<em>~ The  Whole Truth ~</em><br/><br/>Maddi frowned, "Kira, I'm ashamed of you, you should know your parents better than that, and to be honest thank your lucky stars you have them.  The beacon on the boat will tell them exactly where we are, and if you think about it you know exactly what your Dad will be doing right now, rampaging around like a bellowing bull until he gets his princess back."<br/><br/>She softened her tone slightly, hunkering down so their faces were on a level, "Honey, you aren't alone......" she couldn't help but let a little of the pain her own separation from her family had caused, and just how alone she felt most of the time leach out into her voice, "And you've got plenty of time to find your prince yet sweetie, you know just how dam hard it it to even start that process....."<br/><br/>She stood up, pushing her hair back behind her ear, "We're having a party though, after all this shit we're alive...... living..... breathing, and hopefully later singing and dancing...." She looked out behind her across the ocean for a moment, "We've a lot to be thankful for girl, we nearly didn't make it back then, so you get your head together and then come and party, sunshine."<br/><br/>She bent down and kissed her cheek, doing the same with Kira's hair as she had with her own, "And if you don't come up when the food's ready I'll be coming to get you girl."<br/><br/>Maddi walked back up the beach, wishing that Kira hadn't taken it so hard, she knew though that Kira's life had been so very different from her own, Maddi had learned through the school of hard knocks, whereas Kira had lived for the most part a life of luxury, so she was bound to find it a lot harder, especially with the guys behaving the way they did.<br/><br/>She could see Elijah, moving about the camp and she smiled, in the most unexpected places one could find joy.  Before she could get cold feet she walked up to him circling his waist from behind, pressing herself against his back, "I love you Elijah, more than I ever thought is possible to love someone in so short a time." she kissed his shoulder lightly, and then laid her head on it, "I want you to know, that for me this is for ever, and if you want me when we go home, I'm here for you, I don't want anyone else, not ever"<br/><br/>It was so much easier saying it where he couldn't see her, she done it, and now it was up to him, no regrets....... if he didn't feel the same, then she'd just have to find a way to cope with it, and now, at least, he knew the whole story and it was all out in the light, no pretenses.....