Gilligan smiled as the Skipper carried him out to the communal table. It had been a few days since his brush with near death with illness and he was recovering well. His body was still too weak to do much but the Professor had given the ok for him to join them at lunch.
The other castaways saw him and smiled brightly as the boy was sat at his usual seat at the table. The Skipper sat beside him and Mary Ann plopped herself down on his other side with a plate of cut up food ready to feed him.
Gilligan smiled at her and put his hand in hers. The two had had a long conversation and decided to try a relationship out. They would take it slow and let fate lead them wherever they were meant to go.
The Skipper smiled gently as he watched them before turning to his food. He could feel the change in the air and thanked the Lord that his first mate was still there. Mercy had been granted to him and the others by allowing his little buddy to live.
The Professor sat across from Gilligan and smiled in satisfaction at the rate he was recovering. Soon he would be back to his old self and he wouldn't have it any other way!
Ginger smiled at the couple. If anyone was to have a fairy tale story it was going to be the two youngest castaways. The movie star just knew that things would be alright now.
Mrs. Howell's eyes were lit up as she observed her two "children". Already in her mind she was planning the wedding and wanted to start hinting at grandchildren!
Mr. Howell's eyes were soft as he looked at the young boy…no the young man, he corrected himself. The relief he felt could not be measured. His surrogate son was alive and that was worth all the money in the world.
The meal was silent but it was a comfortable silence as their world shifted back into place. They could hear the distant surf and chirping of the birds in the trees. They could feel the wind as it blew gently through the trees.
Once he finished eating Gilligan looked around at everyone? "What are you all looking at?"
They all just smiled as the Skipper put an arm around him. "We're just so glad that you made it Little Buddy. We were all scared that you were going to leave us."
Gilligan smiled and shook his head. "Course not. I didn't want to die." He looked at his friends…his family. "I've got too much to live for. I'm needed here."
Mary Ann smiled as she kissed his cheek. "Yes you are!"
Gilligan blushed with a chuckle!
The Professor chuckled. "Yes you are a large contributor to the social microcosm that we have established on this island." He looked at the confused faces of his friends and grinned. "To put it simply Gilligan you are very important to us."
"We love you even though you get on our nerves from time to time," Ginger said smirking.
Mrs. Howell nodded. "Yes Dear. You may not be G. Thurston Howell the Third but we still love you as if you were our own."
"And that my boy, will never change," Mr. Howell said gently.
Gilligan smiled softly. "Thanks everybody."
The rest of the day was spent at the lagoon just relaxing. At one point they looked over to find Gilligan fast asleep on the blanket he was laying on.
The six castaways only smiled and glanced up sending a silent prayer of thanks that once again they were still intact.
They needed each other.