Kal, Male, 37

	- Narrator, disaster survivor and castaway, husband of Kate and Bailey

	- 6'1, 190lbs, straight, shoulder-length dark-brown hair

Kate, Female, 37

	- Wife of Kal

	- 5'8, 150lbs, pale skin, shoulder-length curly red hair

Nina, Female, 26

	- Lover of Kate, Kal, and Hakee

	- 5'4, 120lbs, light-brown tanned skin, straight shoulder-length brown hair

Bailey, Female, 14

	- Wife of Kal, mother of Katie

	- 5'5, 130lbs, golden-brown tanned skin, shoulder-length light yellow-brown sun-streaked hair

Keekah, Female, 15

	- Daughter of Manu, sister of Hakee and Mie, cousin of Poln

	- 5'6, 135lbs, mocha-brown skin, waist-length mostly-straight black hair

Gale, Female, 43

	- Wife of Tok

	- 5'5, 130lbs, dark tanned skin, waist-length dark reddish-brown hair

Manu, Female, 33

	- Survivor from Hahonoko, mother of Keekah, Hakee, and Mie, aunt of Poln

	- 5'5, 150lbs, mocha-brown skin, butt-length straight black hair

Hakee, Female, 18
 
	- Survivor from Hahonoko, daughter of Manu, sister of Keekah and Mie, cousin of Poln

	- 5'9, 145lbs, mocha-brown skin, butt-length straight black hair

Mie, Female, 12

	- Survivor from Hahonoko, daughter of Manu, sister of Keekah and Hakee, cousin of Poln

	- 4'9, 95lbs, mocha-brown skin, shoulder-length wavy black hair

Poln, Male, 10

	- Survivor from Hahonoko, nephew of Manu, cousin of Keekah, Hakee, and Mie

	- 4'9, 110lbs, mocha-brown skin, short, wavy dark-brown hair

Tok, Male, 35

	- Survivor from Hahonoko, husband of Gale

	- 6'3, 205lbs, brown skin, shoulder-length wavy dark-brown hair

Amy, Female, 16

	- Stowaway from California

	- 5'6, 125lbs, pale skin, shoulder-length straight black hair

Katie, Female, 8 weeks

	- Daughter of Kal and Bailey, first baby born on island

	- Infant, beige skin, sandy red hair

The watch in the North was necessary but I knew we were likely going to spend time doing nothing but staring at the surrounding waters, our imaginations often making out a mast or the sparkle of glass on a boat. Each time, the mirage gave way to rippling blue waters, only once revealing a large piece of driftwood which worked its way from West to East before being lost beyond the high ridge.

Manu and I worked hard in the gardens. Every hour or so, one of us would spend five minutes surveying the Northern waters to ensure nothing had appeared, then would return to fixing parts of the irrigation or battling bugs threatening to eat a plant or picking what had gone from almost ready to ripe overnight.

We talked often over that time, and, really for the first time, I got to know the woman quite well. Manu had always been a bit reserved, a sadness draped over her personality which kept her from fully embracing conversations. Oh, sure, she was a rock star when it came to getting things done or coming up with solutions to problems. But she had never really opened up to me about herself and her life before the worldwide troubles led her to escape from her home and end up on the island.

Manu had her basket half full of small pea pods which had thrived for the first time that summer and had rapidly ripened as the unseasonal cool weather hit early. We had been talking about how different things were for me on the island after living my entire life up until the explosion on the ship in a first-world, wealthy American bubble. “I gotta admit, Manu, I took a lot for granted. This place has made me really appreciate what it means to work to survive,” I said, chewing on twig from a tree we'd discovered was something akin to sassafras, the licorice-like root beer flavor was delicate on the twig as compared to the more powerful roots.

“Me as well,” she replied quietly.

I hesitated before asking, “tell me about your husband if you care to talk about him, I'm interested in knowing a bit about Keekah's father.”

Manu stopped picking peas, looked very sad and stayed quiet.

“I'm sorry, Manu... I shouldn't have asked.”

“No, no. It has been a long time, and though I try, he is on my mind regularly.” She took a deep breath. “Tonak was a hard worker, good father, decent lover. The village respected him. He was one of the Elders. He oversaw the fishing and trade in the village. Tonak was one of the few who have undertaken both tests. He lived his year alone, then trained as a soldier.” Manu starred at her hands. “He could be very... what is the word... Umm... too-clean?”

“Sterile?”

“Yes... I think that is it. Sterile. He had goals and could be very focused. Sometimes I wished I had him more to myself... but that is selfish. He did good for many people, and I loved him very much.”

I nodded, “sounds like the kind of man who would be proud of how you have done good for everyone here. He'd surely have been thrilled to see how you and your daughters have been the backbone of everything, here.” I moved to her and gave her a tight hug, her arms wrapping around me as well. “I'm sorry he's gone, Manu. But I'm happy you're here.”

She whispered, “me, too... me, too...”

We held each other, and for a moment I wondered if she was going to cry. Instead, her hands slowly moved over my back as the cloudy day gave way to more-cloudy early evening. I felt a need from her, her movements telling me how powerful she needed to feel good in that moment.

I slid a towel behind her and leaned her back onto the soft fabric, my body sliding between her thighs, her legs wrapping around my waist. We'd worn no clothes as we worked, using towels for resting. Our arms and legs were gritty, our faces as well. I could smell our bodies strongly, the day's work making our scents rich and earthy and arousing.

I kissed her lips as her body rolled under me, my hard penis resting over her hairy Mons, the dark pubes scratching the underside of my shaft. Manu's kiss became more passionate as I pulled back and nestled the tip of my cock against her sweaty labia. I moved in small circles a few seconds, letting her growing wetness slide over my flesh, then I pushed in, Manu's breath drawn tight as she felt me penetrating her vagina.

She was hot inside, slick. The woman stared into my eyes as I started to fuck her firmly. Her breath came faster, panting between wet kisses. On my elbows and knees, I ran fingers through her sticky black hair. Manu moaned as we copulated, her juices churning into a froth, her body moving quickly to tense and jerk.

I felt drunk, honestly. Her need was powerful, her hands driving me against her, keeping me deep in her pussy at the end of each thrust, our stomachs touching, her breasts pressed against me. Manu's dark skin glistened with sweat, the smell of our warm, sticky bodies causing me to inhale again and again. Her eyes caught mine again, I fucked her harder, and the woman's body arched up as she climaxed.

“Yyyoohhh... yyyyyooohh... YYYYOOOHHH... YYYOHH... YOHHHH... yohhho... ohh... ohh...”

Three fast, rich jets of squirt fired out one after another, splashing against my pubes and running over my cock. Manu's cries were lovely, unlike her usual moans, her body jerking as my body smacked her clit over and over. She drove me higher with her sounds, her smells, the way her dark-skinned cheek tasted of sweat and brine and arousal.

I grunted into her neck, felt myself strain and swell inside Manu's vagina, the spasming channel drooling her juices. “I'm cumming in you, Manu... oooohhh... yeaaaahh... ohhhhh...” Semen bubbled out of my cock as I held firmly inside her body. I squirted my load as her vagina clamped down, each spurt fiery, sending waves of euphoria through me as I came in Manu's pussy.

I lay over top of her as we shared a kiss, my penis continuing to drool thin jism into the woman's cunt.

- - -

Manu and I spent the rest of our time in the North working hard on the crops, the occasional moment spent making love or just cuddling during rests. We saw nothing of note out on the blue shimmering waters, and despite the cloud cover on the morning we awaited our replacements, no rain fell. Kate and Amy showed up on time a couple of hours after the gray dawn.

Kate pulled me aside while Amy helped Manu pack up the last bag of potatoes we were carrying back to camp. “So... Amy told me on the walk that she might be pregnant... Hasn't told anyone else but you...”

I nodded, said quietly, “yeah... she said the same to me a few days ago. She'd said she wanted to wait to tell anyone... until she was certain. Will be another week or so before her next period is due...”

Kate looked off to the dull blue horizon. “A few weeks ago, talking to a teenager about how she might be carrying your child would have been surreal, you know? Now... Now, it just kinda fits, I guess. She's excited, Kal. I think that surprises her.”

“She'd said for a long time that she didn't want to get pregnant, but... I guess after seeing how Bailey handled it, seeing how it hasn't stopped her from continuing to be productive and beautiful and to learn and grow... I guess Amy kinda wants that, too. Katie... Katie sorta has that effect on people, doesn't she?”

Kate smiled, “she does.” The redhead took my hand, “First, Katie... now Keekah and Amy will bring your children into the world... how do you feel about it all, Kal?”

I paused, considered the question. “I... I guess I'm not certain. Not regretful or scared or any of that, just...” I took a deep breath. “Katie is wonderful, so much more than I ever expected to feel for something so small. To have two more... I guess it really hasn't sunk in yet, you know?”

Kate nodded. “I still have regrets... about not being able to have children. I always wanted to. I suppose... I suppose this is a pretty good place to be, though. Bailey lets me hold Katie often, I get to see her smile, I get to pretend... just a bit... that she's mine. I don't know why that matters, but it still does... in some ways.”

I kissed her shoulder, said quietly, “I love you, Kate. I love that I can share my life with you again, that I can share Katie with you... you are a wonderful mother.”

“'Mother...'”

“Well... you are. You may not have given birth to her, but you mother Katie as much as anyone but Bailey. I've seen you holding her, singing to her. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was yours. All that matters is how you treat her. Here... there's enough love and compassion to share those moments, and as much as you can be, you're her mother, too. She'll understand that, one day. I promise.”

Kate smiled, eyes slightly red as she fought back tears. “Thanks, Kal. Thanks for showing me all this. I never want to lose it.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath, then glanced off to where Amy and Manu shuffled by the bags of vegetables. “Looks like Manu is ready to head out, you better get going in case the rain decides to let loose.”

I kissed her deeply, held her a moment, then kissed Amy, picked up a couple of heavy bags, shouldered them, and headed off towards the beach camp with Manu.

- - -

“She is with child.”

Manu and I had paused on the top ridge a moment to rest before starting down to the next level. I knew she was talking about Amy. I looked at her, my head cocked, “you're sure?”

She nodded.

“How is it you know, Manu? You knew when Bailey was pregnant, too. How do you know?”

She shrugged. “Experience. I see signs. Her skin flush more, she smell different. There are signs. Yes, I sure,” she repeated after I raised an eyebrow.

I let that sink in a moment, said, “she wanted to wait to be sure to tell anyone. Please, let her decide when that is, ok? She told Kate already, but I don't think she told anyone else.”

Manu nodded again. “Yes, I will not tell.” She smiled at me. “Kal Islandtamer has strong seed, yes? How many more will you plant your seed in, Islandtamer?”

I shook my head, “I... I dunno, Manu. Not like it was planned... well... maybe Keekah's was 'planned.' She was relentless about it.”

Manu grinned. “My daughter, strong hands and strong head. Stubborn, like her father. She good girl, though. She very happy to carry your child.”

“She'll be a great mother.”

“Yes. I know this, too.”

I stood and looked down at the heavy bags we'd brought from the North, then back at Manu. “You know. You're a great mother, too, Manu. I see it in the way Keekah and Hakee and Mie all respect others, how they do their share and live their lives with joy. I'm certain that is because of you. You should be proud of how you've raised your children. I'm so glad that my children will have you in their lives, as well. They will be much richer for having you around.”

She beamed and nodded. “Thanks for this. Yes... I am... proud. My daughters... they make me proud.” She picked up her bags, said, “ready to go, yes?”

I nodded and we slowly climbed down to the lower ridge and headed back towards camp.