Author's Note: The final chapter is finally here! I apologize for the delay. With work and graduation and moving and travel, it's been a busy start to summer!

End notes: I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this fic and am hoping to write more in this universe. I don't know if it will be Misa/Hikaru or Lisa/Rick. With wanting to retell part of the DYRL story, I had to stick with Misa/Hikaru here. But I love Lisa/Rick as well - I grew up watching Robotech on CN as a kid and devoured the McKinney books as a teen. Lisa/Rick were my very first OTP and still my favorite. I have to admit, the Southern Cross and Mospeada arcs of Robotech just don't speak to me like the original 36 episodes. And we all know how much better Minmay's songs are in Macross vs. Robotech.

Toward the end of writing this, I started reading a lot of the Lisa/Rick fics on this site and wow, you are a talented bunch! As I gained a follow or favorite or review, I checked out if the user had any Lisa/Rick writing posted and I was not disappointed! I have enjoyed reading your works tremendously!

I would like to thank my repeat reviewers: janditapreciosa, queequeg1013, and Robotechfan - your feedback has meant so much to me. Thank you for your support and encouragement!

Thanks also to Rommina, queenybee, and AHRG for your reviews. I am grateful for you!

Please review this final chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it!

Misa blinked her eyes open first. She found herself laying on top of Hikaru's arm, her ivory skin pressed against his tawnier flesh. For a split second, their nakedness alarmed her—surprised her. She blushed as the memories came flooding back. Flexing her legs, she pointed her feet. As she exhaled, she slowly relaxed her muscles. She knew she would never be able to forget what had transpired between them. The scenes played through her mind, indelible for all time. His lips, locked on hers. His hands, caressing her shoulders, breasts, hips, thighs. His cerulean eyes, pleading for more. His fingers, bringing her to ecstasy. His sex, filling her so fully and deliciously.

She sighed contentedly, turning her head to take in Hikaru's image. Is this love? She wondered. He had been so cruel to her at the start; their forced first kiss on the alien cruiser notwithstanding. But as they had wandered the scorched earth together, surviving as a team, she had grown to appreciate Hikaru for himself—a gifted pilot, occasionally brash, deeply committed to his mission, and loyal to his friends. Stripped of his UN Spacy flightsuit and helmet, she found him to have a surprisingly tender heart. He was unafraid to be vulnerable, and he was more optimistic than she. Brave, that's what he is, she concluded. In everything he faces. She sighed. Dammit. I do love him.

She glanced at him again. He continued to sleep, soundly and peacefully. Well, we've been lovers, if only for once. But what does that mean for tomorrow? Misa wondered to herself. Do I tell him that I love him? No, that would be insane. He may feel nothing for me. One thought lead to another. What about Minmay? He still loves her, no doubt. She blanched at the thought. Christ, Misa. What have you done? After a moment, she shook her head, realizing her own folly. They're all dead. It doesn't matter. That thought was more disturbing than being on the losing end of a love triangle.

She couldn't lie still anymore, not after that morbid realization. Silently, she slid out of Hikaru's embrace, sad as she was to leave the warm cocoon of his arms. She planted her feet on the damp ground below and collected her garments, one by one. She recalled how gently they had undressed each other—lovingly, even. She sighed, and pulled her clothes on, one piece at a time. She retrieved his clothes and loosely folded them, setting them at the foot of the futon for when he woke.

Carefully, Misa made her way back into the little kitchen area where their embrace had started. From the window, she could see the massive coral sun lazily making its way down the horizon, painting the clouds overhead the most breathtaking shades of amber, rose, and azure. At least if we're here alone together, it's on Earth. Maybe the planet will heal, maybe it won't. Maybe we'll starve, maybe we won't. But at least we aren't lost in space any longer. She took a breath in and swallowed.

She wandered around the little living space, trying to keep her footfalls quiet so as not to wake Hikaru. There was another seating area against the wall, near some cabinets and other furniture items. It was all very utilitarian, nondescript. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed something shiny near one of the chair legs. At first, she thought it was a pool of water, reflecting light from a window. As she made her way closer, she discovered it was actually a small, rectangular object.

Stooping down, she picked it up. It was incredibly thin and feather-light. It appeared to be made of some advanced material that was not quite metal, and not quite plastic. One of its edges was angled off, instead of forming four perfect corners. On one side was a silver plate that looked embossed, or etched—imprinted, somehow. Flipping it over in her hands, she discovered that the other side was black. A few foreign words were printed across its surface, in a language Misa couldn't decipher. She knew it wasn't Zentradi—the SDF-01 Communications team had intercepted snippets of their written and spoken language and were endeavoring to decipher it, but these characters bore no resemblance to the crew's discoveries.

She tucked it in her flightsuit pocket, thinking she would show it to Hikaru when he woke. She gulped nervously. What is he going to say when he's awake? "Thanks for the sex"? "About last night…"? "It's not you, it's me"? She brought her right hand to her eyes, massaging her temples with her thumb and middle finger. Get a grip! Misa ordered herself, inhaling slowly. She was interrupted by the gurgling growl of her own stomach. It had been hours since they'd eaten.

Deciding that food would brighten her mood and his upon waking, she set off toward the Valkyrie. Hikaru had shown her how to retrieve the food stores a few days ago. As she exited the threshold of the tiny quarters, she smiled to herself slyly—they had explored more than alien culture inside its walls. As casual as she had tried to be about sex following Riber's death, she knew what she shared with Hikaru had meant something. She knew it had meant something to him, too—she had seen it in the depths of his eyes, which had shone bluer than earth's oceans from space.

Hikaru finally stirred. He looked over at his outstretched arm, which was now empty. He stifled a shiver as his naked flesh turned to goosebumps. Misa, he thought, remembering their passionate tryst. He ran a hand through his hair. I can't believe I—we—did—had—. . . His mind trailed off, not knowing how to describe what had transpired between them. Made love, he concluded, exhaling deeply. That's what it was. No sense denying it. He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of one of his eyes. His eyes fell upon the pile of clothes near his feet. He thought about calling out her name, but the silent air seemed reverent—sacrosanct—and he didn't want to disturb it.

Slowly, he dressed. His muscles felt exhausted, but satisfied. He grinned to himself. Incredible, that's what it was. As he stepped past the futon and back into the kitchen area, he found the small dwelling empty. Empty!?

"Misa?!" he called out, a twinge of worry permeating his voice. He ran outside the door, seeing only empty paths between the island's structures.

"Misa?! Where are you?!" he shouted, a little louder, his voice beginning to betray panic. He began to sprint down one of the paths, toward the central dome.

"MISA?!" he yelled, to no one in particular. He was really starting to get anxious now.

At that moment, Misa turned the corner, carrying a rucksack of food and potable water. Hikaru ran to her, visibly relieved. "Misa!" he shouted. He came to a stop right in front of her, catching his breath. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her so tightly that she dropped the bag. He buried his face in her neck, kissing her jaw. Wow, Misa thought. I guess he has no regrets. She moved her neck slightly to look him in the eyes.

"Hikaru, is everything all right?" She asked gently. "You were asleep, and I figured I'd bring us something to eat for when you woke up," she said reassuringly.

He nodded, feeling unusually sheepish. "I got up, and you were gone. I didn't know what to think, really," he said quietly. "I was worried there for a second!" His voice rose a little.

"I should have left a note," she admitted. "But I figured I'd only be gone for a few minutes, and you looked so peaceful sleeping there." She smiled at him tenderly.

Eventually, he released her from his grip and picked up the bag. Taking her hand in his, they made their way back to the tiny house. Seated once more at the table near the sink basin, a rudimentary meal was readied before long. They ate quietly, but the silence had ceased to be unsettling. Instead, it was comfortable. After they finished, Misa scooped up the food packaging and left it in the basin, wanting to clear the table, but having no receptacle for proper waste disposal.

Hikaru had made his way to the door as she tidied up, looking out and up. He estimated that night would be here again in under an hour. He didn't mind. He had come to enjoy Misa as a partner in survival, and now, a paramour. Everything that had used to bother him about her—her unflinching discipline, her focused intellect, her unwavering commitment to duty—he now respected. He knew that she was more than a stiff woman in a starched uniform—he had seen her laugh, he had seen her cry, he had seen her afraid, he had seen her strength. She had been vulnerable and tender and sexy in front of him. Minmay, forgive me. You used to be the girl of my dreams, before Miss Macross. But now, there's a woman in my heart… He thought, feeling bittersweet.

A low rumble in the distance interrupted his reverie. Seeing no storm clouds above, he wondered if it was faraway thunder. With all the windows blown out in the dwelling, he debated whether the tent might be the preferable alternative to spending a rainy night in a home with no door or windows to keep the water out. He looked up again. It was growing increasingly louder, faster than any thunderhead could travel.

"Misa," he called. "Come out here! Listen to this!"

She walked over to him, passing the threshold, standing in the alley separating their home from its identical counterparts. "What is that?" she asked quizzically. "It doesn't look like it's going to rain," she observed.

"I don't know," Hikaru replied. "But it's getting a lot louder, don't you think?" He wondered aloud.

"It is," she replied, nodding in agreement.

With dusk beginning to fall, they missed the first clue—the telltale heat shimmer of spacecraft engines. It wasn't until lights began to appear in the distance that Misa felt a faint hope tug at her heart.

"Hikaru…" she whispered intensely.

He stepped out into the path, standing near her. She clutched at him, trying to avoid thinking that it could maybe, possibly, be… No, she thought to herself. Don't jinx it! Hikaru held her close, knowing that this could be either their salvation or their end. They waited for what seemed like a thousand lifetimes, both holding their breath.

At last, the massive, glittering hull of the SDF-01 came into focus, its arms stretched out like an old friend coming in close for a reunion embrace.

"Misa!" Hikaru exclaimed. He couldn't take his eyes off of it, fearing it was an illusion that would disappear if he blinked.

"I can't believe it!" she replied, her eyes glued to its enormous form.

When they heard the familiar scream of a VF squadron, they finally knew it was real. The fighters were approaching the island, flying low to conduct reconnaissance.

Tears streamed down Misa's face. "Hikaru," she choked out. "They got our message after all." She struggled to keep her composure, on the verge of breaking down into sobs of joy.

He looked down at her, searching for her gaze. His eyes went misty when he finally caught her glance.

"Misa…" he whispered, breathlessly.

He bent his head down, pulling her in closer by the waist. She tipped her chin up to meet him. He kissed her slowly, tenderly, lovingly, passionately. She returned his kiss, wanting to remain in his arms until she took her last breath. Hikaru's hands caressed her face, her locks, her waist, her arms. She ran one hand through his wild hair, the other down his back, both eventually making their way back up to encircle his neck. The world around them ceased to exist.

Maximillian Jenius had been given the order to retrieve the survivors. Admiral Gloval had insisted on sending a team of medics with him in case the castaways required urgent medical attention. He flew a clumsy transport shuttle instead of his usual VF, but he didn't mind—he was happy to find any survivors at all. When the shuttle's instruments had finally locked onto two distinct heat signatures, he opened the loudspeaker channel.

"ATTENTION SURVIVORS. PLEASE PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE EVACUATION TO THE SDF-01." He announced.

Hikaru and Misa were oblivious, still locked in an increasingly passionate embrace. From the distance, Max worried that they were hurt and unable to approach the shuttle for airlift. He landed the craft as close to them as he safely could, and ordered the medic team to secure the survivors immediately. Before Max debarked, he aimed the craft's search light in the direction of the heat signatures.

He ran after the medic team, increasingly agitated at what he might find. Max came to an abrupt stop when he heard the medic team laughing some twenty paces ahead of him. Their figures obstructed his view, and he couldn't imagine what was so funny. He strode forward, almost indignant.

His jaw dropped when he saw it, and blinked several times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. There was his commanding officer, First Lieutenant Ichijou Hikaru, in a very steamy embrace with his commanding officer, Captain Hayase Misa. They were kissing, holding each other close, caressing one another, completely in their own world. The medic team's laughter didn't even register.

"Boss! Lieutenant! Hikaru!" Max shouted. Nothing.

"HIKARU!" Max yelled, again. Still nothing.

"CAPTAIN HAYASE!" Max bellowed.

Misa's eyes opened, and she broke their kiss. She turned her head towards the group, and Hikaru's head soon followed. They both looked utterly dazed. The medics couldn't contain their snickering. Max tried in vain to shush them, knowing how inappropriate it was for them to be laughing at an officer of her stature.

"What?" she replied breathily.

Max saluted crisply. "We're here to rescue you both," he stammered.

"At ease," she returned. Max dropped his arm to his side.

She turned back to Hikaru and kissed him again.