Mari & Ilna-you're the best.

McRollers-thanks for reading.


Setting Sail (1/1)

"After seeing what happened with Cody and Casey I was ready for a lot of yelling and screaming when they said my name," Dylan told his little brother as they sat on the deck at the beach house post-graduation. "But whose idea was it to hold up two foot high letters that spelled out GO DYLAN!"

Jacob's eyes twinkled. "They were actually three feet high," he said as his brother pulled him into a headlock. "I wanted to make sure you had a big send off since we only have you for a few more days before you head off to the naval academy for plebe summer."

"You just wait until you see what I come up with when you graduate," Dylan warned playfully.


Kaitlyn crossed the deck carrying a furry orange bundle and stopped in front of Dylan. "I wanted to make sure you don't forget to say goodbye to Pumpkin and Cammie too. Animals miss people they love when they go away," she said.

"Goodbye, Pumpkin," Dylan said seriously as he lifted the cat from Kaitlyn's arms. "You be good and I promise I'll come back to see you as soon as I can."

Kaitlyn's voice got quieter. "They'll like that. I will too."

"I'll call you whenever I can and come home for a visit first chance I get," Dylan promised. He knelt in front of his sister who had been understandably clingy for the last two weeks. He looked around the area furtively then lowered his voice. "I was thinking, now that it's gonna be just you, Jacob, and Mom, and there's plenty of room, this might be the perfect time to talk her into that second cat you've been wanting."

Kaitlyn's eyes brightened. "You think so?"

"I do." He handed Pumpkin back to her. "I'll even put in a good word for you."


"I didn't think it was possible to be this nervous and this excited at the same time," Dylan admitted to Carrie and John as they watched the younger kids play chicken in the water with Steve, Danny, Cody, and Jess.

"I remember that feeling like it was yesterday," John said with a smile. "Be prepared. It takes a few weeks after you get there for it to wear off."

"Remember, everyone there is feeling the exact same way," Carrie said.

Dylan inhaled deeply. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

"If I had to give you one piece of advice," John said, "It would be to stay focused on yourself and what's being asked of you. You deserve to be there. You're a mentally strong young man. Don't get distracted by other people's mind games."

"Amen," Carrie agreed. "There will be people there who will try to throw you off your game for their own reasons. Ignore them."

John nodded. "This is where having such a big family will play to your advantage."

"You already have a lot of experience working as part of a team." Carrie smiled. "That's gonna come in handy."


"It seems like just yesterday we met at Shop with a Cop," Chin said as he and Dylan took a short walk up the beach. He wanted a few minutes to talk alone before Dylan got caught up in the whirlwind of preparing to leave for Annapolis. "I want you to know, I'm very proud of the man you're becoming."

Dylan blushed. "Thanks," he said around the lump in his throat. "I could never have done it without you."

"You would have found your way," Chin insisted.

"No," Dylan said sincerely. "I wouldn't have. You believed in me in a way that made me believe in myself. When you let me help work on your bike it was the best feeling ever."

Chin smiled. "You were better at it than me almost right from the start."

"That's where my love of mechanical things started and that led to robotics and that led to where I am now." Dylan stopped and looked his mentor directly in the eyes. "I'll never forget everything you've done for me."

"It was my pleasure." Chin squeezed the shoulder of the young man in front of him. "I'll always be just a call away if you need me."


"It's kinda weird how different all of our post-high school experiences are," Casey said as she, Grace, and Dylan sat around a plate of fruit kabobs. It had taken a little wrangling with both her professors and her track coach but she had managed to leave LA a few days earlier than expected so she could have the chance to spend some time with Dylan before he left for Maryland.

"I stayed close to home and am able to work a job I love, in my field, while I go to school," Grace said. "Casey went to the mainland where she's not only on the Dean's list but killing it as a track star, and now you're off to the other side of the country to go to the naval academy. "

"Who would have thought it back when we first met?" Dylan asked as he popped a piece of pineapple in his mouth.

"I'm not sure I knew how to dream this big back then." Casey smiled and held up a skewer of fruit to toast with. "Here's to the three of us. I can't wait to see what we all do next."


"I just keep wondering if there's something else I should have done to prepare," Dylan confided in Joseph. "I've read over all the materials they sent with suggestions of ways to prepare for plebe summer. I just hope I didn't overlook anything."

"You're ready," Joseph said confidently.

Dylan bit his lip. "Do you really think so?"

Joseph nodded. "I know so. Since the minute you set the academy as your goal you've done everything you could to prepare yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and intellectually. I'm very proud of the level of focus and dedication you've shown. It reminds me very much of Catherine."

"Wow." Dylan beamed. "That's a big compliment. I really hope I make you proud."

Joseph returned the smile. "You already have."


"I can't believe my little brother is gonna be a naval officer," Cody said proudly.

"I can't believe my big brother is gonna be governor of Hawaii someday," Dylan replied.

Cody barked a laugh. "I think you might be getting a little ahead of yourself there."

"Maybe you'll go straight to senator then president," Dylan said with a sparkle in his eye. "If that's what you want to do." Dylan paused to gather his thoughts. "Thanks for showing me that no dream is impossible if you're willing to work for it, Cody."

"Thanks for helping push me to do better," Cody said. "I knew you were watching me and I never wanted to let you down."

"You never did." Dylan's voice cracked slightly. "You never could."

Cody hugged his brother then pulled back and smiled. "You know what this means, right?"

Dylan laughed. "Yep. Jacob is watching both of us."


"I want you to know," Dylan told Steve earnestly. "I'll do my best to make you proud. I know you have high expectations. I never want to let you down."

"You've already made me very proud," Steve assured him. "There is no doubt in my mind you're gonna do big things."

"I feel like …" Dylan took a deep breath. "It's hard to explain. I'm nervous, for sure, but I just have this feeling that I'm on the right path. That this is what I'm meant to do. Did you feel that way when you left for the academy?"

Steve shook his head. "I wasn't that lucky. I came to feel that way eventually but I was a lot more unsure than you when I first arrived."

Dylan smiled. "You really think I can do this."

It was more of a statement than a question.

"I think you're gonna do better than I ever did," Steve said confidently, then smirked. "But I doubt you'll beat Catherine's obstacle course record."


"I guess you two know what this is like from both sides, huh?" Dylan asked Catherine and Elizabeth as he joined them in the kitchen divvying up the leftovers.

"In a way it seems like just yesterday I left for the academy and in a way it seems like a long time ago," Catherine said.

"And I remember feeling so sad that my little girl was going so far away but at the same time being so excited for her and the new adventure she was embarking on," Elizabeth added.

"That's why I was kinda hoping the two of you could keep an eye on my mom after I leave." Dylan put a lid on one container and placed an empty one in the center of the island. "I know she has Cody close by, and Jacob and Kaitlyn are still at home, I just … well I thought she might need someone to talk to about things and you guys would understand completely. If that's ok to ask."

"It's very ok." Elizabeth smiled at him. "I'll make sure she knows she can come to me anytime she needs to talk."

"And I'll do my best to talk her through what's going on for you every step of the way," Catherine promised. "You go off and do great things. We'll hold down the fort here until you get back."


"Before we say goodnight I just wanted to propose a toast," Jenna said as she held her can of Sprite in the air. "To my son, Dylan. Who is about to set off on a journey I can't even imagine. I'll miss him terribly, but at the same time I can't wait to see what he accomplishes. I know it is going to be amazing. I love you, Dylan. More than you can possibly know. I'm very happy you've found your calling this early in life and my only hope is that every day fulfills you and challenges you. Now go out there and show those academy people what I already know. That they are lucky to have you. Hooyah!"

THE END


Find all our stories (in chronological order!) on our website: marirealmcroll dot wixsite dot com backslash real-mcroll

Or in the McRoll in the REAL World community here on fanfiction dot net Find us on Tumblr: mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com

You can join our mailing list by emailing us realmcroll at yahoo dot com with: Add me, please! in the subject line. Or just drop us a line to say hi! We love hearing from our readers.