A/N: hello again, everybody! In lieu of the conclusion of my first calendar year writing here at FanFiction, I present this New Year's Eve saga going over everything the castaways went through during this past year-blending elements of the final year of the original TV series, as well as everything I wrote about over these past few months. BMAG and Pinger are here-with a twist ending which will change things up a bit going forward. Otherwise, BMAG and Pinger it is all the way...with new and exciting ideas coming up in the year ahead for my FanFiction writings. Happy New Year! Auld Lang Syne!
What an eventful year this was for the castaways.
Having been infiltrated by a reality show contestant…infiltrated by an actor trying to have a career as an ape man in Hollywood…William coming upon a slave girl who wanted to be his servant…natives who wanted to sacrifice William, as a goddess, into a volcano…and a sadistic hunter, named Jonathan Kincaid, who wanted to hunt William down as a form of human game.
Yet, through this all, as they had each of their previous years on the island, they somehow managed to endure.
Yet, they did in new ways previously not at all imagined.
If anything, they all emerged from these challenges in new and wonderful ways.
For William and Mary Ann, the Kincaid ordeal brought them closer together like never before,
So much so, that they went from fellow castaways…to friends…to boyfriend & girlfriend…and then, finally…engaged.
For Ginger and Professor Roy, the love they came to have for one another deepened since they became a couple one year ago. Now, in approaching the coming year…they had grown deeper and deeply in love.
So much so…that it was only a matter of time before they went the way of the Howells…and the soon-to-be Gilligans: married.
And speaking of the Howells…the fire in their marriage had been rekindled as a result of seeing the love growing between the two younger couples they were shipwrecked on the island with.
So much so…that they were now making serious love on a level not seen since earlier on during their marriage.
And as for Mrs. Howell…bonding with the two younger women she is shipwrecked with led to her not only embracing them…but even kissing them both, on occasion, as well.
This was particularly fine with Ginger, whose openly declared love for Gilligan not only led to her calling him William full time—the only other person besides Mary Ann to do so—but to also come to embrace her true pansexuality, as well. While Roy was her main, true love, she also loved William and Mary Ann enough to consider them her boyfriend and girlfriend, as well, respectively.
William's confidence and growth as a man came to pass over this past year, as he found himself engaged to one woman and the boyfriend of another.
As for Mary Ann, embracing William led her to disclose the fact that she is a Negro. Being embraced per her true ethnicity by her six fellow castaways led to an enhanced sweetness, as well as a different assertiveness which signaled a deepening maturity that her fiancé shared with her, also, as their love continued to evolve and grow.
Roy came to love how things unfolded, throughout the year, between his girlfriend and the others. By helping Ginger embrace her full sexuality, their own love became torrid. And, by extension, he was a much happier man more at ease with himself like never before, realizing he had a woman who loved him as much as he loved her.
And as for Skipper, himself, he was just happy that the three other couples on the island were happy. Though he longed for the touch and companionship which a relationship with a woman can bring, he felt the least of all for himself and was only wanting to other castaways to be happy…happy enough to carry their love forward, especially in the event of a hopeful rescue none of them gave up hope on.
And when rescued…then maybe he, too, could find true love himself.
The seven of them sat around the table to go over whatever New Year's resolutions they would have in the 12 months ahead.
William and Mary Ann went first.
"Our main resolution, of course, is for me and Mary Ann to be married," William said.
"And, we have our date picked out," Mary Ann said.
"And what date is that going to be, dear?" Mrs. Howell asked.
"June 12th," the engaged pair said, in unison.
"June 12th?" Skipper asked.
"Yes," William said.
"Why that date?" Skipper followed up.
"Because, that is going to be the one-year anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision, which outlawed interracial marriage bans across America," Mary Ann answered. "And, as a tribute to our
love and the Lovings, we have chosen that specific date to marry."
"Well, that makes fine sense to me." Mr. Howell said, smiling.
"Just as I thought," Ginger said, beaming ear-to-ear with a smile, "that makes the best sense to marry on that date."
"Yes, it does," Roy said.
"And we are looking forward to doing just that," William said, wrapping his arms around his fiancée, who replied in kind, with a deep, abiding kiss of their own—together, at the table. William was developing a serious craving for the brown sugar Mary Ann was providing—and was looking forward to getting some even sweeter tastes from his future wife in the 5 1/2 months ahead once they are married.
"Professor, how about you and Ginger?" Skipper asked, looking towards them, as they sat together, holding hands.
"As soon as we know, you will all know, too" Roy replied.
"And we look forward to sharing this news with you all—when it happens," Ginger said, kissing her Professor on the lips.
"On that note, here is some good dancing music, right here," Skipper said, as he turned up the radio to hear, Ton of Joy, from The Big O. By listening to KHSL, very much all of the Castaways looked forward to listening to R&B, especially come party time. Be it that this was New Year's Eve, what a finer time than ever to tune in?
The three couples danced at a slowed pace to this one. And even slower when Otis returned, with Carla Thomas, for a selection from their King & Queen LP, New Year's Resolution. As they danced to this one, William whispered a request from his queen.
"Honey?" William whispered to his fiancée.
"Yes, baby?" Mary Ann responded in whisper.
"Every New Year's Eve, no matter where we are, let's be sure we always play this song every year on this day," William said, "so much so, that when our babies grow up, they will want to play this with their babies, too."
After looking at him briefly, Mary Ann acquiesced. "You got it", she said.
The two then proceeded to kiss.
Afterward, the castaways danced to such fare as Soul Man by Sam & Dave, Funky Broadway by Wilson Pickett, Cold Sweat by James Brown and The Famous Flames, I Was Made To Love Her by Stevie Wonder, Groovin' by Booker T. and The MG's, and I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Gladys Knight and The Pips.
The final songs they heard before the clock struck midnight: More Love by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, and The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game by The Marvelettes.
After that, Rocky Soul stopped the music and gathered everyone around to do the countdown into the new year.
"All right, here it comes…the final countdown into the new year…" he said, over the radio.
"Okay, everybody, this is it," Skipper said. "Let's listen in." Skipper then turned up the radio as the seven castaways gathered closer.
"Here we go…" Rocky said, on the air. The castaways, holding coconut drinks in their hands, counted down in unison.
'TEN…NINE…EIGHT…SEVEN…SIX…FIVE…FOUR…THREE…TWO…ONE…HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Guy Lombardo's version of Auld Lang Syne played over the radio, as the castaways drank a toast to the transition from an old year to a new one. They all then embraced as a group—collectively and individually.
Mary Ann and William kissed…now inside of the year they are due to marry.
The Howells kissed…now inside of what was expected to be their 25th wedding anniversary.
Roy and Ginger kissed…their love serious enough to warrant their own trip to the altar…soon.
Skipper, who was embraced and kissed, was happy with all the harmony and love amongst the castaways, collectively and individually.
Then, as William and Ginger kissed…when Queen Aretha's latest hit, Chain of Fools, came over the radio…something unexpected happened.
Roy then went over and kissed Mary Ann deep…and hard.
"Professor?" William turned around, more amazed than offended, which he hardly was.
"Professor?" Mary Ann said, more amazed than offended, like her fiancé was.
"Professor?" The Howells and Skipper said, in unison.
"Roy?" Ginger said, surprised, yet not in a bad way, at all!
"Well, I didn't want to say anything until after the clock struck midnight," he said, "but this past year showed us all a lot…present company included. And now, after a lot of soul searching, studying, and a great deal of thought and observation…I have decided to come in on my girlfriend's pansexuality and further embrace my love for both Gilligan and Mary Ann…as my little brother and sister, if they will have me."
"Sure, Professor, we would love to, very much," William said.
"Yes, count us in!" Mary Ann exclaimed.
The four youngest castaways then embraced.
Now, Ginger was no longer alone in her open love for the engaged couple.
Now, her boyfriend was on board with his new brother and sister.
As for Ginger, William and Mary Ann would remain her boyfriend and girlfriend, respectively.
"Wonderful," Skipper said. "Then, to ring in the new year, let's Boogaloo Down Broadway!" as the Fantastic Johnny C's big hit came blaring in over the radio, with the castaways dancing to this new signpost in their lives, of a learning man coming fully alive with a strong love he now had for his girlfriend, brother and sister.