This is it. Far, far too many people to thank—at least here. I started writing this 13 months ago, and now I sit here with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat as it finally comes to an end. Thank you to everyone who's stuck with me through this odyssey. You all mean so much. It's the end of this journey, but the beginning of the next…..

May, 2010

A rough edge snagged her finger as she traced the bamboo shoot that had been bent into the shape of a snowman.

Or a semblance of one, anyway. Rick had mouthed the answer to her when Alex had proudly presented the finished work to her just before the Christmas of 2006. He'd been almost six at the time, and so proud of the creation he'd made for their "tree" with the help of his father.

Tears threatened to spill over as she picked up each and every ornament that every year changed their scaffolding of bamboo from a plain cone into a Christmas tree. Handmade, each one. Of course. There was no question that they'd bring all of them to their new home.

And, in reality, there was no need for her to pick each one up and recall how it had come into being, and at whose hands. All she'd needed to do was to place the basket housing them in the pile of things they were taking.

But, packing up ten years' worth of memories was a daunting task. Deciding what merited coming along. What wasn't important enough to bring. For ten years, they'd lived with very little in terms of possessions. There was no need for most items unless it was something that helped them survive. Or made their life a little more comfortable. Thus, by one measure, everything they had was important.

Yet, clearly, many things would be superfluous or obsolete once they returned to the reality of a world in which you could just buy whatever you needed. And if something broke, you threw it out and bought a new one. Sometimes, you bought more stuff just to have it.

The whole concept of consumerism had become foreign to her after living for a decade utterly dependent on what she and Rick could make with their own hands. If an item broke, they fixed it. Otherwise, they had to make it all over again.

Everything here held a memory—if not a whole bevy of them. Memories she was loath to give up. And, given that they really didn't have a lot of possessions to begin with, she felt that she could indulge her maudlin mood by considering each piece before packing it all into a basket.

Once they reached Papeete, she doubted she'd have much time on her own to reflect on their life here, at least for a while. Time would be a commodity sucked away from her by the demands of others: their family, their parents, the press. Even the government, as they tried to sort out their marriage and the births of the children.

Her stomach clenched at the thought of how much would be expected from her. She was a private person by nature, and she knew the insular life she'd led for so long hadn't improved her distaste for the spotlight she was about to be thrust into.

Yet, she knew it was necessary. Her children, her family, needed to live someplace with access to healthcare. To education. To other people. The boys had soaked up all the knowledge that she and Rick could impart—which was quite a lot, between the two of them. However, there was only so much one could do on an island without books, or music, or any of the cultural touchstones that most grew up with as a given.

She was proud of how she and Rick had raised them. They were self-sufficient, polite and curious. Though Alex was reserved (like his mother, she acknowledged), both he and Patrick had welcomed the strange men Rick had brought back with him and pestered them with questions about everything they'd brought. Such foreign items to two boys who'd never seen such exotic materials or technology.

It was time to go back. Time to help the boys spread their wings even further and learn to navigate the world of humans as fearlessly as they could navigate the lake and island where they'd been born. It was time to face the world.

"Kate?" Rick's voice called out.

"Here, babe."

She couldn't repress the big grin as he came bounding around the corner, arms full of empty baskets. They were too busy to be able to stay next to each other all the time, much as she wanted to. She still mourned the days they'd spent apart, and having him outside of her immediate sight worried a part of her brain that screamed silently in her head that he was still gone. Only the reassurance of his physical presence, so big and solid, shut that awful voice off.

"I emptied these baskets into some bigger ones. Thought you'd want them for whatever is still to be packed."

"There's not much left, now."

Her mournful tone made him do a double take, then he reached out and pulled her into his arms for a hug. As she relaxed against his muscular body, she knew that though the coming weeks and months would be difficult, she could face anything with Rick at her side.

"Are you ok?" he murmured into her hair as she burrowed as close to him as humanly possible. Well, in broad daylight with her kids running around, anyway.

"I will be. Just hard, knowing that everything is changing so fast." The crack in her voice demonstrated how difficult she was finding the rapid transition.

"But you know it's gonna be ok, right Kate? We're gonna be ok."

"I know. I know we will. You're back. That's all I really need."

He rocked her slightly, almost dancing with her. She wanted to melt into him and forget about the rest of the world for just one more day. Be alone with him like they'd been for those initial months. When they'd taken on impossible odds and succeeded, side by side.

But that world had been lost—save for the haze of her and Rick's memories. Reality in the form of Sarah squawking from her crib and the distant shouts of Patrick and Alex kept her grounded in what they'd accomplished. A rock solid relationship. A home. A family. And when they moved forward, starting today with the impending arrival of Ari'i's ship, they'd face that together as well. She could ask nothing more of the universe besides having her family united once more.

A wet, sloppy kiss interrupted her introspection. She looked up to see Rick wearing a loopy grin, waiting for her response.

"What was that for?"

"Because I love you, Mrs. Rodgers."

She couldn't suppress her answering grin and quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, really? Just how much do you love me?"

His voice dropped an octave, sending frissons of excitement shooting through the nerves in her back. He had such a sexy voice, it was almost criminal.

"Well, I'd like nothing better than to show you," he replied, drawing her close once more into his arms. She clutched him tight, knees threatening to buckle as that wonderful, husky voice vibrated through the air with a resonant frequency that shook her bones free from their usual positions.

"There's just one problem," he continued.

"Hmm?" was the most intelligible response she was capable of, at the moment.

"You see, I'd need at least an hour—preferably two—to show you properly."

A pulse of desire flashed through her. Eyes closed as he essentially held her up, she reveled in the way he felt, enveloping her. He smelled—well, not quite like her Rick, though close to it.

Years without deodorant had accustomed her to his natural smell. She'd long stopped noticing body odor—his or hers. Nothing on the island could mask it, and honestly she found his scent reassuring. Sexy, even.

This clean shaven version of her husband also smelled…well, of soap. Something they'd not had for many, many years. In his arms, clinging to his familiar body, she inhaled deeply, ignoring the citrusy soap smell and seeking his essence. It was there—a combination of his own unique, musky scent with a tang of salt from the sea. It was a heady combination, and one she'd missed dreadfully while he'd been gone.

Eyes still shut, she turned her head into his chest and pressed her lips against the hard planes of his chest. "What exactly is the problem with a few hours?" she murmured, punctuating her question with light kisses to his pecs.

"I could name three right away, but beyond the kids? It's almost time for Ari'i to arrive. I was coming to tell you when you distracted me."

The reminder that the kids were running around was as effective as a bucketful of cold water. Not to mention the egregious lie her husband had just uttered. Stepping back, she poked him in the chest with a finger. Hard.

"I distracted you? Not hardly. You distracted me!"

"Whaa? No, I'm innocent here."

She almost laughed at his faux outrage. Oh, how she'd missed his humor, as well. He could always get her to smile or laugh, no matter how anxious she was.

"You're about as innocent as Patrick was when we caught him climbing the very tree we'd warned him to stay out of just a few hours before."

Rick lost his virtuous look as he recalled the spine-chilling memory. "I never did like that particular candle nut tree," he mused. "It's so big and old, there are never very many nuts on it."

"But plenty of branches to tempt a certain monkey boy."

Rick chuckled, though with an edge that denoted how frightened he'd been at the time. "Do you remember how high he was? We could barely see him."

Kate shuddered. "I couldn't bear to look. I was so sure he was going to fall. You talked him down."

"More like bribed him down. I had to promise him a trip to the beach, remember? But it sure wasn't the last time we ever caught him climbing trees."

"True, but at least he wasn't four the next time. And he never went that high again."

"That we know about."

Kate laughed, a clear and bright sound that sent heated pulses through Rick's heart. He loved her laugh. It could be a warm, throaty chuckle or a deep guffaw. She had so many different ones, and he counted himself lucky to have had so much time with her, discovering them all. He'd recognize her laugh anywhere, and reveled in the sensation when he was responsible for eliciting one. "You're right, with a father who's still just an overgrown boy most of the time, who knows how many tall trees he really climbed?"

"Overgrown boy? Really, Kate? It's overgrown man. M-A-N." She'd moved back a few steps, so he pulled her in close, purposefully making contact with her body in as many places as possible.

And it was pleasurably possible to pull her in very close indeed.

"I'll show you just how…overgrown…I can be," he murmured. She was putty in his hands. Except, quite unexpectedly, this putty was squirming away.

"Where you goin'?" he protested, as she stepped a foot back. Far too distant for him to show her anything, even overgrown things.

"Didn't you hear them calling you?"

"Huh? Calling me?"

She rolled her eyes. It was the first eye roll he'd seen since his arrival yesterday, and he filed it away as another precious first. For as often as he elicited laughter and love from his beautiful wife, he also engendered plenty of eye rolls and occasional indignation when he did something to annoy her.

He'd like to think it wasn't too often, but he did love to push her buttons—occasionally. And when he was safely far enough away to avoid direct physical harm.

"Yes, Rick. Can't you hear them shouting your name?"

As if on cue, he heard a man's voice calling out just after she'd spoken.

Eerie.

"It must be time for you to go get Ari'i," Kate gulped. Time had flown by. The next few hours would be the beginning of the end of their time on the island.

Rick reached for her hands, squeezing them as he saw the tightness around her eyes and mouth. "Hey, this is a good thing. We're gonna be just as happy as we've been here, maybe even happier."

Kate's eyes bored into his, her look alone sufficient to convey her doubt.

"We will, Kate. We'll have the security of living without scrapping every instant to merely survive. We'll have our family, our friends. And we'll get to see our kids discover things they've never imagined."

His eyes crinkled in the endearing way they always did when he was giving her the big smile that was hers alone as he tugged gently on her hands. "C'mon, Mrs. Rodgers. Let's go start the rest of our lives together."

The rhythmic lapping of waves at the side of the wooden tender gave rise to conflicting feelings. He'd come to abhor the sound when he was adrift on his boat of bamboo. Alone for weeks, it had been the only sound he heard—the sound of the ocean trying to tear his fragile vessel apart. That, and the sound of his own voice, crying out for his family.

But talking to himself made him feel as though he were losing his tenuous grip on reality, so he often stayed quiet until he couldn't take the sound of the seeking sea anymore.

In the end, his time with Kate and his children had almost seemed a dream. The only hard facts were the endless waves, the unrelenting radiation from the sun, and the dearth of food. Pleasant memories of a family were a mirage, at best.

And here was that melody of madness once more, vibrating through the air—and through him, viscerally. Yet, this time…this time, it was jubilation that sang through his mind. An acoustic ascendancy over their enemy, Grollet. A celebration of their triumph over tragedy and hardship. A fanfare for their family.

They'd made it.

He was in the bow of the tender, signaling to Ari'i the corrections needed to keep the little ship on a collision-free course through the palisade of sharp rocks whose teeth longed to tear the boat apart.

Tamahere followed in the smaller Zodiac, having discussed the best route through the barricade with Rick on the way to the Vaitiare. The tender was quite large—it had to carry cargo to islands that lacked a dock in water deep enough to accommodate the full ship. Rick had forgotten just how big it seemed, until he and Ari'i started the harrowing trek through the clawing slabs that lurked, unseen, in the depths until it was too late.

Now it felt as though the tender were far too large to make it unscathed to the channel into the interior; with any pilot besides Ari'i or Tamahere, Rick wouldn't have made the attempt. The three of them knew each other; they had no need for verbal discussions to navigate. Rick's gestures were instantly understood and obeyed by the captain. A year of service under Anapa had melded them into a tight team. Lessons that even a full ten years later were not forgotten.

Sweat dripped down his face, stinging his eyes. He dared not wipe it away: they were in the trickiest portion, just before bursting through into the clear in front of the beaches. He wasn't scared; nothing terrible would happen if they lost this boat. Tamahere was right behind them, and the sea was quite calm this morning, as if wanting to make up for pinioning their craft all those years ago onto an island that became both their salvation and their prison.

No, he wasn't scared of the passage. He just wanted this part over and done with so they could load up and start the long journey home. An odyssey that had begun in Papeete in 1999, and in a few days would come full circle.

Ten minutes later they were in the clear. Rick made his way to the stern, watching as Tamahere made his final maneuvers to safely escape the gauntlet. Salesi was with him; while the two hadn't known each other for long, they'd both been raised at the fickle breast of the ocean. They made a good pairing in the more flexible Zodiac.

"This is the beach where you fished and made salt?" Ari'i inquired.

"Yes, this longer one here," Rick gestured at the bigger beach. "We landed there with the Zodiac and left most of the AFP men behind until I knew Kate and the kids were ok."

"Do we need to stop here for anything?"

"No, they brought all their stuff with them when they came to the interior. And Kate and I don't ever leave anything but the bamboo scaffolding for the shelter when we leave each time."

"So, straight into that little opening? It looks bigger now, but I'm still not sure we'll fit."

Rick laughed. "We made it through that harrowing minefield and you're worried about the channel? Believe me, we'll fit. But, if it's ok with you, I'll take the controls. I'd like to give you the chance to see it without worrying about navigating through it."

Ari'i nodded his head, stepping around as Rick took the wheel. He watched as Rick brought the tender inexorably closer to what appeared from afar to be seamless rock, but up closer was apparently a crack in the face of the cliffs that towered over the plain of the sea's surface.

It wasn't until they were nearly at the opening that it became clear how large it was.

"I'm not surprised this island has never been considered habitable," Ari'i marveled. "I can't believe you took such a chance on your makeshift raft from the Iriata."

"Didn't have much of a choice. Once I saw there was an opening I just aimed for it and prayed I was right."

"Don't think many would have done that."

"Well, it's a good thing they weren't on a leaky raft just off a sinking ship. Desperation is a motivating factor unlike any other."

"You've got a point. Wow, this is really something," Ari'i gaped as the walls of the channel embraced their little processional.

"I wish you could experience it from a canoe seat. The quiet makes it feel like you're in a grand cathedral, with sunlight dappling the walls as it's filtered through the leaves of the vegetation at the top of the cliffs. Even the kids are quiet when we pass through here."

"I think it is a cathedral, Hopo. This magnificent corridor led to your deliverance from a sure death. A reprieve, though, I'll grant you, not an easy one. But nothing worth having is easy, is it? Your preservation was the beginning of your relationship with Kate. You'd never have gotten to know her if the wreck hadn't happened."

"That's true. Though, I'd rather have gotten to know her better in a lifeboat, rescued eventually with the others. But, I don't regret any of our time together here. The constant anxiety over our health, our kids,…our food supply wasn't fun. And when I was thrown in jail I began to wonder if we'd ever be allowed a normal life. A chance to raise our children like other families. But, it seems as though my prayers have been answered. Through Tamahere, Afaitu, my mother and you…you've all helped me accomplish something that I wasn't sure was possible. I can't thank you enough." Rick could feel stinging in his eyes again, though he couldn't blame the sea spray this time. He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, concentrating on keeping the tender in the middle of the channel. They were nearing the veil of vegetation that marked the entrance to the lake.

"It was never a question of whether I'd help, Hopo. More a question of how. You are part of my family, my crewmate. And we don't leave family behind."

Rick nodded, unable to speak. He pointed with his chin at the curtain of vines that were rapidly approaching. Ari'i took the hint and gazed with appreciation at the beautiful barrier.

"Past this lays the lake?" he asked, though from his reading of Rick's story he knew the answer.

"Yes," was Rick's hoarse reply.

"You must have been so relieved to see that it wasn't a dead end. I can't imagine the feelings at the time…knowing you had a safe place to make a start."

"It was a welcome sight, that's for sure."

Then they were in the middle of the greenery, temporarily blinded before breaking through to the lake. The bright sun reflecting off the tranquil surface of the lake was just as blinding, until Ari'i pulled his sunglasses down from the top of his head.

He'd imagined this sight many times in the past week, after reading Hopo's descriptions. No mere words could have prepared him for the real thing. Perhaps it was made more piquant by the knowledge of what his friend and Kate had been through. Or of believing with the rest of the world that they'd been lost in a tragic accident, only to discover it was all a lie. A lie fostered by the most powerful man of his country.

Whatever the reason, the view of the sapphire blue lake cradled by the surrounding cliffs with their profusion of green, all set against the royal blue of the cloudless sky—well, it would be a hard man who didn't find a few tears in his eyes. Especially knowing that the mission was to rescue a family so deserving of nothing but the best life had to offer.

Ari'i was no hard man. Silently, he clasped one hand onto Rick's broad shoulder. They stood together, one offering solidarity to the other as they skimmed across the lake to bring a final end to the exile of Richard Rodgers and Katherine Beckett.

The welcoming committee—which consisted of everyone on the island—was visible even across the lake.

Rick pulled himself together. He had a job to do. They needed to load the tender with all that they were bringing. The Zodiac would carry the original crew and equipment, minus him of course. There ought to be enough space for Kate and the kids, along with all their stuff. Fortunately, memories weren't corporeal, or they'd require an aircraft carrier.

"Should we anchor off shore? The dock you see there is not very sturdy. We don't really use it much. Not one of my better ideas."

"I'd just run her aground," Ari'i answered. At Rick's raised eyebrows, he continued, "Well, it's all sand or gravel here, right?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah, it's not as fine as the sand on the beaches. Not enough wave motion in here. But it won't hurt the hull."

"There are plenty of men to help launch her later. Just run her in, it'll make it easier to load everything."

Rick could see that while he'd been gone, Kate and the rest had carried most of the baskets down near the shore. They'd not had time to get everything, plus lacking Salesi meant that they'd been missing the strongest man of all, but they'd made a good dent. He aimed for the beach nearest the pile and cut the motor just before they scraped bottom. It was a perfect beaching, with just enough of the bow out of the water that she wouldn't float back in, but not so much that re-launching would be difficult.

"Daddy, daddy," the boys shouted, rocketing up to the tender as soon as Kate gave them the ok.

"Hey, boys. This is the ship we'll take to the Vaitiare, and this is her captain and my friend, Ari'i."

"Hello, boys. You must be Alex and Patrick," Ari'i knelt down on the beach after jumping out of the boat. The boys had stopped jumping, but were slightly hesitant of the new man in their midst.

At least for a second.

"Hello, M. Ari'i, it's nice to meet you," Patrick held out his hand. Rick almost laughed. Apparently, some lessons in manners had been held while he was gone.

"Nice to meet you, too," Ari'i replied, shaking both offered hands. Alex hadn't said much, no surprise.

"I like your tattoos," Patrick added. "May we see the boat, please?"

Ari'i nodded, straightening up with a curious look on his face as the two boys clambered over the side of the boat, exclaiming over the smooth wood and the size of the vessel.

"I'm quite surprised," Ari'i confessed to Rick as they moved to join the others. "Most non-Polynesian kids are frightened of my facial tattoos."

Kate had overheard his remarks and laughed, handing a beaming Sarah over to her father. Rick was happy to take her; it seemed he'd been accepted once more by his youngest.

"Our kids are Polynesians, Ari'i," Kate replied, giving the man a quick hug. "Thanks for bringing Rick back to me, and for all that you've done for us."

"It's been a pleasure, Kate. So glad to see reports of your death so long ago were just lies told by a madman."

"You and me both. As far as the tattoos go, we've spent quite a bit of time talking about Polynesia in general and customs here. Without some long ago group seeding this island, we'd have been hurting when it came to food diversity. I don't know very much, but Rick's year living here and sailing from island to island gave him a good background."

"Well, at least enough to satisfy two young boys," Rick qualified. He kissed Kate quickly, then returned to the topic at hand. "We talked about tattoos several times, and the boys and I foraged for some of the plants and seeds for dyes. I painted them both up with temporary tattoos, including their faces. I wasn't sure how they'd react to you, as you're yet another stranger, but I was pretty sure they wouldn't think twice about the tattoos."

Tamahere and Salesi joined them, having beached the Zodiac as well.

"We ready to get this boat packed?" Tamahere exclaimed. He was nearly as enthusiastic as Alex and Patrick.

"I think we are," Rick answered, looking closely at Kate. Her tight smile showed her agreement, though he knew she was still struggling with the rapid pace of events.

They had plenty of help, even with Ari'i as the sole addition from the main ship. Since he and Kate had done so much work the night before in consolidating everything into baskets, as much as possible, they didn't need more muscle. And the extra room saved meant that it should only take one trip to load everything.

Which meant that once they cast off, it was the last they'd see of the island. Rick could see that Kate had done the math in her head, and the results were difficult for her to accept.

"Why don't you guys load the Zodiac, first," Rick nodded to Laurent. "It won't take long, since you packed up camp this morning."

Agreeing, they walked off, while Salesi trekked to the kitchen to gather the bamboo calendar. It would go in first, as most of the rest could just sit on top of it. Rick gave his former crewmates a silent plea while gathering Kate into his arms. They understood his unvoiced request, and followed Salesi to see if he needed help. Sarah didn't seem to mind being squished between her parents, for the moment at least.

"You ready for this?" He felt her tremble.

"Thought so," she replied, unable to hide the mournful tone.

"We'll have days before we get to Papeete, Kate. Time to adjust to the idea a bit."

"I know. It's just…for so long all I wanted was to get off this rock, you know, after we were first marooned?"

"I remember. I kept wanting to build a home, and you wanted to set up rescue beacons."

"I was so sure someone would be looking for us; that all this was just temporary. That I'd go back to my life in New York, with this whole experience a funny story, once I got over the horror of being left for dead by Grollet. I'd go to the Police Academy, like I planned. Somehow retrieve my dad from the bottom of a bottle. We'd be a family again, united by what had happened to us, not driven apart."

"Oh, Kate. You never said anything."

"We weren't that close yet, then. And once we were closer, there was the whole specter of January looming over me. Rescue took a back burner to that first anniversary."

"But we got through it, together. It united us, in a manner of speaking."

Kate released a strangled sigh. "It did. I learned to trust you. I opened up to you. And once we became…more…, well, then? Then I didn't need to be rescued. I had you, and the life we were able to build."

"You've still got me, Kate. That's never going to change. Never," Rick whispered, kissing her between words. He wasn't sure he could make this better for her, other than showing that they'd face the new world as a family. "You know, all that time I spent away from you guys, on the boat, then in prison? I always felt like I'd been rent in two. Part of me still here with you. Wherever you go, that's my home, Kate Rodgers. You're my home."

He heard and felt his wife sniffling. Somehow Sarah had managed to be quiet this whole time, and even though he was holding her snug on one shoulder, he still looked over to make sure she was still there. His ninja daughter was capable of mischief in all manner of ways. Yet, it seemed as though she understood there was a time and a place to misbehave. She was content, for the moment.

"Thank you for being so understanding, Rick. I know it probably seems silly, especially after all we've been through. It's not that I don't want to leave…not exactly."

"Shhh, Kate," he murmured, swaying gently to rock them. "I'm gonna miss this place, too. This island will always play a huge role in our lives. No matter where we end up. And the kids will probably always be Polynesians at heart, especially the boys."

Kate giggled—just a tiny laugh, but still a laugh. He held the two most important women in his life tight to his chest and rocked for a few minutes more, until he felt Kate draw away. Sarah had somehow fallen asleep, which was probably a blessing.

"Why don't you take Sarah and go sit under your mom's tree for a while? Let us manly men pack the boat."

"Are you sure? I can help pack as much as anyone," she protested.

"Yes, but someone needs to keep an eye on Sarah. First thing we'd know, she'd be in the boat sailing out of here on her own. She's a wily one, this girl. And it'll give you a bit more time to come to grips with all of this."

He slid Sarah over to her; they were both pros at exchanging sleeping infants without waking them. He watched as Kate stepped carefully to the orchard area, then he hurried to find Laurent and his camera. After a brief conversation, he was ready to get everyone to begin stowing all of their stuff aboard the tender.

With all of the men, as well as the best efforts of Alex and Patrick, it took no more than an hour to have it all stowed and secured. The work of ten years, reduced to a pile of baskets and bamboo in the bottom of a tender. Rick stood, staring at it. Lost in his own memories; sad that it all seemed pointless to bring with them.

A tugging on his left arm caused him to find his youngest son trying to get his attention.

"Why do you look sad, Daddy?"

Rick knelt down, bringing their heads close to the same height. "I'm sad because I always thought we had all that we needed, but now that I look at this pile, it just seems…it just seems, well, sad."

Patrick regarded him with wide, open eyes. His brows were slightly furrowed as he thought about what his father had just said.

"I-I-I thought you teached me that everythin' we ever need is the rest of our family. You an-and Mommy, and Alex and Sarah. You said we were your treasures. 'Member?"

Rick just stared at his son for a moment, heart swelling with love for his little family. "C'mere and give me a hug, Patrick." With his son in his arms and his truthful words ringing in his ears, Rick knew it was time to go.

"Do you know where Alex is?"

"He's over there, with Tama'ere," Patrick pointed to the Zodiac.

"Run get him, then we'll all go and get your mom and Sarah. It's time to leave."

"Oh, boy, oh boy!"

A few minutes later, Rick was walking to the orchard, holding a little hand in each of his. The others were making their final preparations to cast off, and Rick had asked Salesi to look around both the kitchen and the house to make sure nothing was left behind. He didn't want either Kate or the boys to go back to the structures now: they'd said their goodbyes this morning, and nothing would be gained by seeing them looking empty and forlorn.

Kate's heart leapt into her throat as she watched her men walking into the clearing where Rick had planted the now large tree so long ago. She stood, Sarah still sleeping in her arms, and walked to them. They met in the middle of the grassy plain, jungle surrounding them just as it had when they'd first landed here a decade ago.

"Are you ready, Mrs. Rodgers?" her husband asked, look and tone questioning her.

"It's time," she stated. Not a question. A fact. It was time. He released Alex's hand and nodded for their oldest to take up Patrick's hand on the other side. Then, Rick turned back to her and held out his hand for her to grasp. She was forcibly reminded of his look when he'd handed her onto the rope crane they'd used to load their makeshift raft on the Iriata. She'd known it was time to leave then, the sinking ship no longer able to give the illusion of safety.

They'd embarked on a journey into the unknown, with the only guarantee that they couldn't stay on the ship. And, they'd found a home. A refuge. An oasis that had nurtured them, albeit through hard work, into what they were now.

And once again, she knew it was time. They needed to leave the island now, to grow further and farther than its foundation could provide.

She took his hand, and they moved as one: forward, and to the future.

Fin

So, I will mark this complete, for now. There is still quite a lot of story to go, and I've already begun writing it. If there is a ton (and yes, it will include flashbacks to their earlier years on the island, just as this one did) AND it's large enough to stand on its own, then a sequel will be born—Surviving Civilization, if you will. If it's really just a continuation of this and not enough to be separate, then I'll add it to this story. So, stay tuned.

The rest of this A/N will be devoted to giving thanks and explaining where I got this idea from. No need to read it if you don't want to.

There are far too many people to thank, but I'm going to highlight a few.

First, AtheaTahiti for all her PMs and reviews discussing what life is actually like for a Polynesian in French Polynesia. I learned so much from her that is simply not available on the internet (at least in English). Thank you so very much!

Thank you to Alex (caffinate-me) for all the advice over the course of this story.

Thank you to Lou and for reading and critiquing it, and cheerleading for me to keep going.

Thank you to WanderlustInternational for reading, critiquing and teaching me all about how an Embassy works. Your insights have been invaluable.

Thank you to Sylvia (erinn80) for the incredible artwork she's created based on this A/U world.

Thank you to Adriana for all the support.

Thank you to Erica for reading it at night and sending me your thoughts. For meeting me at El Meson to discuss it over delicious Mexican food. And especially for introducing me to Castle in the first place!

Thank you to CharacterDriven for writing a vignette based on this world. Hilarious!

Thank you to Ric for making me smile every time.

Thank you to sKyoKun and Anakin David for being my French connections. Really appreciate the help!

Thank you to all of the incredible readers and reviewers. I love you all for your support and enthusiasm for the story. There's just too many to go through, but I am so grateful to you all.

Finally, a huge thanks and virtual hug to Garrae. For putting up with my whining. For reading it all and making it better. For cheering me on and occasionally snapping the whip. I'm not sure I'd be at this point without you, my friend. You're the best.

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This story springs from several books that I've read and loved. First and foremost were the Swiss Family Robinson and Robinson Crusoe. Reading those as a kid introduced me to the topic of surviving on a desert island. My imagination went wild over the incredible inventions the family came up with in order to live comfortably in the Swiss Family Robinson book. I loved their treehouse, and it led me to a lifetime of enjoying books about people who survive against incredible odds through their own ingenuity.

Treasure Island wasn't tropical, but had a similar theme, though involving a kid. This was fascinating to the young me.

I devoured every Walter Farley book available, and still own most of them. The Black Stallion: The Island Stallion influenced this fic tremendously in the sense that both islands looked impenetrable from the outside, but contained a secret interior that is discovered by accident by the heroes of the book.

The Count of Monte Cristo—while much of it is really an epic story of revenge, the idea of a man coming back into the world after being removed (though in the case of Edmond Dantes it was prison for his exile)—and taking back his life was completely mesmerizing. I read it as a teenager, and while I didn't understand the politics of that era, the story stuck with me.

More recently, I read On the Island which deals with a plane crash that strands a teenage boy and his tutor in the Maldives.

All of these books, plus movies like The Blue Lagoon and Castaway gave rise to a desire to write a story dealing with similar circumstances. When I discovered fan fic about a year and a half ago, that desire was fanned into a flame.

I almost decided against the whole idea when Travis—Lord of Kavaca—wrote Solid Ground. However, as I read that fic, I realized we diverged radically outside of the survival on an island theme. It did mean I had to abandon my original idea of creating a plane crash to strand them. And I quickly realized there was no way I could fake my way through a sail boat wreck—I've never sailed in my life, and the research was overwhelming me. Luckily, I stumbled across the idea of a cargo ship—which really do provide the lifeline of supplies for most of the islands—and the rest? Well, you've read it.

So, thank you all, dear readers. You've inspired me at times when I've felt down and sent my heart soaring into the stratosphere with your amazing comments and love for this story. I'm humbled by your response, and hope to see you all with the next installment of this fic.

Thank you.