AN: thank you DimpleCurlAeternaGirl and anonymous guest for your wonderful reviews; Juneselene, MaiarofThedas, and cafuneharry for following; and you for reading 3 :)

It was a cold morning. The air had a tint of blue. The seabirds made soft noises, the swaying of the waves was sweeter than ever, and the sand sang beneath Aqua's feet. She touched the faint scar on her cheek; that one would fade away.

She took off Fitzgerald's uniform, wondering if his soul was still on the island. She stood on the line where the Earth met the Sea, letting the water bury her feet in the sand. There was nothing beyond the horizon, not anymore. Like a snow globe, the Island was all there was now, and she'd be content with staying inside it.

Aqua stripped off her underwear and submerged in the Pacific waters. Despite the sea being so cold, she didn't feel it. She swam until she exhausted herself, letting the delicate waves hold her. Floating aimlessly, she looked at the sky, the sun starting to rise and making the stars disappear. Aqua closed her eyes as the last star went off, and she let the ocean wash everything away.

Aqua put on the clothes she was wearing when she arrived to the island and tended the fire. Richard, sleepy, was surprised to see her up and productive, for he thought that she might have wanted to sleep a little longer.

"Hey," he called, startling Aqua.

"Hey," she said back, turning her face to see him. She had dark circles under her puffy eyes. He sat by the fire with her, at a loss for words. He opted for not saying anything, not wanting to put pressure on her but instead letting her open up at her own rhythm. He held her hand, and she cried a little, but promptly wiped away the tears.

"It's okay to cry. Crying doesn't make you weak," he said softly.

"I know," she replied. "I know that I'm not weak, and I like that you believe I'm not." There was a long pause. Aqua inhaled deeply, shakily before continuing, "I will cry when I need to, but right now… I cannot let the pain consume me." She looked at his scratched face, feeling a pang of guilt, and she swallowed.

"But it's okay to feel that pain."

"I know that; I do. But you don't dwell in your grief, you overcome it." She looked at the fire. "I got a second chance to live, and I will make the most of it, for them. I know I will heal, but it might take me months, years even. And I will need you," she squeezed his hand, "to pick me up when I crumble."

Richard was moved. Every day, his feelings for Aqua grew stronger, but in this moment, he realized just how strong she really was.

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly, baffling Richard.

"Why would you be sorry for?" he asked in genuine disconcertment.

"For hurting you. For attacking you." With shame in her voice, she turned her face away from him.

"Oh. Hey," Richard's voice was kind, not mad at all about the incident. With his fingertips he slowly made Aqua face him again, her eyes teary. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I do," she whimpered. "What I did was horrible and unforgivable."

"Well, I forgive you," he smiled at her, a hand still on her chin. She smiled with a sob and threw herself into his arms, hugging his neck and crying on his shoulder.

By mid-morning it was warm. Richard didn't know what to do. It was a grim fact, but he knew that they wouldn't keep searching the island. He also didn't want to force Aqua to go back to his people right away. He joined her, and they both watched the horizon with their feet in the water.

"Let's stay here," she said, as if she had read his mind. "I mean, for a little while. It's a beautiful cove, and I don't feel ready to meet your people. And I don't… really believe we'll find my dad or Aria. For all I know, they might still be at sea," Aqua said somberly. "I need some time alone," she paused. "Alone with you," she finished, holding his hand, blushing. This was a clear invitation for him to kiss her, and he did. He kissed her on the cheek, and she smiled, satisfied.

For three days they talked and kept each other busy. Aqua requested that Richard taught her everything he could, from fire making to hunting. Richard didn't kiss her again, but they were more comfortable around each other. Their relationship grew stronger; Richard now had the right words to say to her when she needed them, and Aqua no longer felt intimidated by him. Richard told her everything she needed to know about his people, the island, and about Jacob. At night, they talked about stars as they lay side by side. Aqua's days as a castaway were over, and her days as an islander had just begun.