you're going to ask her this time?" the Skipper asked like a proud father.

"I was thinking about how to do it, and I think Mr. and Mrs. Howell's party would be a good place to do it."

"I think you're right. They're already going to make it fancy, all you have to do is ask her."

"I'm still nervous about it, though," Gilligan said.

"Don't worry, little buddy. Mary Ann surely loves you. She'll say yes whenever you ask her."

Gilligan nodded knowing the Skipper was right but still reluctant to completely believe him.

"If it helps, maybe you could tell Mr. and Mrs. Howell that you're planning on proposing to Mary Ann," the Skipper suggested.

"Hey, that's a good idea. Then maybe they'll help me or something. I'll go right now," Gilligan said, leaving the hut.

This left the Skipper all alone with his thoughts.

He liked the fact that the Howells were willing to go through all the trouble to plan a party for the other castaways. He knew it would at least boost some of the morale around here. More than enough, he was happy for Gilligan and Mary Ann. He had known from the start that the two youngest castaways always harbored some romantical feelings for each other. It was just a matter of time before they got together.

Gilligan and Mary Ann getting together only brought Ginger and the Professor together even more. Not that they needed anything to bring them together. He, as well as everyone else on their island, had noticed the movie star flirting with the man of science. He just hoped that the Professor himself noticed it too. However, as of late, he had begun to notice the Professor also return some of Ginger's affections. He was extremely happy for the two of them as well.

The Skipper really did truly feel happy Gilligan and Mary Ann's romance and for Ginger and the Professor's blooming one; he just wished that he could also experience some of this romance that was supposedly in the air.

Soon enough, the amount of married couples on this island would go from one to two. And he knew that a third couple would soon follow. That would leave him all alone as the odd one out with no one to love him.

Sometimes, he hoped that maybe a woman would wash up on the island for him. Someone who he could really love and who really loved him. Contrary to most people's opinion, he didn't just care about the "physical representations of love." He also wanted someone who could be that and more for him.

But there was no use in thinking about that now. That would just make him even more upset. There was definitely no chance a woman was on their island, especially none that would want to pursue a romance with him. For now, all he could do was happily support the other couples on the island and hope that maybe they would all get rescued soon, so he could finally find romance.