Thanks so much to everyone that read and reviewed, your comments mean the world to me! I hope you like the last chapter. Just remember not to take it too seriously... :D
It was now the crack of dawn. They'd changed their minds.
*
"Nnnooo..." Lynette groaned into her pillow. "This is vacation, I don' wanna..."
Tom shook her shoulder again. "I know, honey. But we have to, it's for the program and Benson said -"
*
"Aghh, we can't be late, I know." Gabrielle interrupted Carlos. "Just...throw me a towel, I'll shower really fast."
"Nope. No time." said Carlos. "Good thing we're on a tropical island. Walking around in my swimming trunks looks normal."
*
"Are you ready?" Bree asked Orson. She was standing at the small opening of their hut suite, waiting for him to join her.
"All set." said Orson, smiling as he walked to her and took her hand. They were a little older, and didn't have kids to raise. Sleeping in wasn't a precious treasure to be longed for.
*
As these three couples made their way to the beach, Katherine and Adam came jogging out of their room after them.
"Wait for us!"
* * *
They all lined up on the beach, waiting for their host to arrive. Benson approached from the direction of the main offices, followed by an island servant holding a large wooden box.
"Wow, that looks heavy." Lynette remarked as they drew near.
"It is." The servant replied, his voice strained. "Extremely."
Gabrielle grimaced, but before she could suggest that he put it down, Benson spoke up.
"Good morning." he said, his eyes traveling down the line of visitors. Lynette and Tom looked tired, but in good spirits. Carlos and Gabrielle were the same. Next, Benson noticed Bree and Orson standing very close to one another, holding hands. Bree saw him smile in their direction, and she got a funny feeling about what he'd said to her the previous night when they'd left the dining room without eating. He'd told her to have a good night, and a good night she'd certainly had. Benson's eyes then came to rest on Katherine and Adam.
"We have a newcomer...?" Benson remarked. Katherine smiled, sheepish but excited. She held on to Adam's arm, looking up at him before turning back to Benson to explain his presence.
"This is Adam. He was my second husband, and...I was hoping he could take Mike's place here."
"I see..." Benson said slowly. "And what of Mr. Delfino?"
Just then, the morning ferry tooted it's horn. They all turned to look at a small skiff making it's way across the water, a hundred feet out. Mike was standing in the passenger area, waving sadly.
Katherine smiled. "He's leaving." she said.
"Well then," Benson said pleasantly. "I suppose it would be alright, if you are both committed to the process, to continue here with a new partner."
"Oh, I'm committed." Adam said.
"We both are." Katherine said, sounding just as sure. Benson nodded, smiling.
"So, what's this meeting about?" Carlos inquired.
"Yeah, you look happy." said Gabrielle. "What's up with that?"
Benson chuckled. "To be honest, we weren't sure if any of you would be joining us this morning. It seemed as if you were drifting apart, as couples and as friends, yet here you are, banding together as a group, in support of each other. It is quite inspiring, and so the founder of this couples retreat has decided it is time to meet you."
The couples all looked at each other, pleasantly surprised by the news.
"Ah," said Benson, turning when he heard footsteps behind him. "Here he is now. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the owner of this island, and the man that developed this unique and wonderful program that has brought you to this beach today. Relationship guru, Dave Williams."
Jaws dropped, and a few actually gasped as Dave Williams, inciter of mayhem and committer of manslaughter, attempted infanticide and straight up murder, stepped out from the shade of the palm trees and approached the group. "Dave?!" they all said in collective shocked reaction. He was wearing a long blue tunic and nothing on his feet, looking very much the part of an island guru, except they all knew better. They all knew the man he used to be, at least.
"Hello." he said calmly with that warm, easy smile of his.
"Benson," Lynette said calmly. "Who do I speak to about a refund?"
Dave chuckled, as did Benson. "Please, don't be alarmed." said Dave. "I know I've done some things in the past that might be considered..."
"Monstrous?" Gabrielle suggested.
"Inhuman?" Lynette chimed in.
"Irredeemable?" said Carlos, putting his two cents in.
"Why, yes." said Dave, his smile widening. "All of those words would be very appropriate. But..." Dave tipped his head and raised one eyebrow. "Haven't we all made mistakes?"
All of Dave's guests averted their eyes, thinking of all the horrible things they'd done in the past. Orson thought of the now absent Mike, Katherine thought of evil Wayne, Carlos thought of poor Ralph the gardener, Lynette thought of Nora and Art's sister, Bree thought of...everyone, and Adam even recalled the deranged Sylvia from Chicago.
"I think my presence here, and the success of this program, proves that anyone can be redeemed." Dave continued once they all realized that they weren't so innocent after all. Tom looked at Lynette, who looked at Gabrielle, who glanced up at Carlos, who turned to look at Bree and Orson, and they both looked at Adam and Katherine. Katherine, on the end of the line, shrugged.
"He didn't try to kill my kid."
Orson's brow furrowed. "Didn't he try to kill you?"
Katherine shrugged again, and smiled. "Almost doesn't count!"
Dave smiled appreciatively. "You should know, I'm not just here to brag about my miraculous recovery." he told them. "I'm here today to present each of you with a trophy, a physical representation of your relationships in the form of a spirit animal."
At this point, Benson took the top off the box the island servant was holding, and Dave walked over to take out the first of four wooden sculptures.
"Tom, Lynette..." said Dave, holding their trophy in front of him. "Your spirit animal is the majestic beaver. Hard working, industrious, you've built your home and your family life as sturdy as your love for each other. It may seem sometimes as if the hardships that befall you are too much to handle, but your dam holds the heavy water at bay, and your strength and dedication inspire others to greatness."
Lynette and Tom accepted their trophy with humble appreciation, as their friends smiled in obvious agreement.
"Wow. Majestic, huh?" Lynette said, grinning at the pair of chubby wood-carved rodents in her hands. "I thought you were going to say we both have buck teeth."
Dave laughed, and once again reached into the deep chest. Gabrielle and Carlos were next in line, and they both made faces when he pulled out a scuplture of a winged creature.
"Gabrielle, Carlos..." said Dave, turning to them. "Your spirit animal is the bat. Do you know why?"
"Uh," said Gabrielle, grimacing at the tiny open mouths on the two bats in front of her. "I'm a screeching, blood-sucking rat with wings?"
Dave smiled patiently. "Not at all."
Carlos cleared his throat at that statement, and Gabrielle elbowed him in the ribs.
"Don't worry, the selection of your spirit animal has nothing to do with its diet. The vampire bat is not known for its eyesight, but even when one of you was without vision, you were able to raise two beautiful children and maintain a safe home through tough economic times. Now, this fruit bat I'm holding actually has excellent vision. Having remained true to each other through these struggles, you now see exactly how much your marriage means to each other."
Gabrielle smiled softly as she took the trophy from Dave. After hearing that explanation, the bat felt just right.
"Bree, Orson..." said Dave. "Like beavers and bats, wolves are an animal that mates for life. Both of you were married once before you met, but you were able to find another life partner in each other. When you hunt together - or, in your case, cook or clean together - it is a celebration of your devotion and commitment to that partnership. Just be sure to remember that equality in partnership will see you through any hard times."
Bree and Orson took the carving from Dave together, smiling at the two wolves that stood side to side, one resting its head on the other. Bree and Orson then looked at each other, and shared a kiss.
Dave paused before reaching into the trunk for the fourth and final time. "Katherine, Adam: your spirit animal was very tough to divine, since you only found each other in early hours of the morning. Thankfully we keep an extra bin of these things around from couples that don't make it past the second week of counseling. For you, the Mayfairs, I have chosen...the swan."
"Damn." said Tom. "My money was riding on some kind of wild monkey."
Katherine turned to look at Tom, making a little scoffing noise in her throat. Gabrielle rolled her eyes, and looked at Katherine.
"Yes, we all heard you last night." said Gabby with a friendly smirk.
Adam cleared his throat, hiding a laugh. Katherine merely smiled and turned back to Dave. He stood before them with a pair of swans, their necks interwoven and their wings spread open.
"In nature, though it is rare, swans are known to divorce from their lifemates. Like the Hodges beside you, the history of your previous relationships and the marriage you shared is a complicated one, one that seemed to end in failure. I am happy to present you with this trophy today, because these swans were able to find their way back to each other. Congratulations."
Katherine and Adam took the carving from Dave, and turned to each other to kiss like Bree and Orson. They didn't stop at a simple kiss however. The rest of the couples groaned as Katherine wrapped her arms around Adam's neck, and he wrapped his around Katherine's waist.
Dave chuckled, and turned toward the rest of them. "Congratulations to all of you. You are now free to enjoy all that Sunrise Island has to offer."
"The spa?" Gabrielle asked immediately.
"The jet skis?" Carlos chimed in.
"Yes." said Dave. "And no more itineraries or early mornings, unless you want to see the famous sunrise this island is named for. Either way, it will be at your leisure."
"You guys have jet skis?" Adam asked in wonder, breaking away from Katherine's kiss when he heard the magical words.
"We do now." Tom said, grinning, his arm around Lynette's shoulders.
"Wait a minute, 'we'?" Lynette said, looking up at him. "Tom, I don't know if I trust you and fast moving recreational equipment..."
"Lynette, remember what Dave said about equality in partnership?"
"No, those were the wolves. We're beavers, Tom. We're all about hard work and building dams, you won't be able to do that with a thrown out back."
"We'll take care of him, Lynette." Carlos assured her, pulling Tom away.
"Yeah, let's go to the spa!" said Gabrielle. "With cucumber slices over your eyes, you won't be able to see Tom wiping out or crashing into the dock."
"Yeah!" Tom agreed. "Hey, wait..."
"Do you want to go with them?" Bree asked Orson. She stood in front of him, their wolf trophy cradled in her hands. "Sounds like a lot of fun."
"I do," said Orson. "Unless you want to spend the day together?"
Bree smiled. "I'll be here when you get back."
"That's the best news I've heard all week." said Orson. He kissed Bree, then jogged toward his buddies. "Adam, are you coming?" he called out over his shoulder, turning and jogging backwards across the beach while he waited for an answer.
Adam looked at Katherine. "Kath, I love you, but...jet skis?!"
Katherine laughed and rolled her eyes. "Go, it's fine." Adam grabbed her face and kissed her, and then ran in Orson's direction. Bree and Katherine watched them both run across the beach, smiling adoringly at their men as they caught up with Tom and Carlos. They both glanced at each other awkwardly, noticing they were left semi-alone on the beach together.
"The spa sounded nice." Bree remarked.
Katherine nodded politely. "It did." she said. She took a deep breath, and sighed quietly. "...You wanna go with me?" she said suddenly.
Bree's face broke into a smile, and she nodded. "I do."
Katherine smiled back. "Let's go."
Benson and Dave watched them go, arm in arm, heading the way Gabrielle and Lynette had gone.
"Well, it looks like a happy ending for all." said Dave, smiling.
"Indeed." said Benson, though he was eyeing Dave suspiciously. "If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Williams...what is it you did in Fairview that could be described as monstrous, inhuman and irredeemable?"
Dave chuckled softly, still staring out at the beach where another group of happy clients were heading toward the fun of paradise. "It's best not to dwell on the past, Benson. Every sunrise brings a new beginning."
Benson smiled, satisfied.
The End. :)