Epilogue
"I have no objections," Gaia said, when the pair told her and the Planeteers the news. "You were starting to feel like a part of the family." Especially if the woman made her son so happy, who was she to deny the woman a place on the island?
"Thanks Gaia," Kim said, smiling. She was glad she was allowed to stay but didn't wonder about it though, knowing what she now did about how her boyfriend was connected with the spirit.
'Her boyfriend,' the woman mused. 'Oh, yes.' She realized she had thought of him as that for a long while now, if only in the back of her mind. But now it was official.
"Everything turned out for the best, then," Ma-Ti said, able to sense the loving atmosphere between the two even without the help of his ring.
"It was his idea," she said, indicating Cap.
He put an around Kim's shoulders. She put her head on his shoulder as was her habit and smiled at him. "I just didn't want to lose her again. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner."
"Like three years ago?" Wheeler asked, having his own arm around Linka's waist.
The superhero nodded. "You got it." He knew he couldn't take back those years, having only himself to blame for that.
Buddy had his own comment to say, sounding rather proud, amusing Cap and making him give a laugh.
"Think what you will, boy, but my decision had nothing to do with you and what you told me." He knelt to scratch the dog. "I just love your mistress so much, you know? As for you, promise you'll behave and won't give the villains too hard a time if they do happen to show up?"
The dog promised nothing definite but promised to behave otherwise. Cap figured he would have to be satisfied with that.
Kim was going to say something but her cell phone rang in her pocket. "Perfect timing," she said when she checked who it was. "Saves me the trouble of calling them."
"It's your folks, huh?" the superhero guessed.
Kim nodded and answered the cell phone. "Hi, dad. Yeah, couldn't be better. Listen, I have some news. Mom's there with you? Good."
She told her parents the news. "You wanted me to move out of the cabin, didn't you? Well, remember the guy I told you about a few years back? Yeah, the one who gave me that crystal rose." The woman was silent for a minute, listening. "Mom wants to talk? Sure, put her on." She listened patiently for what her mom wanted to say. "You think I'm taking a big risk? Well, I'm taking it. Why? I love him. Yes, he loves me too. Mom, I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself." Kim rolled her eyes.
Cap chuckled. It seemed her parents were a little overprotective at times.
"Yeah, I'll tell you the whole story some day," the brunette promised. "But now, I think I'll go and spend some quality time with my man."
He smiled. "I like the sound of that." The superhero would make sure she could be proud to call him "her man".
Kim brushed a finger under his chin. She was silent again for a while, listening. "Oh, you'd want to meet this guy, huh? Maybe you will mom, maybe you will. I gotta go. Talk to you later. Bye." She hung up.
Wasting no more time, Cap scooped the woman onto his arms. "What d'ya say we go to your hut for that quality time you mentioned?"
She smiled and put her arms around his neck, having no objections to that. "Sounds good to me."
"See ya later," the eco-hero said to the others and walked to her hut, carrying the woman he loved. He went inside and closed the door with his foot.