Ch 6 –

"Come on Gilligan, think! Oh, what am I saying…" The Skipper mused hopelessly, rolling his eyes at his own suggestion.

The sailor plopped down on his chair, totally defeated by his own lack of inspiration.

"Your move, Skipper." Gilligan announced, moving his piece on the checkerboard.

"Gilligan, will you be serious? We've got six wishes between us! We've gotta find some way to get off the island…"

The Skipper was no professor but considered himself one of the sharper tools in the shed. He'd been at it in good earnest for a day or more and found himself supremely frustrated that he didn't have any real answers as of yet. What could he wish for, out of the obvious, that could save them? And furthermore, what was the point of being given three wishes if they could not, in the end, bring rescue?

"Maybe we can wish for a boat!"

"No."

"A hot air balloon! A flying saucer!"

"A flying saucer, of all the -"

"A yellow submarine?" He asked sheepishly.

The Skipper sighed. "It's too obvious Gilligan, it's gotta be something that could only lead to our being saved, not actually save us."

Gilligan blinked, perplexed. "A tiny submarine?"

"It's hopeless."

"Okay then, maybe that genie lady can give us a clue?" Gilligan suggested.

"Maybe that genie lady can give us a clue." The Skipper mimicked laughing. He paused, his eyes brightening suddenly. "Hey… Let's throw a party for her, maybe then she'll be inclined to say something."

"And we'll tell her it was my idea!" Gilligan's eyes lit up.

"No Gilligan, it was my idea."

….

"Something on your mind?"

Ginger turned sharply, hearing the millionaire's son tease as he approached. Her stomach dropped when she saw him. She turned back toward the gentle lapping of the waves in the distance, not at all in the mood for conversation.

The redhead was embarrassed, and moreover, heartsick. She couldn't believe what she'd done just a few hours earlier, the adrenaline still pumping fast through her veins. She sat there panicked, unable to come to terms with the disparity in her feelings: the terrified, physical high and the incredible emotional low.

She'd done it without thinking, dove in front of the lion to save the Professor from the charging beast. You would think that would've been it: the thing that made him truly aware of her feelings. The thing that opened a door for them.

Instead, Nora had pushed her aside in the most embarrassing fashion, causing the redhead to fall, luckily into the Skipper's capable arms instead of flat on her face. Nora had then saved the day, luring her lion back into its cage.

She and the professor were now working on a way to secure the lion more safely, and Ginger found herself totally mortified, like she'd worn her heart on her sleeve and had nothing to show for it but embarassement and rejection that everyone had seen.

Thurston IV ignored her obvious feelings, digging his bare feet into the sand with a sigh as he sat at her side. Ginger didn't respond, hugging her knees as she watched the ocean. She was deeply conflicted, and unsure of what she saw when she looked at the millionaire's son. Something about the young man softened her aching heart, and yet, something else aroused incredible tension… tension she quickly tried to dismiss.

The eager teen waited a beat, searching her, wondering what angle he could possibly use to pry such obvious emotions out of her.

"I'm jealous." He said simply.

"Hmmm?" She asked quickly, her eyes widening.

"I mean… I'm jealous of you… I mean you guys… Look at this. This is my ideal life." He gestured toward the open water and the island, all around them.

"This?!" Ginger laughed hysterically. "You're jealous of this! Are you insane?!"

In truth, she was jealous of him. Here he was, at the beginning of his life, heir to a sizable fortune, with no regrets, about to embark on a fresh, amazing start … no strings attached. Ginger couldn't tell you what she'd give to have just one of those opportunities. It was a juxtaposition she couldn't stand to consider, not when she felt so … washed up. So, old and just done in, because of this … this island hell.

"Yes." He said seriously, almost as if taking offense. "Yes I am. I'd love to spend my life in a place like this. It's peaceful. Serene. Quiet … But, as a Howell, it'll never be allowed."

'See.' He wanted to say. 'There are always strings attached.'

She said nothing for a beat, simply looking him up and down, her guard up.

"You know, you're not at all what I would've thought."

"Oh, and what would you've thought?" He laughed.

The Howells had mentioned their children, maybe once or twice that Ginger could recall, the references so subtle she'd never even picked up on them until now. For her own part, she could understand it. There was too much about life back home she had to block out, and had certainly never mentioned, her own family included.

"Oh, you know." She shrugged nonshallantly. "Stuffy…"

"Spoiled…" He guessed, smiling.

"Polo pony riding…" She continued nervously.

"Silver spoon sucking." He shrugged. "I'm not exactly chip off the old block… that's for sure."

"You're a little too devil may care for a Howell." Yes, that was it.

"Depends on what Howell you ask, my great, great, great grandfather James Dean Howell for example."

"You're kidding."

"Completely." He smirked. Thurston IV paused, studying Ginger as she went silent again. "You know, you're too good for him."

"I'm… Wait a minute!" She cautioned, jumping to the Professor's defense.

"I'm just saying, if he's really so blind he can't look at you and see how you feel, and take that for what it is, then he's not good enough." He shrugged.

Ginger laughed, not wanting to acknowledge the truth in the statement. It was too much to bare, a little more so than the other idea that was running through her head: that Thurston IV wanted her to himself.

'Don't panic.' Something inside cautioned. 'You can handle any man. Besides, what does he know, he's just a kid!

"How old are you, again?" She narrowed her gaze.

"Old enough." He replied, his eyes locked with hers, undeterred.

She gulped, both of them entranced for a beat. It wasn't quite Thurston IV's Harold and Maude moment, but it was close enough for Ginger.

"You've never even had a girlfriend." She accused.

"No, I haven't had a girlfriend."

"See…"

"I have three actually. One in Newport, one in New York, one in Maine... Oh god and then there's Stephanie Vanderkellen." She was fourteen. Her mother had paid him to take her to the movies to shut her up. Eh, it counted. "Four. It's four."

"I doubt your mother would like that." Ginger judged.

He chuckled, "Well, she didn't like it when I had the one so…"

Annoyed, but kind of humored, Ginger hit him on the arm.

"So? How about it?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"Be my girlfriend. Always room for more." He smiled.

"I…" Ginger was shocked.

"Just to make him see what he's missing."

"What are you, like fifteen? No! I won't. Besides … It'll never work."

"I'm pretty much eighteen, and a million bucks says it will."

….

"Chip, I'm just going to pick some bananas for that pie I was going to make… I really don't need the help." Mary Ann insisted, backing up slowly, then almost running out of her hut when he agreed to stay behind.

Overwhelmed, the farm girl put her head in her hand as she paced their "village" area, wishing Ginger or Gilligan were there to console her.

"Come on Mary Ann, think, think." She practically smacked herself on the forehead. "What did I ever even see in him? And why does he have to be here… now? Good Lord I'd almost rather not be rescued than have him stay… Or have to go home with him." She cringed.

Mary Ann didn't know how she'd changed so much in a short year, but somehow, she had. Chip really wasn't a bad guy. Dumb jock or not, he was friendly, there were times where they'd had a good time together. Back in Kansas, that'd been enough to offset against his one-track mind and stunted maturity. But he paled in comparison to the more sophisticated men she'd spent the past year marooned with: men that'd changed her. She thought that was especially the case with Gilligan. In a way, the two reminded her of each other, only Gilligan had this super imaginative, totally haphazard mind that could be… oddly brilliant when it needed to be … and a sometime stunted maturity.

"Well, you have the wishes." Little Natalie considered aloud.

"Ah!"

Mary Ann almost screamed, surprised by the audience, and looked up to see the Howell child sitting cross legged on the table with her father's teddy bear in hand.

"Sweetheart you scared me." She caught her breath.

"You could wish him away." She suggested. "And poof!" She smiled devilishly, the child's ease with this giving Mary Ann a moment of pause.

"I mean… I suppose I could." Mary Ann cracked a small smile.

"So, where are we going?" She asked sweetly, her big blue eyes flashing with intrigue. "Can we find the kitty again?" She whispered.

"We?" Mary Ann raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh." The girl nodded.

"I mean… I guess you could come along. Where's mommy?"

"Mummy and daddy are fighting over my sister getting married." Natalie gave an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, I see." Mary Ann smiled, finding it odd that the adorable little girl should have a sister that was old enough to get married.

"He's a Yale man." The child reminded, cringing.

"Natalie!" Mrs. Howell called, coming out of the hut. "Nat… Darling!" She laughed uneasily when she spotted the child and lifted her off the table. "We know proper little girls do not sit on the table."

Natalie nodded. "Mummy, while you're disagreeing about Madeline, may I go with Mary Ann?"

"Darling I thought…"

"Isn't she my new nanny?" The child presumed matter of factly.

Mrs. Howell and Mary Ann exchanged glances, both deeply surprised by the idea. The child's mother opened her mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say, finding herself hurt by the request to spend time apart from her when they'd just reunited.

"I love you mummy, but this is only appropriate." Natalie reminded.

"Oh…" Lovey considered, her heart sinking. "I suppose… If Mary Ann doesn't mind."

"N-not at all." She hesitated.

"She's correct Lovey, I only saw my mother for an hour a day." Thurston reminded, coming out of the hut. "Your three or four's always been a bit ridiculous." He laughed, not noting how hurt she seemed. But Mary Ann gulped, seeing it right away.

"It's four or five, Thurston."

Mrs. Howell stood there, her eyes downcast. Thurston had never really understood how she was with the children…even though he was much the same, at least compared to his parents. Lovey had wanted better from her own mother and been determined to do better herself: to love them, to counsel them, to really be there every single day in a way many women of her class… just simply weren't.

She'd done well by the twins, but even better by Natalie, given the controversial nature of her birth, and the near divorce that'd preceded it. It was why Lovey felt exceptionally close to her youngest.

"Yes, my darling girl, do go off and have a wonderful time." Thurston pried his youngest out of his wife's arms, giving her his blessing and placing her back on her feet. "Mummy and daddy have to try to get rid of…" He stopped, bracing himself before saying it. "A Yale man." The Howells and their daughter all cringed again upon hearing the term. "We'll pay for your time of course."

Mary Ann smiled, looking down at the child who kindly took her hand.

"No thanks Mr. Howell." She knew she was crazy to turn down the money, but did it anyway, beginning to lead Natalie into the jungle. "But if you can do me another favor, maybe try figuring out how to get rid of the Horners Corners High man while you're getting rid of the Yale one, huh?"

Thurston smiled, understanding right away, "With pleasure dear girl."

"Why did you do that?!" Lovey turned to him, livid once Mary Ann and the child were out of site.

"Do what?"

"Oh Thurston, she doesn't love me!"

"What… Of course, she does!"

"Then why'd you… why'd she…" She looked back into the jungle.

"Oh come now, Lovey." He laughed. "How long could you and I really last without someone to keep the girl?"

…

"How am I going to tell them? No one can land here! They can't drop anything here!" Tony Nelson was about to crack up, and his genie, for one, didn't understand it.

"Master, if NASA were to land here or, do research on this island, who is to say you would have to be the person to explain it?"

"Because I have to explain everything!"

Tony was conflicted. On one hand, he figured he could go home without a care, at least for now. On the other, he knew it'd eventually become his problem. After all, he had a history with this island… And Dr. Bellows knew that.

"Master do calm down, it is not good for you to allow yourself to get so stressed."

The astronaut laughed, putting his head in his hands, sounding as if he were about to break with reality.

It was their anniversary. The anniversary of when he'd picked up her bottle that is. Jeannie had thought it might be nice to have a picnic on the island and was more than pleased he agreed to go, not realizing he'd done so partially because NASA wanted to use the same island for possible research, or, at the very least, to jettison parts of space craft.

Tony had expected to go, get some insight for a report and spend some nice time with the genie in his life. However, he'd never expected to find an island full of castaways, and have Jeannie quickly complicate the situation by populating the place with the inhabitant's friends and children. There were far too many witnesses now!

He sighed deep, unsure what to do. "Jeannie, it's not right to just… leave them here! And yet, if they're rescued one of them is bound to say why! Thereby, making it my problem."

"Oh I see…" She considered, biting her lip. She paused for a moment, starting to giggle as she blinked.

"What'd you do?" He asked, concerned.

"You shall see, Master, we're going to have a contest!"

"A-a contest?" Gilligan and the Skipper asked, appearing out of nowhere, revealing they'd been listening all along.