Mary Ann didn't say a word, and she didn't hesitate. She flung her arms around Roy's neck and pulled him on top of her, trapping him by twining her left leg over him.
The kiss that followed the question seemed to go on forever, and Roy enthusiastically responded by wrapping his arms under her, relishing the feel of her.
He wasn't entirely sure how long this would continue, and he didn't care. He'd stop if she insisted, or go on if she allowed it. He was too lost in the feel of her, the smell and sight of her, to think too deeply. That instinct was kicking in again, and he was rolling with it.
He was kissing and nibbling her neck when she gasped out, "Yes! Yes, Roy!"
Roy chuckled against her warm and now-wet neck. "'Yes' to my question, or 'yes' to what I'm doing right now?"
"Both, YES!" she exclaimed, running her hands down his strong back, then up to his shoulders. He felt so good under her hands she couldn't stop.
They boldly began to explore one another's bodies more in-depth than they'd dared at the waterfall, and the night, now quiet after the storm, was filled with the associated gasps and giggles.
Roy reached his hands up under Mary Ann's blouse, over her back, enjoying the soft warm skin. When the hands began to wander around to her tummy, she gave a startled giggle and pulled away from him. She stood abruptly and went to their water bottles.
"Roy, I... oh my God, Roy, we..."
Oh well, he mentally sighed. He stood as well, getting a swig of water to quench his parched throat.
"Mary Ann, I'm just overjoyed that you said 'yes'! I don't mind if you want to tone it down a bit tonight."
He pulled her close, giving her a sweet, deep kiss.
"Roy, I'm glad we understand one another. This is very important to me, after all, to wait until we're married."
"I know, it is to me too. I respect you for that, for sticking to your convictions." He cuddled his nose against her neck. "It makes the wait that much sweeter, my love."
"Yes, it does, and I didn't want you to think I don't WANT to, Roy! I want to in the worst way, I want to so much I ache for you, but like you said, it'll be so much sweeter then!"
They returned to their bedrolls, calmed down a bit from their trip to the water bottles. Roy pulled Mary Ann close, both of them leaning against a rock by their sleeping spots, and they gazed into the fire.
"Do you want to talk about it, or simply enjoy the quiet of the night?"
"Sure, let's talk. I suppose the Skipper will marry us, on our little float? Like when he re-married the Howells?"
"That's what I was thinking, too. Imagine back then, we'd be on the marriage float next!"
They both laughed at the new nickname, finding it apropos.
"Maybe the Skipper and Ginger will be next?" Mary Ann joked.
"Hmmmm, well? You never know, do you? After all, we don't know how long we'll be here."
Mary Ann was quiet as another thought occured to her.
"Roy? One question though."
"Hmmmm?"
"What if I get pregnant?"
"Yes, I thought about that too. It's in our nature, after all, to carry on the species, isn't it?"
"So we won't worry about it, until or unless it happens?"
"I'm confident we'll be fine, Mary Ann. You're young, strong and healthy. You don't have a history of problems in your family, do you?"
She laughed. "Oh, no, Mom, aunts, cousins, nary a problem. We're overly fertile, if anything."
"Ah, so we can expect it some day. That'd be grand, Mary Ann. I'm sure we'll do fine, baby or not."
The two lay like that, quietly, for a while, then Roy stood to throw some more wood on the fire.
"That should keep until we're sound asleep. Maybe we should think about getting under the blankets, not over them."
"All right, but turn away while I take my bra off."
"Are you sure?" he smirked, doing as she bid.
"Shush, it won't be long."
He heard a rustling, then it was quiet again. "Can I turn around now?"
"Yes, I'm covered."
He turned to her, and she watched him.
"Well? You need to turn YOUR head now! I might drive you wild when I take my shirt off!" he said.
She laughed and turned away, facing the fire.
"Okay, you can look now, I'm chastely covered by my little blanket."
Separated by their covers, the two wrapped their arms around one another comfortably, and within minutes the only sounds in the night were two lovers, snoring softly as they spent the first of many nights together.
The early morning sun beamed directly on them from the entrance, and they both awoke at the same time.
"Hmmm, yuck, my mouth tastes horrid!" Roy exclaimed. "I'll be right back, honey, nature's calling and I've got to answer."
She rose stiffly and followed him out. "Me too. Where's the ladies' room?"
He laughed and pointed in a random direction. "Over there, I think. Mine's this way."
Roy returned to their cave ahead of her, and was stoking up the fire from the embers.
"All better?"
"Not really. My mouth is horrid too, ick."
She fished around in her pack and brought out a minty-flavored stick. It was almost like a natural brush, that had been steeped in a minty solution. She ran it over her teeth, tongue and gums, and washed it all down with gulps of water.
"Ah, much better! Now, gimme a kiss!" she demanded, going up behind him and leaning over his shoulder.
He turned his head and gave her the morning kiss she wanted.
"Hmmm, good, I see you already got your toothbrush."
"First thing. Here," he said, handing her something.
"Coffee beans?"
"Sure, chew on them. They've still got caffeine, although they're rather bitter. It's an acquired taste. I used to chew on espresso beans when I was in Italy for a time."
She crunched two between her teeth, and made a funny face. "Ew, these are terrible!"
He laughed at her expression. "Aren't they? They'll wake you up though, which is good, because we've still got some exploring to do. I spied a meadow when I was up on the outcropping of rock. I think we might find the grass we need there, for the sandals."
"Sounds good. Let me see what I can put together for food first."
After a satisfying breakfast, the two packed up all of their treasures. They'd begin the hike back to the compound after scoping out the meadow the Professor had seen.
As they were leaving their little cave, having made sure the fire was out and all their debris removed, they turned to take one more look at it.
Roy looked down at Mary Ann. "Honeymoon suite?"
"Yes, most definitely! And maybe a storm or two to add excitement to it all!"
"Like we need the encouragement."
When they arrived at the meadow, Roy had to laugh.
"What?" Mary Ann asked, trying to see what was so humorous.
"Oh, this find. It's the best possible material we could find for sandals!"
"It is? Good, let's get started on harvesting some of it."
"Mary Ann, you know what this is, don't you?"
"Grass?"
"Yes, grass."
She looked at him blankly.
He laughed again at her innocence. "Grass, Mary Ann? This is MARIJUANA!"
"OH!" she said, her hand going to her mouth. "You weren't kidding about grass, then!"
He went to a stand of the tall, thick and tough growth.
"We'll be good and refer to it as hemp, okay? Doesn't seem so scandalous that way."
She took a closer look. "Looks like wildwood weed to me."
"Hmmmm?" he asked as he sliced off a handful with his machete.
"What we have back home, that the boys would smoke," she chuckled, remembering her brother and his friends.
"Oh dear. Let's just think of it as hemp, one of the most versatile and useful materials on Earth, shall we?"
She pulled out her own machete and began wacking at it as Roy was. "Okay, I won't tell if you don't!"
By the time they were done, they had several bundles, all gathered up so they'd be easy to haul.
"This should be enough for everyone's sandals, Mary Ann. Once we get back, we can start designing what we want, with Gilligan's help. Then everyone can put the final touches on their own, something distinctive and personal."
Now laden with their various plants and grass, the two began the long trek back to their side of the island. It was easier going, actually, because it was downhill for a time. They knew where they were going, and they weren't taking the time to explore their surroundings.
By the time they arrived, they were within an hour of the Professor's ETA that he'd given the Skipper the morning before.
"There they are!" Gilligan exclaimed, running up to the two of them.
He and the Skipper relieved them of their burdens.
"You two look beat, Professor! Everything went okay?"
"It went wonderfully, Skipper! Wait till we tell you everything we've found!"
Everyone came running from their huts when they heard the commotion. It was mayhem, until the Skipper whistled to calm everyone down.
"All right, all right, everybody settle down! Gilligan, go fetch some water for them! Here, you two set down right here and tell us everything!"
Between the two of them, they told them about the various plants, most especially the coffee and the hemp.
"Coffee!" everyone proclaimed gleefully, already thinking about the many cups they'd enjoy, the sooner the better.
"Hemp?" Jonas said, incredulous as he eyed the thick bundles Roy and Mary Ann had carried in. "That's incredible! Do you know all the stuff we can DO with hemp?"
"I know, that's what I told Mary Ann, that it's such a versatile material. You, as a Navy man, would know that!"
"Darned right! No more mending fishing nets every other day, like we have to. That stuff's TOUGH!"
"Yes, it is, and it's the perfect material for sandals. Tough but easy on the skin, and non-allergenic."
"We've got another good bit of news," Roy said, turning to Mary Ann, his eyes twinkling.
"What's better than coffee and hemp?"
"A cave."
"Cave?" "Wow, a cave? Where?" everyone began chattering simultaneously, until the Skipper again whistled for silence.
"It was on the ridge we went for. I've got it all mapped out, so I'll engage Gilligan's help with transcribing the information onto real paper, for posterity. You've taken mapping and cartography, haven't you, Gilligan?"
Gilligan was pleased that the Professor would entrust him with something so important. "Yes, Professor, when I was in the Navy."
"Excellent. Perhaps we'll do that first, before working on the footwear. It's very important that we return to that cave, and reconnoiter the area more in-depth."
Jonas warmed to that idea. "Maybe we can ALL make the hike up there, so we all know how to find it, in case of emergency."
Ginger and the Howells frowned at the idea.
"Skipper, is that really necessary?"
"Ginger, let's do a little 'what if,' okay?"
"Sure."
"What if the Professor, Mary Ann and I died, and the volcano was about to blow. What would you do?"
Ginger's fair skin paled at the thought. "I, uh... I get your point, Skipper. We learn."
"All right then, no argument. It won't kill ALL OF US," and he looked pointedly at the Howells, "to learn that area."
"Certainly, Captain, count Lovey and me in, by all means! If it's a choice between hiking to a ridge for shelter, or being killed by lava, I opt for the hike."
"Yes, indeed, Thurston," his wife agreed.
There was a pause in the conversation, and Roy and Mary Ann looked at one another. He raised his eyebrows silently to her, as if asking, Well? Do we tell them? And she nodded her head in agreement, her eyes sparkling at the thought of the reactions about to come.
"Skipper, Mary Ann and I will return there, first, before the whole gang shows up."
"Do you need to get more plants and such, then? Couldn't carry it all?"
Roy stood and went to Mary Ann, placing his arm gently across her shoulders.
He didn't say a word for a few moments, and the eyes of everyone facing them went wide.
"Skipper, Ginger, Gilligan, Mr. and Mrs. Howell, Mary Ann and I have an announcement to make." He looked at his fiancee one more time, then back to the others. "I've asked Mary Ann to be my wife, and she said yes!"
It was so quiet, so dead calm, that you could hear a pin drop on the sand. That moment passed, and the five of them erupted into loud congratulations, exclamations, hugging and back-thumping. Roy and Mary Ann stood still through it all, drinking in the attention, laughing as it got so out-of-hand.
Their revelry was pierced by another sharp, shrill whistle, this time from Gilligan.
"All right, break it up!" he shouted, and they all laughed as he took command, but did as he told them and quieted down. "Let's hear from the happy couple!"
"Thank you, Gilligan," the Professor said, clapping the younger man on the back. "Yes, I know it was quite a surprise. She and I have only recently revealed our feelings for one another, and don't see any need to wait. Without even knowing it, we did a lot of our courting already!"
"Roy and I both know we want to be together forever," Mary Ann added. She smiled at the startled expressions, when they realized she meant their Professor. It sometimes escaped them that his real name was Roy Hinkley, not "Professor."
Roy turned to Jonas. "Captain, we'd both be honored if you'd do the wedding ceremony for us."
Jonas flushed at the courtesy accorded him, and shook Roy's hand. He turned to Mary Ann, giving her a little bow of respect. "I'd be the one honored, Miss Summers, Professor Hinkley."
"Grand, that's just grand!" Mr. Howell exclaimed. "Oh, Lovey, we've got so much to plan for the young couple!"
"Oh my, YES, a trousseau! We need to put something together for Mary Ann, Ginger!"
Ginger smiled at her diminuitive hutmate, her arm around her friend's shoulders now that Roy had moved away. "Yes, Mary Ann, we must! And you're not to do ANYthing! I'm going to prove to you that I know domestic tasks too, when I have a mind to do it! Leave it to Mr. and Mrs. Howell, and me, and we'll get everything arranged! When's the lucky day?"
Gilligan, who'd been watching and listening, stepped forward. "Well, what can I do?"
He so desperately wanted to be helpful, that the Professor turned to him. "Gilligan, you're a Navy man, right?"
"Yes, sir, that I am!"
"All right then, I'll trust YOU to put my bachelor party together!"
The smile that lit Gilligan's face made the Skipper beam with pride. That's precisely what Gilligan needed!
"Yes, Professor, that I can do! My bunkmates were pro's at parties, and I learned along the way. Leave it to me. AND I want to decorate the little float for you both, as well, something I can do for the bride."
Mary Ann went to Gilligan, and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. He blushed shyly, ducking his head down.
"Thank you, Gilligan, I'm sure it'll be lovely! As for the lucky day, it'll be whenever all of you tell us you're ready. Now, if all of you don't mind, Roy and I need to get to bed, we're exhausted!"
The raised eyebrows made her realize she'd said that wrong.
She blushed and laughed. "No, no, in our own huts, not TOGETHER! That'd be naughty!"
Roy and Mary Ann kissed one another good night before returning to their respective beds, leaving the remaining five to discuss the upcoming nuptials.
Mary Ann turned one last time, and cleared her throat. Everyone looked at her.
"Oh, and in case you're wondering... that's ALL we did last night, too! Slept!"
Nobody said anything at first. Mrs. Howell broke the silence.
"Well, of course you did, dear! We'd expect nothing else from a young lady and a gentleman!"
They all agreed, and waved the couple good night once more.
Hours later, after they'd planned and talked all they could, everyone went to bed.
Ginger went to Mary Ann, kneeling down by her bed. She shook Mary Ann's shoulder.
"Mary Ann, is it true? You two didn't do anything last night?"
Mary Ann rubbed her eyes wearily, but sat up to talk quietly to Ginger.
"Not a thing, Ginger, although don't think we didn't WANT to! Oh, Ginger, I'm so over the moon right now, I don't know if I can stand it!"
Ginger didn't say anything at first.
"Ginger? Are you all right?"
"I... I don't know, I guess I'm just a little jealous."
"Of Roy?"
"Nooooo, not necessarily of him, but yeah, he's quite a catch."
"He certainly is," Mary Ann said, not bothering to keep the joy and love out of her voice.
"I'm more jealous of the situation. I sometimes wonder how I'm going to end up, that's all. I mean, four years?"
Mary Ann understood what she meant. Ginger was used to the limelight, the big cities, men lavishing her with presents and attention. She felt her life was dwindling away on this island, and one prospective mate was suddenly unavailable to her.
"Ginger, I kind of half-jokingly said this to Roy, but maybe it's not beyond the realm of possibility."
"What?"
"How about the Skipper?"
Ginger didn't answer at first, which Mary Ann read as a good sign. At least she's not ruling him out all together, Mary Ann thought.
"Well, I don't know, he's not quite what I'm used to."
"What you're used to? Ginger, look at what you're used to. That was FOUR YEARS AGO. You've changed. We've all changed. And look at those men. Sycophants, all of them. Did any of them really connect with you? Make you giddy and dizzy and weak in the knees when they kissed you for the first time?"
Ginger thought for a moment, never having considered that. "No, now that you mention it, none of them did."
"Now think about the Skipper. About Jonas Grumby. What does he make you feel when he's fussing on you, like you know he loves to do?"
Mary Ann could see, in the darkness, the soft smile that crossed Ginger's face.
"See? Just thinking about him, your face lights up in a smile. Don't rule him out, Ginger, basing it on what your life used to be. We could be here forever. Do you really want to be alone all that time?"
Neither woman spoke for a time, lost in thought. Mary Ann could tell Ginger was considering the possibility. She knew the Skipper was quite smitten with Ginger but, being the gentleman that he was, he kept a respectful distance from the celebrity.
"You know, that's not really such a bad idea. The Skipper... Jonas... well, he's a bit older, but he's a handsome man. And strong, too. Gentle yet commanding. I could do worse in a guy, after all."
"You certainly could. Jonas has a lot of wonderful qualities, if you'd only open your eyes to them. I'd love it if something worked out between you two, I'd love you both to be as happy as Roy and I are."
Ginger patted Mary Ann on the arm and stood up, going to her own bed. "You've given me a lot to think about, Mary Ann. I wonder if I'll be able to sleep!"
"The mere fact that it's going through your head so furiously is proof that maybe there're some feelings on your end too, not just considering him as better than nothing at all."
Ginger didn't answer for a beat, then said, "I think you're right. I'll definitely be thinking on this. Good night, Mary Ann."
Mary Ann scooched under her light blanket once more. "Good night, Ginger."
(A/N: Next up: the big wedding day. Then, the chapter after that, the moment I've been waiting for, and I'm sure my readers have too: the honeymoon. Heh. It's 3am on the left coast, and I'm exhausted after cranking out so many chapters. The conclusion is coming soon, stay tuned, as always. My next story will be "Lilacs III," the next installment in my Greatest American Hero/Gilligan's Island crossover. This one will be from the GI point of view.)