10
Gilligan took the gold to the Professor who was beyond delighted. "Thank you Gilligan!" He gave him a hug as he took it over to his little metal bowl he made out of some leftover metal from the Minnow.
Gilligan watched in awe as the Professor melted the nugget and the carefully poured it into a mold for a ring with little things sticking off the top. Then he melted two more for two more round circles for rings. After that he melted the other two for what appeared to be hoop earrings.
'The Professor looks so happy,' Gilligan thought to himself. The Professor was lost in what he was doing so Gilligan quietly made his way outside the hut. He ran into Mary Ann who was looking for the Professor at about that time.
"Have you seen R...I mean the Professor, Gilligan? Is he in his hut? I need his help with something." Mary Ann said.
Gilligan knew that she wasn't supposed to see what the Professor was doing so he told her, "I can help you."
Mary Ann smiled and said, "I'm not sure you can Gilligan, but it is sweet of you to offer." She started to make her way to the Professor's hut.
"Uh Mary Ann..." Gilligan said to get her attention, "can you help me with something?"
She walked back over to him, "What do you need Gilligan? I need to ask the Professor about the mushrooms I found to make sure they are safe to eat."
Gilligan then made a face and said, "Ew...mushrooms...I know I haven't said anything before, but I really don't like mushrooms. Is there any way you could make my dinner without them?"
Mary Ann looked disappointed but then smiled and said, "Yes of course I can. Gilligan what was it you needed my help with?"
He smiled and told her, "Uh Skipper says I didn't get enough pineapples yesterday and that I need to collect more, can...uh...you help me bring them back here?"
She looked confused and started to tell him they had more than they needed, but if the Skipper told him to do it, then he needed to do it. She didn't want him to get in trouble on account of her. So she agreed and the two left. As they did the Professor looked out the window of his hut. He had heard the entire conversation and knew Gilligan had at least figured out that he didn't want Mary Ann to discover what he was doing in the hut. 'I wonder how much he knows?' the Professor thought to himself.
After making the molds he carefully hid them in the hut and went out in search of a nice piece of quartz while everything cooled.
Later that night Gilligan watched everyone talking to everyone else but the Professor and Mary Ann weren't just talking. When he bent over to pick up the bowl he dropped he saw that they were holding hands under the table as they sat on the end facing each other. They also seemed to be starring at each other more than talking. No one else seemed to notice that. He smiled to himself again.
The Professor caught that smile and wondered again what all Gilligan knew. However, Mary Ann squeezed his hand as she said, "Well, I guess I'll collect all these plates. Ginger, weren't you cleaning them tonight?"
Ginger nodded and said, "Yes, I have it Mary Ann. You did a lot today, maybe you should go to bed early tonight."
The others agreed and Mrs. Howell said, "Yes dear, you look a bit peeked. Why don't you go lay down and let others take care of this mess."
Mary Ann smiled and informed them, "I thank you for your concern, but I'm fine really. In fact I was thinking about taking a walk..." Then she looked at the Professor and said, "I'd like it though if someone went with me..."
The Skipper then spoke up, "I'll go with you Mary Ann. I could use a little exercise myself," he said with a chuckle as he patted his belly.
Gilligan then spoke up, "You need more than just a walk Skipper...I mean...you can't go...I...uh...I need your help with something."
The Professor smiled as he knew Gilligan must know about the relationship he and Mary Ann had kept secret for so long. How Gilligan of all people figured it out, he didn't know, but the fact that Gilligan was doing all this to help him out just endeared him to the teacher.
The Skipper then said more softly to Gilligan, "Now Gilligan, Mary Ann doesn't need to be going out alone. I'll take her for a walk and then I can help you."
The Skipper smiled but Gilligan then said, "No, the Professor can go with Mary Ann. I need your help on that...uh...navy book of yours."
The Skipper looked confused, "My old navy book? What do you want with that old navy book?"
Gilligan then took a deep breath and answered, "I want to hear again about all your old navy days so I can be a better first mate when we get back." He may have said the words, but it didn't take a scientist to know that he lacked a certain enthusiasm for hearing the Skipper's old war stories, probably for the hundredth time.
"Why little buddy, why didn't you say so...You know back in basic..." As the Skipper started everyone got up to leave and although Gilligan knew he was in for a couple of hours of old war stories, he smiled when he saw the Professor take Mary Ann's hand and walk with her out of the camp toward that ridge. He just knew that when they came back, they'd have an announcement for everyone.
Alone on the ridge the Professor and Mary Ann looked at the sunset. The scene was beautiful. The sky was purple, pink and blue all at once. After kissing for a good couple of minutes just looking out at everything, Mary Ann said, "Its so beautiful."
The Professor replied with, "The sunset isn't bad to look at either."
They looked into each other's eyes as she said, "You are so good to me. These have been the best weeks of my life. I love you so much, Roy. I never thought I would love anyone like this, I can't even describe it, I..." She started to get choked up and he brushed away a lone tear that had started to form.
He kissed her softly and then said, "I know exactly what you mean. I'm so in love with you Mary Ann. I've never felt this much in my life. Its as if I never really lived until we found each other, here...on this island." Then he went down on one knee and pulled out the ring he had so carefully made, but still looked a bit crude and asked her, "Mary Ann, I want you by my side for the rest of my life. Here on this island and then back home when we get back. Please be my wife."
She started to cry tears of joy as she told him yes. He jumped up and shouted at the top of his lungs from the ridge, "She said yes! Mary Ann said Yes!"
They both started to laugh when he picked her up and twirled her around in his arms.
Back at the huts, everyone heard the Professor, but didn't have a clue as to what he meant by Mary Ann saying yes to something. The Howells came out of the hut and Mrs. Howell asked, "Did you hear something about Mary Ann dear?"
Mr. Howell answered, "Yes apparently she agreed to something. Let's hope whatever it is, its profitable."
Ginger then spoke up, "Well, she keeps having this dream, the same one over and over, and it always ends with her waking up saying 'Yes, Yes I will' to someone named Roy." She shrugged as she looked at the Skipper.
The Skipper then said, "As long as she's ok, I mean that's the important thing..." He started to say something else when he caught a glimpse of Gilligan with this smug yet thrilled look on his face and his hands clasped excited together.
"Gilligan...would you like to speculate on what the proclamation means, little buddy?" The Skipper asked as all eyes then turned on Gilligan as he failed to hide his excitement. He clearly knew that they knew that he knew.
Gilligan slowly got up and said, "You know Skipper...I think I left my fishing pole down at the lagoon." He backed into Ginger.
She put her hands on his shoulders and said, "You know something Gilligan and you know you want to tell us."
Gilligan then turned around and backed up saying, "Oh no. No, no, no...I don't know anything. Remember, that's what you always say...I don't know anything."
He then backed into Mr. Howell who said, "No come dear boy...uh how much will it take, uh to loosen that tongue of yours, huh? Five thousand?" Gilligan shook his head so Howell continued, "Ten thousand?" He shook his head again. "I see, driving a hard bargain, ok, twenty thousand and that's my final offer!"
Gilligan then started to back up toward his hut when Mary Ann and the Professor finally made it into camp, running. They were slightly out of breath when the Professor said, "Everyone, I'm not sure if you could hear me just now but..."
They all nodded and the Skipper asked, "We heard you, is everything alright Professor?"
The two had the biggest smiles on their faces and the Professor answered, "Its more than alright Skipper, its wonderful, its just wonderful. Mary Ann has consented to be my wife! She said yes!"
The rest of the castaways stood shocked except for Gilligan who began clapping wildly and said, "Yea! Yea!"
Mary Ann and the Professor didn't quite catch the shocked looks on their faces as he grabbed her in his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips one more time.
It took everyone a minute, but Ginger started to chuckle as it was all just so adorable. The Professor was attractive alright, but not really her type. She needed more of a commanding lead man in her life who would teach her a thing or two about romance, not the other way around.
The Skipper had to do a double take but then swelled up with pride almost. He had begun to think of Mary Ann as a little sister and knew the Professor was a good man and would take good care of her on the island and civilization once they made it back.
The Howell's were just as pleased as punch, but Mrs. Howell did lean over and whisper to her husband, "You know we will have to keep a closer eye on them until the wedding. Can't have anything improper going on our island."
Mr. Howell acknowledged his wife but then began to formulate a plan in his head of something grand he could do for the happy couple. Of course he would give them some sort of small monetary gift, say $50,000 or so, mere change, but he felt that as a Howell, he must do something grand, but what? That he would have to think about longer, surely he would have it figured out before the big day.
The Professor then went over to Gilligan and patted him on the shoulder and Mary Ann proudly showed everyone her ring. "How did you know?"
Gilligan just shrugged and said, "Oh, I can just tell...ok, I got mad at the Skipper and saw you two at that ridge. I didn't see anything I promise and I left right away. I'm happy for you two."
The Professor then told him, "I just want to thank you for keeping the secret with Gladys and for helping me out by keeping Mary Ann away from my hut today and keeping the Skipper away from Mary Ann tonight."
Gilligan just answered, "I'm just happy I could help."
Just a few days later the Skipper married the happy couple. Mr. Howell walked Mary Ann down to the lagoon in a dress Ginger and Mrs. Howell had made for her. Ginger served as maid of honor and Mrs. Howell was content in a 'mother of the bride' role. Gilligan almost got teary eyed himself when the Professor asked him to be his best man.
Right before leaving to be alone on the other side of the island in a hut the men had built just for that week, the Professor told his new bride, "Are you ready my dear?"
She looked back into his eyes and said, "I've never been more ready. I love you Roy. You can't possibly know how happy I am."
After one more kiss the two left being showered by bubbles Gilligan and Ginger had created using their dishwashing soap. They held hands as they disappeared into the jungle to start their marriage.