The passage of time

Life went pretty well, or at least, as well as it could on a remote island. Thanks to Cora's talent in the kitchen combined with Claire's training you managed to make your supplies last pretty well. Together, the four of you made it possible. Supplementing your rations with protein powder meant that your muscles remained what they were. If anything, you got more muscular thanks to the constant work that needed doing. Even Cora, normally pretty doughy, was losing weight fast. Still, to say that you were starving would be a lie. You ate fairly well, especially with trips to the other island. Every time you took Rose, you also made love to her.When that happened you had to be careful not to come inside of her, because prophylactics were annoyingly absent from the personal hygiene products among the spoils of your looting. When you told her she could take some of the birth control you'd found she scoffed.

"How is it that you live with three women and don't know how much of a science birth control pills are?" she asked.

"It's not been that long" you said. "Dawn's pretty young and Rebecca hasn't lived at home for ages. Plus she's more into women now."

"Oh, alright" Rose replied.

"Besides" you added, "it's not like I need to know much about birth control because we're going to be a boring family, remember? A family needs kids."

"Yeah, yeah. You just want to get laid" she told you.

"That's a nice bonus to making kids, yes" you replied, making Rose burst out laughing.

"A very nice one" Rose confirmed with a grin, hugging you.

"Rose! John! Claire!" Cora called one afternoon.

"What is it?" Rose called back.

"A ship!" Cora said. You looked at Rose, who was now a few months pregnant and not showing any signs of slowing down the swell of her belly. You got up then helped Rose stand up, making your way towards Cora together. You called for Claire again and before long the four of you were standing on the beach where you had a fire burning almost permanently, built so that it would generate the most smoke with the least amount of heat possible.

"Hey!" Rose yelled.

"Over here!" Cora added her voice to the din. You and Claire followed soon after, shouting, yelling, screaming. Then you heard it. The ship's horn, sounding loud and clear. They'd seen you!"

A little over an hour later a small boat approached your island. On board were four people in uniform, crew of the ship you guessed.

"Wow! You're lucky we saw your fire, people. We almost left!" one of the men said. "I'm Joseph, safety officer of the Owen Sound. But who are you people?" he asked.

"We survived the crash of FSX-55" you told him.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "But that was months ago!"

"Well, here we are" you said, frowning. "All four of us."

"Wait, what day is today?" Cora asked. When Joseph told you you frowned.

"Has it really been that long?" Claire said, more to herself than to Joseph.

"It has" he confirmed. "Almost a year since your plane went down. But please, get in the boat. Is there anything you want to take with you?" he asked.

"These misfits" Cora said, gesturing at the three of you.

"Funny" Claire said. "There's a few things, though."

"Yeah" Rose said with a smile at you, patting her belly.

The crewmen laughed at this and helped Rose get on board while Claire went back to the camp to get some things. Next up was Cora, who was also helped on board.

"Hang on a moment" you said, going back to the camp too. "Do you need anything else?" you asked Claire.

"Well, I did bring Harold" she said, smiling as she got the rock that you had adopted as your pet as a joke.

"Thanks" you told her as you took the rock from her. "What about some of the other stuff?"

"Honestly? I'd rather leave this place behind as quickly as we can. I just wanted to get my journals" Claire said.

"Yeah, good idea" you told her as you looked around. "I guess we'll leave most of this stuff here. Other than this" you said as you picked up a few dog-eared books that Rose had taken a shine to.

"I guess so. Probably for the better. I doubt the sailors of the Owen Sound will be happy to have to carry all our stuff up to the boat for us" the brunette said.

"Point for you" you said, nodding.

"So, you ready?" she asked.

"Yeah. Let's go" you told her, looking back at the camp you'd spent months building up then living in.

"Welcome aboard the Owen Sound" its captain said. Much to your surprise she was a young woman called Jane Campbell. "I've already sent word ahead that you'll be coming home to port with us. Is there anybody you want to speak to?" she asked.

"Well, a doctor would be nice" Rose said.

"I'll take you to the infirmary" Joseph told her.

"Maybe you had all better go" captain Jane said. "Just to be sure."

"Makes sense" Cora added. And so it was that the four of you were taken to the infirmary of the massive cruise ship Owen Sound, passing by several guests who were equally disgusted and curious by your disheveled appearance.

So...this was it. You had been found and were going to go home.