'What was I doing?' I needed to get it together. It's not like she knew what I had started to realize. And after all the lies and tricks I'd put her through, I had no right to ask anything from her. Not for her trust, not for her affection. None of it. I was going to rest when we got the tears anyway. If anything, her being angry at me, showing me she didn't trust me just proved it was my time. That I was done with this world. I'd finished with it a long time ago.

'I'm ready.'

I pulled my shirt back on. Next, my hat and as I was straightening my shirt out, I finally looked around. 'Amazing.' Everywhere around us as the water level receded there were carved ceremonial structures. Pillars, columns, what looked like it used to be statues. Watching it all suddenly appear it was truly almost like-

"Turn water to stone…" I heard more than saw Lily. It had barely registered that she was the one speaking. 'When had she come back to my side of the boat?'

My mind started racing with all that this meant. Four hundred years. Four hundred years of never getting to see my home again. Never going anywhere new. Four hundred of watching anyone I cared about die. To know I'd outlive anyone I met; I'd stop trying to make attachments and friendships. Even my dealings with the Puka Macchina were more transactional at this point. Four hundred years I had searched, drawn, talked to anyone who would know anything about this place and I was finally... FINALLY here!

"After 400 years… I found it." I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight around me. My freedom was within reach at long last. It was beautiful.

Suddenly I remembered I wasn't alone. I turned back to Lily. "We found it!"

Lily laughed and opened her arms in a hug which I gratefully accepted. I never would have found this place if it wasn't for her. I would still be lost.

I owed her so much. More if I deducted how I'd tricked and betrayed her at every turn. 'A petal.' Lily needed one too. She'd done so much for me and That was the only thing she wanted. I had to get one for her as well, no matter what. "Now you can be the Darwin of flowers."

"The petal's right there, you can be free." I felt a smile curl to my face as she started talking about the petal and what it would mean to us both. 'You always do think of others before yourself, don't you?'

I nodded my head and muttered that I could. 'I could be free.' I doubt she heard me though, because she kept right on talking and, in all honesty, I liked listening to the sound of her voice.

"You can… I mean, it's not like the river's not beautiful, but you can go anywhere and you can see the world." Wait, see the world? The smile fell from my face. Was she still trying to convince me to live? We'd talked about this last night.

Sometimes I seriously didn't get this woman. I'd tricked her. I'd betrayed her. I'd left her to drown. Here she was still trying to get to me live. For what? I had nothing back home... I was tired of being here and what could I do or be anywhere else? I didn't even let anyone get close anymore because they would just grow old and leave me. No! I couldn't do this anymore. It was too painful. 'I'm done!'

"You can come to London. I'm from London. I could show it to you. I even have a motor car. I could be like your skipper, Skippy… If you want." 'Oh, Lily.' Could I really do that? Just go with her to London? No. No, of course not.

It was her world, not mine. Mine had ended a long time ago. It had ended when Aguirre killed the chief and tried to steal the arrow. It had ended when I trapped my brothers in a hole so they would stop trying to kill me. It had ended when I'd built a town and made friends and those friends grew old and died. It had ended so many times over now.

With everything that I'd put her through, that she would still offer me one more life to live... But even that was too painful. Go with her to London? Live in her house? I wouldn't even know what I'd do for a living. And Lily... Sure she wanted me to come with her, but what about when she met someone? Someone she could truly trust? Could I just stand by and watch that happen?

"Lily, I would love to do all that with you. But I've made up my mind. There is no London for me after this. There's no motor car. I'm ready." What would be the point in living one more life if it was just another miserable existence floating through the world and doing nothing?

She shook her head. I knew she didn't understand what it meant to be as old as I am and not die. Maybe she would one day; when she was old and gray. When she had lived a life full of adventure and was surrounded by grandchildren. After she had experienced all that life had to offer, lived it fully and her time was drawing near, maybe then she would understand.

"It's my time. It was my time long ago." Someday, she'll understand what that means. 'I'll see you again on the other side.' I looked her in the eyes, willing her to get it. When she looked back at me, I saw only sadness there.

"No." She looked away. "No, I don't accept it. You could have one more life." Her finger came up like she was scolding a child. Funny, because she was the one stomping off childishly. But this time I wasn't going to let her just declare she was right, end the discussion and run away from me.

This was my decision. I'd made it years ago and it wasn't up to her. I know she wanted to save the world and everyone in it. She didn't get to decide for someone else if they wanted to live or die. My life, my choice.

"Luckily for me, it's my choice." She turned into the bridge of the boat and I followed.

"Well, it shouldn't be, because you have very poor judgment." Her voice wavered as she spoke, pointing a finger at me. 'You're grasping at straws now, huh?' Maybe she was starting to understand?

It wasn't that I didn't want all those things she offered. It's that I didn't deserve any of them. The only thing I deserved was rest. She'd go back to her world; I'd move on to the next. "But you have your world to go back to. It's your world."

'Not mine. Don't you see Lily?'

"But it could be yours, too." Her voice wavered as she spoke, her eyes on the floor. I found myself unable to breathe. 'Could she mean she-' No. No way. Not after all this. She would still not be speaking to me if the others hadn't attacked.

When her eyes shifted up to look right at me, I saw the pain there. Her words were raw and honest. No denial, no grasping at straws. This was the truth. Then she started fidgeting and looked away again. "It could be that one person's world enough."

Wait. Was she saying she actually cared about me? I mean, Lily carried about everyone. But the way she was shifting and wouldn't look at me... It was almost as though she was embarrassed by what she was saying. Could she really... like me? Just a little?

My head swam with all the things that could mean. I pictured a life with her. I had no idea what London was like so it was hard to imagine all the details but from what I had come to know of Lily she'd probably want to go on adventures all around the world and we could go together and see so much! And her motor car! What would it be like to drive her car? What was her house like? And... 'Stop Frank, just stop!'

I couldn't just think of all the things she could do for me. Thinking of 'what was in it for me' got me into the mess I was in with her in the first place. Okay so maybe she thought she carried about me right now. So what? Could I really make her happy? I wanted to think that maybe I could.

I carried about her. I knew I did. I was starting to care very deeply. The moment I'd met her I knew she was beautiful, even if I was irritated by her insistence. She didn't listen when I told her not to do something, hated my jokes, we fought a lot of the time. I thought about everything I'd learned about her as we traveled up the river. I'd seen her fierce, angry, strong, compassionate, scared, hopeful. I knew her better than I had ever known anyone before; In just a few days.

Would that be enough for her?

"Could be." I needed to ask her. To make sure I knew what she meant and not just an 'as friends.' If she had feelings for me like I did for her... Then yes. Yes, that could be world enough for him. But how do you as someone if they think they might lo- like you and not sound like a teenager? Should I even be asking at all?

I had decided so long ago that I'd had enough of living. Was this really all it took to change my mind? If so, then why couldn't I have met Lily years ago before the sorrow and pain took root in my heart.

While I'd tried to decide what to say next, she left the bridge. She looked like she was going to cry. "Lily..."

I followed after her. We had to finish this conversation. 'I'm trying to tell you how I feel. Please just let me find the words.'

She was headed back for the rear of the boat, probably to finish getting dressed, when I heard the sound of groaning metal. I looked to my left and instead of water turning to stone I saw metal. 'The submarine! They'd found us.'

"Lily." I'd called to her with some urgency. She needed to see this. We'd have to finish our discussion some other time. But I wanted to finish it. For right now, there was danger.

It was made worse by the hatch opening, the prince popping out... while holding a gun to MacGregor's head. "Hello. Small chance I told a madman with a cannon where to find you."