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[Gerald Conner]

Gerald was not happy to be going back into the jungle again. He looked at the sky and guessed that it would be a long time before night time. That was good. It meant they wouldn't be caught out in the dark. At least he assumed they wouldn't be. He didn't know how far they were going to have to walk. In fact, if he got separated from his new companion, he would have no idea where to go. With that unsettling thought he hurried forward, trying desperately to keep his shoe on his foot.

He wasn't sure what was so important about this camp. He still didnt realize other people had survived the crash, or that Amelia would be leading him to them. He wondered why one place wasn't good as the next out here. Perhaps she had a nice shelter, or some valuable items back at her place. And she was the best chance of survival that Gerald had at the moment. She seemed to know a lot more than him about what to do and where to go.

He was just opening his mouth to complain about the bugs and the heat and the filth when she asked him a question. The thought of his family made him snort a little. "Sort of. I was flying home from my brother's wedding when the plane crashed." And what an awful wedding it had been. The whole affair put him in the mind of the word 'Bridezilla'. It was floor to ceiling tulle. Everything was pastel pink and green and there were a million people. His mother had been fussing over him and trying to fatten him up the whole time. And his brother kept elbowing him and guffawing about sports. While his other brother stared at his soon-to-be wife all goggly eyed. The thought was enough to make him sick. "That is one good thing about being here, I suppose. My mom won't be able to reach me here. What about you? Do you have any family?" He wasn't really asking because he was interested, but because she had asked the question and it would be rude not to reciprocate. Plus, he was very bored.

[Amelia]

She moved a few branches out of her way thinking that maybe he would follow suit not knowing if the branch was going to whip back and smack him or not. But at least it was not like in the cartoons where they usually got it back in the face. Amelia turned to look back at him for a moment and gave him a small smile and a nod of her head.

"Actually I do. I have my mom and dad. I am fresh out of college. Getting a degree in palentology. I was offered a job over at a digsite in Austrailia. I was only heading back to pack up my things and move there. To finally be on my own for once. But then the plane crashed. If I am not there soon the job is going to go somewhere else."

[Gerald Conner]

Gerald caught the branch that was flying towards his face. He may be miserable at roughing it and knowing nature stuff, but he was markedly agile. A boy must learn to be fairly quick when he grows up in a house with a wrestler and a football player. Especially if that boy was designated 'sensitive' by his mother and his dad was a coach. He caught Amelia's look and tried to return the smile, hoping he looked sincere. But he was busy worrying about what was in the jungle around them. He was not a fearless action hero and he was not used to slogging through mud waiting to be eaten.

He nodded as she gave him her background. College, happy family, yadda yadda. But the unfamiliar word stuck in his mind. Paleontology? Wasn't that like digging up pyramids and stuff? It had something to do with digging he was sure. For someone who spent so much time reading, Gerald was pretty clueless when it came to areas outside of literature.

But her worries about her job made him think about his own occupation. Sure, there would be other jobs for a baker. But he had been working there so long he was getting benefits, which was coming in handy for his recurrent doctor visits. "They must know we are missing by now. It would be pretty underhanded to steal your job from you because your plane crashed." He was thinking more about his own position. He really didn't want to go through hunting for a new job and dealing with all the politics a new bakery would have. His current coworkers knew to leave him alone.

[Amelia]

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. They probably think that I am at home right now trying to pack up all my stuff for the big move. If they don't hear anything from me...well I don't know what will happen. I was just so excited to be getting that kind of a job and I had just graduated. A chance to be out of my parents watchful eyes and to stop being treated like I am some kind of child rather than an adult."

She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry I don't mean to rant like that." She paused when she heard movement in the bushes behind her. A small little bird nearly scaring the crap out of her as it flew out in front of them. God she was really beginning to hate this place. It was like the deeper in the jungle you went the bigger the creatures got.

[Gerald Conner]

Gerald didn't mind her ranting. It gave him something to focus on other than the various injuries his body had obtained from the crash. "A plane crash would make the news." Gerald grumbled. He just wanted to be wherever they were going to he could wash himself and his clothes. His sweat was making his shirt stick to his back and he hated that feeling. He nodded along as she talked about her family life. He could relate with meddling parents. He hated his own family. And he wouldn't even be in this stupid mess if he hadn't been going to see his brother's wedding (at his mother's insistence of course).

When she paused, Gerald felt his heart stop. Until a bird flitted out of a bush. At least he wasn't the only one who was jumpy. "We had better keep going. I don't want to be stuck out here in the dark." The thought made him shudder. He started walking again. If she wanted to stay in the jungle, that was her choice.

[Amelia]

"Agreed!" She was more than happy to keep going. To get back to a place of safety with a group of people. Out of this jungle and maybe get something to eat. Perhaps they found something else beside fruit, and found something with substance. That was one thing that maybe she could look forward to at least. If there really was anything to look forward too anymore.

It was just before nightfall that they finally made it to the other beach. The walk had been rather quiet, listening to anything that might hunt them in the jungle. This part of the beach looked almost the same as the other, bits and peices of the plane were scattered along the beach. But there were a few more humans in the mix.

[Gerald Conner]

Gerald was relieved when he saw the beach. He had never felt such a sense of relief from watching the beautiful coastline. He was surprised to see other humans. Pausing a moment to take in the sight of society. It had been almost three days since he had seen anyone other than Amelia. Still, it was presumed there was safety in numbers, and Gerald was most interested in safatey at the moment. He walked onto the beach and blinked in the blinding light. Looking to Amelia,he tried to smile. He was not used to smiling, and it probably seemed fake, but he was trying to keep his relationship open with her. She was nice enough to take him way out of her way just so he could find his luggage. That would be an exploitable trait in the future. And the fact that there were more people than just the two of them meant she was likely to distance herself from him.

"Uh, thanks for all that." He said, "I, uh, maybe I could pay you back sometime." He said clutching his satchel to his chest. He wasn't sure what he could offer her, other than soap or maybe he could do some chores for her sometime. But he wanted her to feel like he was not a poor excuse for a human being. "Just let me know, huh?"

[Amelia]

'My god, don't hurt yourself,' she thought to herself when she saw him smile for the first time. But still she was not one to judge. Not everyone wanted to smile a lot. But she gave him a small smile back and a nod of her head. Mostly she was just glade to be back so that way she could sneak off and check to see if she somehow got a rock in her prosthetic. How the hell she managed that one she had not one clue.

Amelia started to walk away with a slight limp when he spoke again. She turned to look at him and gave him another small smile. "I may hold you to that one day, and it might be sooner than you think." Yeah because if people found out about her fake leg she was going to be in a world of hurt, which was the reason why she wore long pant legs. That and because of her Irish decent, she kind of burned easily. Now was as good a time as any to try and get a tan though.

( If you have any ideas I am game for it. )

[Gerald Conner]

Gerald wasn't sure what Amelia meant by her reply and he immediately regretted offering, but it was too late to take it back. He watched her walking away, wondering if he had handled that interaction appropriately. She had smiled a lot, but some people just smiled a lot. It didn't necessarily mean they were enjoying themselves. Gerald groaned and walked away, there was no use thinking about it. He would never figure it out anyway.

He turned the other direction and started surveying the wreckage. All of the best spots would probably be taken, but if he hurried he could probably be better to throw together some sort of schedule until nightfall. And maybe he would even have some time to read. Better yet, he could sleep under the stars and spend the rest of the evening reading. It didn't look like it was going to rain and he could always put together a shelter tomorrow.

((Gerald could do anything Amelia wants; laundry, firewood collecting etc. She did just hike halfway across the island for him. Just let me know what you want him to do.))