AN: Finally, chapter 5, I know. :) Sorry, that it's a bit shorter, but it is a good one. I hope you're enjoying and thank you to everyone for the reviews they are loved and appreciated, you guys are the best. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.


Night had fallen and the twelfth hour was upon them as Gilligan returned to the cave where Eliza had hidden the grenades. Gladys was standing watch at one end of the cave while Joey was guarding the other end and saw that Mary Ann was shaking. He placed the fruit and canteen next to her, but she didn't move to take any of it. He sat down next to her, but instinctively pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She laid her head against his chest and let her tears flow freely.

"It'll be okay."

He placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't cry, Mary Ann, we'll be okay, you'll see."

She believed him, but the incident that had happened earlier frightened her and he felt her shivering again.

"Are you cold?"

She shook her head.

"What's wrong?"

"He almost got me, Gilligan."

"Is that why you were calling for me?"

She nodded.

"Where were you hiding?"
"In your lone wolf cave and I had been taking a nap. I know I shouldn't have, but I was exhausted. I awoke to his footsteps and hid in the darkest part of that cave when he entered. He was preoccupied with your belongings and I risked an escape, but he must've seen me when I was halfway out. He grabbed my ankle, dragging me back in, and he pulled out a knife. I was so scared that I was going to die, but I couldn't give up so I kicked him in the face and escaped."

He wiped her tears away before squeezing her tighter to him grateful that she survived and how close he had come to discovering Kincaid. That was going to be the next place he was going to check and he shook the thoughts that entered his brain if he had stumbled in with Kincaid waiting. How would Mary Ann survive the rest of this horrid game? He knew she'd be fine, but Kincaid was experienced.

"You're okay and I'm here, let's eat something to get back some of our strength."

"I'm not really hungry, but I am tired."

She yawned and snuggled into him.

"Do you want to lay down?"

"No, just hold me."

He obliged and settled back against the cave wall clutching each other as they fell asleep from exhaustion.


Four hours later they awoke to a gunshot and a bloodcurdling scream. Gilligan shoved Mary Ann off his lap.

"Go to the other exit!"

"I can't walk!"

"Crawl then, but get out of here!"

"Gilligan, wait!"

She grabbed the canteen and watched him run off towards the noise. She crawled quickly to where Eliza was now guarding and the ape scooped her up, placing her over her shoulder. She could hear apes shrieking, Gilligan's pained shouts, and an evil laugh.

"GLADYS!"

Another gunshot echoed throughout the jungle and another terrible scream.

"GILLIGAN!"

"Eliza, get going!"

He hadn't appeared, but hearing Mary Ann's voice meant the ape hadn't run off yet. With those commanding words Eliza jumped and took off with Mary Ann bouncing on her shoulder. She wanted to scream out for him again, but didn't want Kincaid to locate her.


The Castaways had been woken from their dreamless slumber when they heard the first gunshot and a scream. It wasn't long before they heard another one and Mary Ann's screaming for Gilligan.

"Not my little buddy."

The Skipper took off his hat as tears threatened to fall while the others hugged each other, the women whimpering softly. They couldn't be sure if he was dead since Mary Ann was still alive and they would only know once Kincaid came back, either when he killed the farm girl or when the twenty-fours expired.

"How many hours does that poor girl have?"

"Eight more hours, Mrs. Howell," Ginger answered sadly.

"I do hope she can hang on."

"She will, Lovey, she's tough."

They all agreed as silent tears ran down their cheeks for Gilligan. They didn't dare go back to sleep now as they willed the brunette to survive that cold blooded man.


Gilligan was carrying Gladys following Billy while the others tailed him. They had finally lost Kincaid and were rushing to where the ape community lived. When they arrived they were greeted by many apes and Gilligan placed Gladys in the center who was very weak. He looked around for Eliza and found her protecting Mary Ann from the other apes. When they noticed Gilligan help her to stand and hug her they approved of her, any friend of Gilligan's was a friend of theirs. Billy sat holding his mate's hand making sorrowful sounds when three babies approached her and hugged her, crying.

"That's Gertrude, George, and Gillian, they're her children."

"What a beautiful family."

"Yes, they were."

"Were?"

"She's dying, Mary Ann."

"What?! What happened?"

"Kincaid found us and shot at Billy, but he only grazed his arm."

She glimpsed the red seeping from a wound on the male ape's arm and then gazed back at Gilligan expectantly.

"It infuriated him and he was going to attack Kincaid, but Gladys pushed him away when Kincaid fired again. I think he was aiming for me, but instead shot Gladys in the chest. She and Billy saved our lives."

She glanced back at the ape in the center and noticed Gilligan had taken off his hat, tears falling. She knew Gladys was his favorite and smiled at the memory of her being named Miss Castaway, but Gilligan was right, she was a native to this island and the rightful one to win. She nudged him to move to the center where she kneeled next to Billy. She grabbed Gladys's hand and stared into the ape's eyes.

"Thank you for everything, Gladys."

She felt the ape squeeze her hand and saw a smile before she moved to the other side of Billy as Gilligan knelt down and held the ape's hand.

"Gladys, thank you and I'm sorry."

She murmured a response to him.

"This should've never happened, but I promise we'll survive this madman so your death isn't in vain."

She muttered and grunted a response.

"I love you, Gladys."

She smiled and uttered in her tongue the same sentiment, reaching up to playfully ruffle his hair. He hugged her and sobbed into her chest as Billy placed a hand on the young man's back patting it gently. He removed himself as she turned to her children expressing her love for them as Gilligan and Mary Ann placed an arm around Billy when Gladys turned to gaze lovingly at her mate for the last time. She smiled at him as he smiled back and he held her hand, then leaned over for one last kiss. She closed her eyes, smiling, and took her last breath. The pair of humans hugged Billy as his children wailed and shrieked angrily. Then the whole community was in an uproar, but Billy let out a loud shriek quieting them. He stood up and began beating his chest, grunting, and gesturing for a few moments before he turned to his human friends. Billy placed a hand on Gilligan's shoulder pointing to a large banyan tree and made a gesture for sleeping.

"Are you sure, Billy?"

The ape nodded.

"What about..."

The ape cut him off by squeezing his shoulder and smiled at Mary Ann. He walked away from the pair and picked up Gladys's lifeless body walking into the jungle.

"What did he say?"

"We can sleep in that banyan tree, it'll be safe because they'll protect us."

"Are you sure they can do it?"

"Yes, we are family to them and they always protect their kind."

She wrapped an arm around him, hugging him knowing he was sad about Gladys, and noticed Eliza still sitting away from the group. She motioned for the ape to come closer and Eliza timidly approached the brunette. The farm girl hugged the ape, shocking the creature, but made Eliza and Gilligan grin.

"Thank you for saving me, Eliza, and thank you for helping us."

The ape grunted her appreciation and joined her family.

"I think she likes you."

"Good, because I like all of them, too."

"Let's get some rest."

She agreed and he gave her a piggy-back while he climbed the tree. There was enough room that they could sleep next to each other and Mary Ann rested her head on his shoulder while he rested his head on hers.


AN2: I have to look more into my knowledge of apes, but I'm pretty sure they can express everything that I have just written in this chapter. If not they should because they are one of the closest relative to us.