A/N: Thank you all for reading and commenting! I hope you enjoyed this journey with me. I feared I would never be able to finish this story but your support really motivated me! The song Now Is The Time To Leave by August Wilhelmson has been the soundtrack of this story. It's such a beautiful piece. (I actually made a playlist on spotify called Stranded, but I just use it while writing. Thank you again. Now let's see the end of this journey.)

Part 21.

Johnny thought it was night when he woke up. The days that usually started with the sun rising, the sky and water so blue they almost blended together in the horizon; they were gone. The wind was harsh, it was cold and Ten was shuddering against him. The smaller’s hands were Johnny’s shirt and Ten had his nose buried in Johnny’s shirt. Johnny ran a hand down Ten’s back, taking a moment to just relish in the fact that he would soon be home. Maybe Ten and Johnny could lie like this in the comfort of a mattress and a blanket? 

He pushed himself up and glanced around to see the fire dead, their drying rack had fallen over and he got up to go over to the cooler they had managed to keep intact. Ten released a soft whine when Johnny’s warmth vanished and he opened his eyes to peek at the world in front of him. Taeyong was visibly trembling and Jaehyun seemed to wake up at Johnny’s movements close to them. Johnny was happy to find enough dried meat for them to not go up there on an empty stomach. They were all cold and had to blow hot air onto their hands to keep warm. They would leave stuff behind, like the cooler that saved their lives. Whatever they had built they would leave to be forgotten, maybe the monkeys would start coming into this territory and make use of their tools? 

They sat down huddled together around a fire Jaehyun managed to start and Taeyong cooked porridge of the last grains they had gathered. They ate in silence, the darkness leaving them drowsy and unable to fully wake up. None of them wanted to talk about the hope of survival, because they knew their fate could change and nobody wanted to jinx it. For now they just hoped to hear that humming of the wind as a helicopter carried itself through the air to the island. Johnny stared at the horizon full of dark clouds. Jaehyun turned to do the same. Maybe the island was angry at them for leaving? Johnny threw his wooden bowl and spoon into the flames and the other three looked up at him in surprise. Taeyong with disbelief, Jaehyun looking like he was ready to scold Johnny for wasting hard work and Ten with a glint in his eyes. Ten copied Johnny and he chuckled. Johnny took Ten’s cold hand in his, avoiding putting pressure on the broken fingers. 

  “So what’s the plan?” He asked and the four boys leaned closer.

 

Johnny was going to carry Ten and Jaehyun would keep track of Taeyong who wouldn’t be able to do much with his wounded shoulder. 

Ten was leaning against the wall as Johnny packed up the few things they knew they could use on their way up. The wind was blowing Ten’s bangs out of his face as he eyed the raging sea. “Ends just like we started.” He mused and Johnny turned around to look at the water as well. 

He couldn’t say anything because Ten was right, and Johnny found so many odd similarities, he just knew this time they would get off of this island and they would all make it together. 

Johnny got Ten on his back and Jaehyun held Taeyong’s hand as they started walking down the beach, the rain mercilessly drenching them, leaving them freezing cold. Johnny got them into the jungle and they followed a different path to the mountain, avoiding the rain and seeking shelter. 

They didn’t speak much, too focused on the task ahead but that was when Taeyong seemed to tense up. Johnny and Ten was softly conversing about what their first meal would be. Jaehyun kept looking at Taeyong who seemed to be deep in his own thoughts when the other snapped his head around. Johnny stopped and turned around to see Jaehyun worriedly cup Taeyong’s face.

  “What is it?” He asked and Taeyong eyed the jungle.

  “You didn’t hear that?” He asked and the other three shook their heads. Johnny grimaced under Ten’s weight.

  “Let’s just get up there quickly.” He said and Taeyong nodded, yet he threw an extra glance behind them. Jaehyun was holding his spear in one hand as they got to the clearing before the mountain. Johnny readied himself before hiking his way up and Jaehyun and Taeyong followed. They almost couldn’t see, their footing was terrible and so they kept on slipping. The wind pulled in them, trying to force them down and so the only thing they could hear was the howling wind and the strained groans they released. Ten clung onto Johnny, but also used one hand to shield Johnny’s eyes from the rain. 

Taeyong was doing well when he once again spun around and Jaehyun stood up straight. He looked down into the clearing and he saw the same thing. Through the persistent stream of rain he tried to focus beyond it and he could’ve missed it, but he saw it too. A black shadow crossed the ground, in the direction of the mountain and Jaehyun felt a fear strike him. 

  “Johnny!” He called, his voice barely reaching the other. Johnny who was ahead of them turned around and looked down, water dripping from his hair. 

  “What?” He called, Jaehyun looked at Ten who pushed his drenched bangs out of his face. Johnny were gripping onto Ten’s thighs to keep him on his back and Jaehyun tightened his hold on his spear. 

  “We got company.” He said with a grim expression and Johnny stood up and looked down. From where he stood he could see the creature’s long form clearly. 

It was the black panther. 
 

They tried to move faster, and they got to the cliff where Ten had fallen. Johnny felt Ten grip onto him a little tighter. “Johnny you won’t be able to get up that hill with me on your back.” He yelled and Johnny took the liana in hand. 

  “I have to!” He insisted but he felt his exhaustion get the best of him. It was so dark around them, if they didn’t know they had barely just woken up, they would think it was night and that they had missed the helicopter. 

Jaehyun and Taeyong got up to their level and Taeyong kept an eye out for their unwelcomed guest. 

Johnny and Jaehyun shared a gaze as they looked at the muddy hill. Johnny inhaled deeply. “He can’t do it.” Ten said before Johnny got to speak. Jaehyun frowned and Johnny let Ten lower himself to the ground. The two taller boys eyed Ten’s broken leg. Taeyong backed off, still facing the cliff where the black panther would appear.

  “I’ll watch it,” he said and reached out for Jaehyun’s spear. “Get Ten up there first.” 

  “Shouldn’t we bring the wounded up first?” Jaehyun suggested. Taeyong got into a stance. The rain wasn’t stopping and Ten squinted up at Johnny who eyed the liana. “You carry Ten, I’ll get up there myself and you and I will pull up Taeyong.” 

The idea was good. Jaehyun got Ten up on his back and then pulled himself up the muddy hill. Johnny waited until they were up before he turned around to get Taeyong. “Taeyong be ready, we will pull you up.” He said and Taeyong followed Johnny to the foot of the hill. Johnny climbed up as soon as Jaehyun and Ten were up. He had to be fast so that they could get Taeyong up before it was too late. Yet rain was in his eyes and his foot slipped, the mud and water sent his leg down and he crashed into the mud and knocked his elbow into a rock, scraping his skin. The rain mixed with the blood that looked such an angry red as it streamed down his body, but he heaved up in himself and looked through the rain towards the top. He reached out a hand and a pale arm came in view, so pale in contrast with the sky or was the sky just so dark even Jaehyun’s tan couldn’t match it? The hand gripped onto Johnny and pulled him up to safety. He saw Ten look at him with relief before he turned around, he and Jaehyun holding onto the liana. Ten crawled closer and the three of them looked down; expecting Taeyong to be ready to go when their eyes met the sight of the black panther making its way up to Taeyong’s level. Jaehyun gripped the liana even tighter. “Taeyong!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. “Grab on!”

Taeyong had let go, he was standing with the spear in hand; facing his enemy of the jungle. “You never gave up did you?” Taeyong said as his eyes met the hungry gaze of the beast. Jaehyun threw his legs over to slide down when Ten screamed for him not to and Johnny pulled Jaehyun back. Taeyong slowly moved to the side, still keeping the panther at bay. 

  “Johnny,” he said, voice so clear even with the storm raging around them. “Get both of them to safety.” He said and Jaehyun struggled to get out of Johnny’s arms. “Get them home.”

Johnny shook his head. “Taeyong!” He cried and Taeyong looked up at them. 

  “You deserve to live more than me,” he said and Johnny frowned because Taeyong wasn’t looking at Jaehyun nor him. He looked at the person beside Johnny and Johnny looked at Ten. Ten sniffled but he got up to his feet and Johnny looked back at Taeyong. The smaller had his spear ready and he even stabbed out towards the panther to keep it away. Ten looked away from Taeyong up towards the sky. Johnny called for Taeyong once again, but then a sound reached them, a soft beating of the air, coming closer and closer and they all looked up to see the helicopter fight its way through the rain. Johnny gripped the edge of the cliff and looked down at Taeyong who also had seen the helicopter. Jaehyun was struggling in Johnny’s arms.

  “Taeyong just grab on!” Jaehyun begged and Johnny cried out his name too.

   “You have to go now or it will be too late!” Taeyong yelled, water dripping from his nose and chin. He blinked the water away or was it tears? “You have to leave me!” 

Johnny was thinking, he was thinking so hard of how he could save Taeyong from the panther and get all of them up to their pick-up. He looked around for anything, just something to give them hope and bring them all home. Time was running out. Taeyong who had been sitting in the corner of Taeil’s bed, listening to the group’s conversation but mostly being quiet... His words were always full of thought, now look at him. He shouldn’t be doing this. The way Taeyong looked at Jaehyun, the way Jaehyun struggled in Johnny’s arms. Such a long unspoken thing and they finally had opened up. Now it was nearing its end. Taeyong was sacrificing himself and giving up on the love he and Jaehyun shared. Johnny couldn’t let that happen. 

He felt slim fingers gripping his shoulder and he was pulled out of it, clarity filling his mind when he looked up at Ten. There was a look in Ten’s eyes; he didn’t need to say anything it was clear what they had to do. There was only one option and Ten was willing to take it. Why? Johnny didn’t have time to ask but his mission of bringing them all home was ruined. He had one option and that was to bring Jaehyun and Ten home. So he had to leave Taeyong behind.

Johnny looked back at Taeyong before he got up to his feet and he pulled Jaehyun up as well. The helicopter was coming closer, its black form barely coming in contrast with the storm grey clouds. 

Johnny looked into Ten’s eyes one more time, to find his own answer in them and he got Ten onto his back before he forced Jaehyun with him. He got one last glimpse at Taeyong. The other’s eyes were fixed on the panther, eyes full of the same determination he had seen when Taeyong pulled Johnny away from the edge. The panther was lowering and ready to attack, some long and fueled hatred for the prey that always got away in its eyes. It barred its teeth, a low growl emitting from its throat. Taeyong had the spear lifted; ready to kill.

Jaehyun was looking at Taeyong too, taking in the last image of the love of his life before he helped Johnny and Ten get over to the last destination. He clung onto the feeling of Ten’s hand in his as they crossed the narrow cliff to where the white plane was and he heard a voice being carried towards him by the wind. Taeyong’s roar seemed to echo through the space before the helicopter’s noise filled the air around them. Slowly the machine lowered itself towards them, a ladder coming down and a bed with belts on it which they could attach Ten to. Johnny worked quickly as Jaehyun crawled upwards, the rain biting onto his skin and his fingers barely bending. Ten was pulled up and Johnny got onto the ladder too and they were heaved upwards. The helicopter took them away and as Johnny got to safety, pulling Ten and Jaehyun into his arms he saw them fly around the mountain. Taeyong was out of sight.

The island grew smaller and they all watched it with breathlessness. Ten gripped onto Johnny and Jaehyun hid his face in Johnny’s neck. Somewhere out in the water they saw the white boat and all of them knew that on that island they had left three friends behind.

But they were finally going home.

It was raining in Chicago when they landed. When they exited the plane and found their way into the airport. It was colder here, summer was long gone and it just proved exactly how long they had been missing.

Johnny didn’t expect anyone to be there when he came home. He expected loneliness and emptiness, he kind of expected himself to go to the small apartment he had in Chicago. The one he would’ve shared with Taeil. Yet he found him and the two others, greeted by the press as if they were the headline of the month. Maybe the year, they had been missing for so long.

He walked with his eyes upon the faces that all stared at him, cameras flashed and blinded him and he looked up at the white ceiling of the airport. There was a roof above his head, shielding him from the sun, shielding him from the rain. It was far above him, and he marveled at the design of the building, feeling so out of place. He was pushing Ten forward in a wheelchair and he looked down when Ten looked up at him, tugging the blanket around his shoulders to comfort himself. Johnny tried to smile and Ten smiled back, then both of them looked at Jaehyun who looked more like a shell of what used to be him. There were tear stains running down his cheeks and his eyes were wide as he stared at everyone with fear in his eyes. Ten reached out to hold Jaehyun’s hand and Jaehyun startled. Ten gave Jaehyun a smile and the corners of Jaehyun’s lips went down as his emotions welled up once again. The three of them all looked back at where three other friends should be: Taeyong with the usual hood surrounding his face, Yuta with his beaming smile and that hint of mischief in his eyes and Taeil with his blond hair and kind eyes. Johnny almost lost his breath when he saw the older as clear as day.

Johnny remembered the pilot talking to them through the headphones of the helicopter. “We’re gonna go back and look for them.” They said.

Johnny saw Taeyong with the spear in his hands, facing the panther in front of him. The other turned around for a second, mouth opening as he yelled for them to go on without him. Johnny lifted Ten up and grabbed Jaehyun before leaving Taeyong to fence off the predator he had fought the most on this island. Johnny hoped he won, but when they were changing to another plane, they saw the others prepare another helicopter. Even with the wind still being strong, he saw Nate go into the helicopter again, yelling commands at the others. Soon, very soon they’d know what happened to Taeyong.

The rain had distorted his features but Johnny would forever remember the way Taeyong looked at Ten. Something like regret; something more serious and heavy. Ten hadn’t tried to tell Taeyong to come with them like Johnny and Jaehyun had. Which meant something Johnny didn’t exactly want to imagine. Johnny closed his eyes and saw the crowd move away for them to come through. Then he saw her. The petite woman with short blonde hair. Not the dark haired woman who wanted Johnny to call her mother. No, it was the woman who he had short conversations with in the kitchen, the woman who, now that Johnny realized, had always been a mother figure to him. He froze when he saw her lips stretch into a smile and her brown eyes shine. 

  “Aunt Brooke.” He managed to say and she nodded to confirm that, yes, she had come all the way to Chicago to pick him up. Because no matter what the law said, Johnny had always belonged with the orphanage, with her and the kids there. 

Johnny looked at a white almost transparent plastic bag that she was holding and saw the small yellow cartons peek through the plastic. He chuckled and she did too. A tear fell from her eye and Johnny felt Ten’s hand let go. He let Ten wheel himself in another direction and he saw Jaehyun run to run to his parents. Ten was embraced by his father and sister, Jaehyun by his mother, father and grandmother. Johnny smiled at Brooke. She opened up her arms and he leaned down before burying his face in her sweater. She was warm and dry. Johnny squeezed his eyes shut.

 

  They made it home.