A/N: Hello again, everybody! Well, the moment of truth has come! After nearly 3.5 months of writting this great story, the time has come to bring things to close with The Castaway Caper. This has been quite a journey I have taken with this story and as I am sorry to see this end, I am also looking to setting sail to new Gilligan's Island FanFiction stories in the time ahead. I want to thank retro mania for the original idea I received last spring in writing this fine story; djinndjinn for coming up huge down the stretch with wonderful reviews, suggestions, and correspondence I have taekn to heart; and, of course, Miss Tara Burgundy for her ongoing support, encouragement and inspiration. Now, while this may favor MAG, I will, hint at some Pinger, too! Again, I want to thank everyone for coming along with me on this journey. And now, without further ado, here is the epilogue to The Castaway Caper!
A search-and-rescue team eventually made their way to the island once Insp. Erksine radioed in for further backup. Following an extensive search throughout the island, each of the stolen items were retrieved while Nia and Bucko were taken into custody. They were both sentenced to ten years in prison for their crimes. While Bucko would be released before the end of his term for good behavior, the FBI, impressed with Nia's ability to work as a chemist—and well—arranged for her to be paroled to work with the Department of Defense for the remainder of her term in their employ as a chemical engineer.
The professor also concurred that while Nia was able to use his formula for everything from knockout gas to laughing gas, he admitted that Nia's changing ability was all her own.
In successfully clearing the names of each of the seven castaways, they all returned to their respective lives.
The Howells returned to their business empire, holdings and interests. They also helped the other five castaways get on with their lives with stipends to help them proceed with themselves however they saw fit to continue.
The Professor took a position at USC as a science teacher and a research scientist.
Ginger resumed her Hollywood career, not only thriving as an actress, but also as a singer as well, conquering music, stage, screen, and television!
Eventually, in such proximity with one another, the Professor and Ginger would go on to ultimately pursue a successful romantic relationship together.
Mary Ann was studying her options with her life. She was debating against whether to return to Kansas to resume her life on the farm with her aunt and uncle or to enroll in college and pursue a degree based on her agricultural experiences…or maybe even try something else.
Skipper got himself another boat, dubbed the S.S. Minnow II, having received signed affidavits from each of the other passengers that the disaster aboard the original Minnow, which led to their being shipwrecked in the first place, was not of his own wrongdoing.
Gilligan, however, was undecided as to whether he wanted to continue working for the Skipper, or working with him as his partner, or maybe just trying out something else, instead. Thus, he kept his options open.
And as promised, Doobie and Gelda hosted and treated Gilligan and the rest of the castaways to a private dinner held at their diner upon their rescue and being cleared of their respective names. They were served a full course meal with all the trimmings, featuring turkey, ham, cornbread stuffing w/gravy, potato salad, mac'n'cheese, dinner rolls, green beans, and coconut cream pies and cake. Although the meal was completely on the house, the Willises received a generous five-figure tip from The Howells, for their generosity in keeping their word, as well as their part in helping them get off of the island and clear their names. In all, it was a great time had by all.
In future years, on the anniversary of their rescue, each of the seven former castaways would all gather at Willis Diner for a big meal on the house. And each time, the Howells would leave a generous tip…always grateful for the hand they played in their rescue.
Following all of the hoopla and media frenzy surround their rescue from the island, along with their names being cleared in the crimes as committed by Nia and Bucko, before departing the hotel, where they were each placed in separate suites, there was one more thing.
Late one afternoon, in his hotel room, Gilligan was paid a visit by Mary Ann. Upon her entry, the two of the exchanged pleasantries while talking more about their respective futures to come. They both sat on the sofa located inside of Gilligan's hotel room.
"How can I ever repay you for all that you did in helping to get us off of the island?" Mary Ann asked.
"Like I said before, Mary Ann," Gilligan replied, "please. Just go ahead, live, love, and enjoy your life. That's payment enough for me."
"So, have you given any thought about what you are going to do with yourself now that we are no longer on the island?" Mary Ann asked.
"Not really. I am still exploring my options," Gilligan said. "And you?"
"Well, I have given some thought about returning to Kansas to live with my aunt and uncle and living and working on the farm," Mary Ann said.
"What else are you thinking of?" Gilligan said.
"I don't know. Maybe going off to college and pursuing an education," Mary Ann answered.
Mary Ann then asked Gilligan if he had anyone back home, in Pennsylvania, to go home to.
"Well, there is my family, my parents, my brother—" Gilligan said.
"What I meant by that, Gilligan, is, do you have a girlfriend back home?" Mary Ann asked in interrupting Gilligan's answer.
"No," Gilligan said. "What about you? Do you have anybody back home you're interested in?"
"Well, there was a boyfriend," Mary Ann said. "I was seeing him before I left for my trip aboard the Minnow. He waited for me, but he has moved on to another girl. They are getting married.""
"Well, that's too bad," Gilligan said. "His loss. You are a fine woman, Mary Ann, and you would make a fine girlfriend, or even a wife, for another guy who would appreciate you."
"Well, thank you, Gilligan. That is very kind of you to say," Mary Ann said.
"You are welcome," Gilligan said.
"In fact, I am glad you said that" Mary Ann smiled, "because there is actually someone else that I am already interested in."
"Really?" Gilligan responded. "Who is he?"
"Well, he is a very nice, hardworking, kind, caring, sensitive man," Mary Ann said, "a true gentleman, actually, who has a very sweet soul and a lot of courage who is not afraid to fight for those he loves and cares about. A man I am very interested in and a man I would love to have a relationship with."
"Sounds like somebody special," Gilligan said, smiling
"Oh, believe me, Gilligan, he is a very special man," Mary Ann said with a smile.
"Have you told him how you feel?" Gilligan asked.
"Not entirely, but I am getting ready to tell him everything," Mary Ann said.
"Then why don't you go tell him," Gilligan suggested.
"Are you sure, Gilligan?" Mary Ann asked.
"Yes, I am" Gilligan said, smiling. "Positive. Go to this man and tell him how you feel."
"Thank you, Gilligan," Mary Ann said. "In fact, I am going to do that right now!"
"That a girl" Gilligan said, smiling,
On that note, the two former castaways headed to the door together. However, as Gilligan reached for the door to open it for Mary Ann to exit, Mary Ann suddenly cut in front of him, slammed the door shut, instead, locked the door, put her arms around Gilligan's neck and gave him a long, hard, deep kiss!
"M-m-m-m-Mary Ann!" Gilligan said with a surprised look on his face.
"Yes, Gilligan," she said, smiling.
"W-w-w-w-what was that for?" Gilligan said.
"Well, you know that man I was telling you about just now that I am interested in?" Mary Ann said.
"Y-y-y-y-y-yes?" Gilligan said.
"Well, turns out…that man just so happens to be…you!" Mary Ann said.
"M-m-m-m-me?" Gilligan said.
"Yes, honey." Mary Ann said, with a beaming, wide-eyed look on her face.
"B-b-b-b-b-b-but…how?" Gilligan said. "All those years on the island, you never said anything. But now that we're off the island, here you are."
"Yes," Mary Ann said, with suddenly hungry eyes.
"What changed?" Gilligan asked, amazed yet aroused.
"Well, after all we went through with those crimes which were committed in our names, once you risked your life for us in coming back to the island with those crooks and helping us to get rescued, and how you stood up to them in the process, you were regarded as a hero in the press," Mary Ann said.
"Yes, that's right, I was!" Gilligan modestly said, as this was true: for it was Gilligan who saw the boat first, the stolen goods, suspected Nia and Bucko on the island ahead of everyone else, ended up seeing and identifying them first, and then was a stowaway aboard their boat to help get the others rescued. And, to their word, the Willises did notify the authorities upon learning of the true nature of the crimes. This impressed Mary Ann to no end.
"Well, honey, you are a hero to me," Mary Ann said. "I think you are wonderful. I always did. You were my man right from the start from the time we were shipwrecked, especially as I voted for you to be president of the island. My opinion of you never changed. I just think the world of you. And for that, and whole lot more, you, Gilligan, are the man that I love!"
"Really?" Gilligan said, "Because, if that is how you feel, then you are the woman that I love!"
"Great!" Mary Ann said, as tears fell down her eyes, falling into a deeper kiss with Gilligan, the two of them circling their arms around one another tightly. Before they both headed for the king-sized bed, which was calling them, Mary Ann decided to place the Please, Do Not Disturb placard on the outside doorknob, soliciting Gilligan's consent in the process, which he happily provided. As she did so, another person entered the suite.
"Hello, Gilligan," the person said.
Gilligan was astonished. "Ginger?" he bellowed.
"Yes, Gilligan. So, I take it you and Mary Ann are on your way to becoming a couple now?" Ginger said.
"Well, it sure looks that way," Gilligan said, smiling, as Mary Ann walked back into the suite.
"Good. Because I would love to personally give you my thank you gift for getting us rescued," Ginger said, who had been waiting outside in the hallway, looking to enter Gilligan's room at some point.
"Ah, Ginger, that is very kind, thank you," Gilligan said. "So, what do you have for me?"
"This," Ginger said, taking off her tan trench coat to reveal a very thin, silk green bikini.
Gilligan's face was agape as the movie star made her way over to the sailing man. Ginger approached him with a deep kiss of her own.
Exasperated, Gilligan turned to face Mary Ann, who had already removed her pink dress, and, at that point, dropped her entire pink slip off her shoulders and down to the carpeted floor, revealing a matching pink bra-and-panty set of her own. Both women had their hair down past and beyond their shoulders.
Amazed by this sudden turn of events, Gilligan passed out from all the intimate tension. But the ladies decided to carry him over to the bed, anyway, and strip him down to his skivvies.
"Sorry, honey," Ginger said to a fainted Gilligan, "but you're not fainting your way out of this one!"
"Sure aren't!" Mary Ann concurred, with a sheepish grin which Ginger was matching.
Gilligan eventually came to on the king-sized bed, with both bikini-clad ladies on each side of him. Although things were awkward at first, the three of them would go on to enjoy a very special night together…launching a loving, romantic relationship for Gilligan and Mary Ann…and a very special friendship the three of them, together, would enjoy for several years to come.