Faye still hated trusting their fate to Mr. Waters and the mysterious voice at the other end of the radio, but she knew they had little choice. She could almost feel the anticipation like a cold breeze as the radio conversation continued and eventually wrapped up, and now all they could do was wait. Faye wanted to be excited - for the Baxters, for Ainsley and Jeff, for the hope of rescue - but the dread of not knowing gnawed at her.

As Junior rushed back and forth lighting fires, she found she just didn't have the energy to join him. Instead, she helped out where she could to keep things running smoothly for the hours between the radio call and when rescue was anticipated. Small things like fetching things for Ainsley or Angie, or helping the girls thaw out Pittersticks (as much as the rascal may have annoyed her, trying to explain how they managed to kill someone in the course of a few hours would've been a trick), or anything that came to mind to keep her distracted. Eventually, though, there was nothing to do but wait and hope.

Faye looked out at the horizon, the signal fires lighting up the sea and creating a beautiful effect. She wished she had her sketchbook. As petty as it was, now all she could think about was all of the sketches she'd lost in the crash. She'd had that book for years, and she thought it unfair that she lost it because of all... this. It was the smallest loss probably anyone in the crash had had, but she still felt it keenly.

As Faye watched the waves, she started to hear a faint sound. She glanced up towards the sky, and she could see a few faint, oscillating shapes, as well as another one on the horizon. There was just enough light that, with a little squinting and deduction, she was able to identify them both. She turned back to the camp and called out, "Rescue's here! Helicopters and a ship!"

After hearing Faye's call, Molly looked around at her fellow castaways with a feeling of fondness. In spite of the tension, and the minor disasters (not counting the injuries), they were a pretty neat group. Now if this rescue would just work out! For the sake of the injured ones, she hoped it was going to go smoothly.

So expansive was she feeling that she even smiled at Mr Walters, though she still didn't intend to let him out of her sight. He had caused enough nuisance already.

It looked as if the helicopters were going to arrive first. She just hoped that there wouldn't be any kind of an issue over who got to rescue the stranded passengers. No more trouble!

The stewardess looked around and made a mental tally of everyone. What a relief it would be not to have to be responsible any more. But one of the girls was not there. How long had she been gone? Molly didn't want to worry anyone unduly, so she thought she would just slip off and see if she could spot the kid. No one must be left behind.

Grace watched Kaelin disappear into the woods, then turned back to the task of melting the icy squirrel. Progress had been slow, but at least there was less ice than before.

"Rescue's here! Helicopters and a ship!"

At this call she turned to look at Faye; looking past the fires she could see the helicopters. This was great! They were going home. Mom could get the care she needed, and they would see Emma again.

But what about Kaelin? Grace had no idea where her friend was, but she couldn't be left here! Still, she shouldn't leave the squirrel and her family and go rushing off into strange places alone. She was torn about what to do until she saw Molly slip away. Hopefully she was looking for Kaelin and would find her soon.

~~~~~

Dan heard the call too and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Angie would soon get the medical attention she needed, and his family would be reunited and safe. He pointed out the approaching rescue to his wife and they shared a joyful embrace.

Maeve watched the choppers from under the cover of the treeline. The rhythmic thrum of the helicopters were music to the ears of the others. She didn't like that is was dark and she couldn't see them better, but knew she just needed to suck it up and deal. A short ride, and it would be over. She looked over toward the (now thawed) PitterCube, expecting to see both Grace and Kaelin hunched over him.

Kaelin.

If Maeve did not like the choppers, Kaelin abhorred them.

"Jeff, mind Waters, if you please," Maeve said shortly. "And try to not let Junior and Waters be the first two off the island, if at all possible."

Little sister, where are you?

~~

Kaelin sat in a depression at the base of a large tree, curled up with her head against her knees and her hands wrapped around her head. She tried to block out the voices and the noise. She tried to think. Count the houses in her neighborhood, count the cushions around the table, eight houses, seven cushions, six strands. Open the door, walk up the stairs, turn left, turn left, open the door, close the door, open the door, lift the latch, close the door, climb down, close the latch, be quiet, be quiet, be quiet.

She grabbed her hair, wishing the noises would stop.

Grace turned her attention from the sky back to the now-thawed squirrel, hoping he was all right. She had no experience with freezing squirrels, so there was no way to be sure, but after a moment Pittersticks shook himself off, something like a dog might, spraying Grace with cold water in the process. Then he chittered something at her and ran off.

Grace went back to her parents, who were in great spirits with the impending rescue. "Daddy," she said as sweetly as possible, "could we go look for Kaelin?"

"Where is she?" Grace explained that she'd gone into the woods to go the bathroom and wasn't back yet.

"It's dark, sweetheart, and we don't know this island. We could end up getting lost ourselves."

"Maybe we could get a group, find a flashlight, and do it that way."

"I appreciate your loyalty to her, but I bet the rescue parties will be equipped to go look for her."

"But Maeve might be mad at me." A whisper.

"Why would that be?"

"I kinda lost her. She seemed unhappy all of a sudden."

"Did you do anything to make her unhappy?"

"I don't think so. Maybe it was getting this necklace." She held up the seashell necklace Junior had given her.

"Maybe. But she's about your age, right? I don't think Maeve would expect you to keep track of her all the time, do you?"

"But you'd be mad if I lost Emma, right?"

Dan gestured and Grace climbed into his lap. "That's different, but I don't think we'd be mad. Emma's a toddler and a big responsibility to watch. She doesn't understand that cars can be dangerous, and so on. Your mom and I wouldn't put such a big burden on you just yet, even though you're great with her. We'll always be nearby and if, heaven forbid, your sister got lost, it would be on us, all right? So you don't need to worry about that."

"But Maeve..." Grace's voice trailed off.

"If you like, we can go over to her and see what she has to say. But I really don't think she'll be angry with you."

"Okay." Grace jumped down and took her father's hand.

They made their way to Maeve and Grace whispered, "I'm sorry I lost Kaelin, I really am."

Maeve barely heard what Grace said, but quickly gathered from her face that immediate repair needed to be done. She smiled softly at her.

"It's going to be ok, Grace; it's not your fault," Maeve said. "You didn't lose her, ok?"

Grace nodded, but did not look relieved. Maeve sighed.

"Grace, you have to understand, Kaelin didn't grow up like most girls. Sometimes things happen and it kind of...sends her to a bad place in her own head. Kaelin probably went off on her own to try to get away from the noise, ok? Did she say anything, or did she just go off on her own?"

Grace recounted the earlier incident, complete with her concerns about the necklace. Maeve smiled inwardly, but treated Grace's concerns with gravity.

"Junior gave you the necklace right before everyone got mad, right?" Maeve reminded Grace. "Kaelin was probably not feeling well because of the arguing and angry voices. A long time ago she learned that sometimes the best thing to do when people sound angry is to get out of their way, and she sometimes still does that. Even when she knows in her head that no one is going to hurt her, sometimes her heart gets a little scared."

Maeve smiled at Grace and held up her hand.

"Thank you for telling me what happened. That will help me look for her, because I know what sorts of places she likes to hide, and she probably is hiding. Can you give me five?"

The helicopters whirred to a landing on the beach, kicking up sand and extinguishing a couple of the signal fires. A couple of very dark silhouettes came out, and as they approached, they shouted questions over the sounds of the engines and whirling blades; was everyone all right? How many survivors were there?

Once they were close enough, Faye approached and explained, "We've got two wounded - one with a broken leg, and another with a concussion, we think. They should get off the island first." She gestured to each of them in turn, but realized that something must be going on. Dan and Grace were talking with Maeve, and by their expressions, it looked serious. On the one hand, she didn't want to pry; on the other hand, if Angie and Ainsley were going to be one of the first people off the island, then Dan and Jeff probably wanted to go with them, respectively.

One of the two nodded. "We can airlift them out first, as well as couple other passengers, and we'll get everyone we can on the boat."

In Faye's mind, there was no doubt who should go with them. "That's one of the patients' husband right there, I'll go tell him." Faye hurried over to the group, calling out, "Dan! Jeff! They're going to get Angie and Ainsley on the helicopters first."

After lighting five fires up and down the beach, Junior spent the rest of the evening between caring for the injured and keeping the fires lit. Although the details hadn’t been figured out, he felt responsible for the castaways’ current circumstances.

He checked in with Jeff and Ainsley, but he spent the majority of the time with Dan and Angie. Junior thought it best to let Ainsley sleep if she could and to keep Angie awake if they could. Junior intended to give Dan breaks to rest, but that didn’t go as planned, presumably since Dan was so worried for his wife.

Junior was just tending the fires when he heard the call that helicopters and a ship were arriving. He turned toward the sea and as his eyes adjusted to the dark again he could see the lights approaching from the distance.

A few minutes later and the helicopters landed. -Two at first, with a third following in the distance. When the men jumped out of the aircraft, they listened as Faye summed up the situation.

“Follow me, boys” Junior said, and led them over to Ainsley and Jeff, letting them know that she had the broken leg. The rescuers immediately started work to get Ainsley on a stretcher. Meanwhile, Junior pointed out Angie to another crew of rescuers and aided where he could. They had just gotten Ainsley safely on a helicopter when a third helicopter arrived. Junior recognized it and walked up to meet it. Unlike the others, this was not a rescue helicopter, but was meant for private use. As the blades slowed, the polished, white passenger door opened and out stepped a well-fed, upper-middle-aged, white-bearded southern gentleman: Richard P. Gladstone, Sr.

“Rick, my boy. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?” Despite holding a cane in his hand, he held out his arms to embrace his child.

“Daddy! I’m glad to see you.”

“I’m glad to see you too, son. But now that I know you’re safe, we must tend to the others. Gather everyone here who’s not injured. There’s a good lad.”

Junior did his best to gather everyone in one area where the boat would soon arrive to load them off the island.

As the people were assembling, and Daddy Gladstone prepared his thoughts for an impromptu speech, he beckoned Junior to join him. “The authorities have already landed on the Titan. They’ve taken Javier into custody and are investigating who else is involved. Meanwhile, the captain has been ordered to turn the ship back to shore. From what we’ve been able to piece together from your transmissions, it seems that Javier was involved in arranging unauthorized, and a tad illegal, I might add, high-adventure experiences. Not the trustworthy sort he pretends to be, is he? Well, let’s see how we can right the wrong.” At this point, Senior addressed the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Royal Dittotopian Cruise Lines I would like to extend our sincerest apologies for this terrible and inexcusable event. I want you to know that the one responsible has been apprehended and I will work to see that he is punished to the full extent of the law. As recompense for this catastrophic turn of events, Dittotopian is not only going to refund your tickets, but intends to award each of you a generous restitution, in addition to seeing to all of your medical bills. I know that no amount of money can erase this horrific event, but I’ll have you know that the Gladstone family takes care of their own. Now please, as you board, please don’t worry about a thing. We’ll have you all home very soon.”

Mel's sensitive ears caught the whine of the approaching helicopters when they were barely a spec on the horizon and she sighed deeply. If there was anything she hated more than the ear-splitting combination of engines and whirling blades, it was climbing up into the body of the contraption.

She also hated being hoisted by a well-meaning human--it was just awkward all around. But on the positive side, they could go home.

"I just hope there's a pair of noise-cancelling headphones for me."

Molly stumbled through the jungle, trying to think where Kaelin could be. She didn't know the girl very well, or why she had gone off. If she didn't find her soon, she'd have to go back to camp and get help. Or maybe she had been found already? Reluctantly, Molly headed back toward the shore.

She had just reached the edge of the trees when thump! over she went with a wallop. That pesky squirrel! He must finally have been thawed out. Dusting herself off as she got up, she stared off into the darkness under the trees. Did her duty include chasing errant squirrels, or would it be acceptable to leave him behind?

The sound of the helicopters triggered something in Jeff's brain. Something terrible. It was like a distant memory. Hazy and unclear, but present and horrifying all the same.

"Jeff, are you alright?" Ainsley asked, a terrified look upon her face.

The officer was so lost within his thoughts that he didn't hear Ainsley's line of questioning. He didn't snap out of it until Junior arrived with the rescue crew. It was only then, when his girlfriend began to fight the orange-suited men tooth and nail that he came back to reality.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to come with us. We've got orders to escort Miss Kellner to safety, but she insists we take you with us. Are you feeling okay sir? She claims that you're having a mental episode of some sort."

Jeff leapt to his feet.

"I'm fine, lets get off this stinkin' island."

With Jeffery by her side, Ainsley finally allowed the company men to load her onto the stretcher.

"Some vacation eh?" She asked, as the pilot spun up the rotors and they began to take off.

"Some vacation." Jeff repeated quietly.

Grace gave Maeve a high five, then got a mischievous grin on her face and wrapped her up in a big hug.

Dan blushed a bit, embarrassed at his daughter's tendency to hug everyone and yet happy she seemed to be getting through this experience well. "Sorry," he mouthed to Maeve, not sure if she was comfortable with the unexpected embrace.

"Thanks for explaining things to her," he added once Grace had backed away. "We hope you find her. We'd be glad to help, but the rescuers are landing and I really should be getting back to Angie. Perhaps we'll see the two of you at the Ditto Town holiday party once we all get back?"

Just then Faye called to him about the rescue, and after a final goodbye he and Grace returned to Angie.

"If there is room, I'd like both of us to go with her," he said to the rescuers. "If not, please take Grace and I can go on the next one."

Twig's had considered going after Junior when he set off to light the fires but decided to wait by his blanket for his return instead. The fire was so cozy and she decided to lay down with her feet towards it. Within minutes she was asleep. She woke when Faye called out that the ship and helicopters were on their way. She quickly gathered her few belongings and slipped her boots on. She listened to the speech and then got in line for the ship. She really did not want to board another ship but the helicopters were for the injured.

Then she realized that she still had the towel that Junior had wrapped her in. Was it his or just one he had found? She looked over at him standing with his father. No way she had the courage to walk over there. Mr. Gladstone was an imposing figure and as such terrified her. So she contented herself with holding the towel in a bundle and trying to catch Junior's eye in hopes he would come to her. Of course now that she was actually trying to signal him he would probably totally miss it.

Maeve tensed a little when Grace wrapped her arms around her, but smiled and returned the gesture.

"You take care of your mom now, ok?" she said. Grace nodded and ran off. Maeve took off into the woods, looking for a gnarled grove. There, tucked in the roots of a tree, was Kaelin, curled up and rigid.

"Kaelin, it's Maeve," she said softly, kneeling down next to her. "I need you to come back to me, little sister. I need your help, because I can't do this alone."

After a few moments, Kaelin lift her head and looked around, blurry eyed.

"Kaelin, you know me, right?" Maeve asked.

Kaelin nodded.

"I need you to trust me, little sister," she said. "Can you stand?"

Kaelin shook her head.

"I'm going to touch you, ok, and pick you up. Are you alright with that?"

Kaelin nodded. Maeve hefted her up, carefully avoiding the gnarled tree bits. Kaelin slipped her arm around her sister's neck and buried her face in her shoulder. It had been a long day.

Maeve hurried back toward the shore, intent on making sure they were not left behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she seemed to see Molly, hovering near a palm. What was she doing? After a moment's hesitation, Maeve changed courses slightly so they would pass close enough for them to converse without needing to yell.

"Molly, what are you doing? They're about ready to go," she said, slowing down but not stopping.

Junior busied himself with overseeing the boarding process. There was plenty of room in the helicopters for the injured and their families, so Jeff and Ainsley boarded one and the Baxters the other.

By this time, the boat had arrived. It was a largish vessel and so needed to send out smaller boats to the shore to pick up the castaways. Junior stood by the boats to ensure everyone boarded. He kept an eye open for Molly, as he figured she would be the natural choice to assist him in ensuring everyone left the island. (It was hard to keep track.) He would call for Molly once he saw her. In the meantime: “To the boats everyone!”