A feast and reconnecting

Apparently Cora was a kitchen wizard, as she made quite a feast with the food you had brought with you, mostly canned imported stuff.

"Wow, Cora, this is really good" Rose said. "I didn't know anybody could make something this tasty with just a bunch of canned goods."

"Thank your boyfriend for scavenging all them instead" Cora said.

The tough marine Claire said nothing as she ate. Maybe she was just enjoying a good meal, the first one since the crash.

"You're welcome" you said after swallowing another bite. "I guess I was just lucky."

"So did you see anybody else?" Rose asked you.

"One man" you said. "Paul. He...he didn't make it" you said. Conversation stopped.

"Oh...I didn't know.." Rose started.

"It's okay. You couldn't have known" you told her, squeezing her free hand with your own. "I buried him as well as I could."

"That's all you could do" Cora said.

"It is. I'm not a doctor" you said with a shrug. "I've had a few days to come to terms with it."

"Still, it's pretty sad" Cora said.

"You can't get hung up on it, though" Claire said. She looked up at you and over the fire your eyes met hers. In the light of the flames her hazel eyes looked very mysterious and alluring. You quickly looked at Rose, who was also watching Claire. "If you start beating yourself up over something you can't change, you lose the survivor mentality. You have it and it's important you hang on to it."

"All that training must have paid off, huh?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, it did. But for a noob, your boyfriend did well" Claire replied. You just shrugged and went back to eating. Damn, but it was good.

"Maybe you should join the military, huh?" Cora asked you.

"Absolutely not" Rose told you. "I just got you back, do you think I'm going to let you go traipsing off into war?"

"Yeah, I figured" you said, smiling at Rose. "Don't worry. You won't lose me again."

That night, Claire and Cora had turned in already, you sat by the fire with Rose.

"I thought I'd never see you again" Rose said as she played with your fingers.

"I hoped so, but I didn't think so" you agreed. "Good thing that we were both wrong" you told her. Smiling, Rose nodded at you.

"Yeah. I just got you. I would hate to be alone so soon after all that" she said.

"I'm not going to let you go ever again. I don't think we'll go by plane any more, though" you told her.

"Yeah..let's not" Rose agreed. She put her head on your shoulder and sighed.

"What is it?" you asked.

"I was so scared I'd lost you that I almost didn't want to get out of the water" Rose admitted.

"You wanted to give up?" you asked.

"I...John, I love you so much. You're the one for me. I don't think I could be without you any more" Rose said, squeezing your hand.

"I can't be without you any more, either. Why do you think I came here?" you said. Hearing this your girlfriend snorted.

"Yeah, that was one of an entrance. Here I am worrying over you and then there you are, coming on a raft, cool as you please" she told you.

"What can I say?" you said with a grin. "I like to make an entrance."

"Well, I don't want you to make an entrance any more. You and I are going to live a boring, happy life from now on" Rose said.

"Yes, ma'am" you told her with a smile, turning your head to kiss the top of hers.

"I'm serious, mister" Rose told you, looking up at you. "We're going to be the most boring couple that's ever been."

"As long as I don't have to come looking for you on another island, I'm okay with a little excitement" you teased. Rose smiled and nodded.

"Oh, I suppose we can have a little excitement. But nothing more exciting than staying out until 12" she said. The two of you kept talking until the fire went out, teasing and enjoying each other's company all the more.

"So, where do you sleep?" you asked.

"You'll hate it" Rose told you, getting up. You joined her and followed her to her spot. It was a lot like where you had slept the first night. You improved it a lot by bringing some clothes and using them as bedding. Rose lay down and you joined her, becoming the big spoon to her little one.

"I'm building you something better tomorrow" you told her.

"As long as you're here, I could sleep under the stars for all I care" Rose said, taking your hand and bringing it to her mouth, kissing it.

"You're the worst, but also the best" you said with a soft laugh. You closed your eyes and buried your face in Rose's hair, taking a deep breath of the scent of her hair, smiled to yourself, and fell asleep.