The Explorer and the Doctor - John and Lily Dolittle

Chapter Nine - A Shocking Surprise

But it was too good to be true.

John recognized her instantly. Despite her disheveled appearance, he could never forget.  He fell to his knees, striking the stone ground with a thud. His heart stopped momentarily, the air was sucked from his lungs leaving him instantly breathless.   "Lily?"

The warm smile beneath the mess of hair and grime-covered face was definitely hers, wearing an expression that he was sure closely mirrored his own shock and surprise.  "John..."  Her voice was just a breath as she spoke his name, but it was so familiar it made his heart swell. 

"Is this really happening?" he cried, speaking to no one in particular. "I-it can't be - someone pinch me."

SMACK!

Elliot hopped onto John's shoulder and gave him a smack in the face.

"OW! Elliot-" The monkey leapt off his shoulder, leaving him to turn back to face her.

Lily.

Beneath the messy hair and weathered, grime-covered clothing was the love of his life. He couldn't believe it. She was there, she was really there, alive. 

He reached out - hesitantly almost, as though he feared he would make her instantly vanish with his touch - and reached out to cup her face in both of his hands.  Her cheeks were warm beneath his touch, and he felt the tears slipping from her eyes on his finger tips.  No, it wasn't some cruel trick or his imagination playing with him, she really truly was standing there before him.

He felt his balance failing at the shock once again, but her own hands reaching out to cup his face in response to him reaching out to her helped ground and steady him.  She brushed away his tears as well. 

"It's you, it's really you," he sobbed. 

"And I can't believe it's you. You followed my research."

"Yes, we did. You were right about the island.  Does this mean  you've been here  this whole time?"

"Yes. I was shipwrecked in the storm. I was certain I was dead, with no hope of survival, but another ship found me and helped nurse me back to health. It took me a long time to recover.  Then we came upon the island - I'm so sorry, I never meant to be away for so long," she cried.

"Lily - I thought you were gone. Having you here, seeing that you're alive, it's the greatest thing I could have asked for," he cried, and the couple tearfully embraced once again. 

"Oh for God's sake!" Müdfly's frustrated yell broke them apart. 

Lily faced him.  "Hello Blair, it's been a while. Haven't changed much, have you." All of the animals laughed in agreement.  "I said drop your weapons! All of you! And lower your voices."

Müdfly smirked.  "You are vastly outnumbered, Mrs. Dolittle."

"Pirate," she replied. "And hey, that's my journal-" She reached out  and swiped it from his grasp, her movements so quick he barely had time to react before the prized journal was ripped from his hands and back into the hands of its rightful owner. 

Cheers - well, hooting and growling and chittering - rose from the animals, all greeting Lily. 

"Hello everyone! I've missed you all!"

"My wife is alive! My wife is alive!" cried John, still in disbelief. 

"I don't care!" roared Müdfly. "This changes nothing!"

"Quiet!" hissed Lily. "Or you'll wake the beast."

"'Beast', ha!" Müdfly spat. "Your wife is just as silly as you are, Dolittle. The perfect pair of idiots!"

"No, I'm serious. The crew who rescued me from the storm was a small one, but we all made it here. However, we didn't realize that the island was already inhabited - is inhabited, by a creature who attacked us and destroyed our ship.  I was the only one to survive, and I was stuck here. I believe the creature stays here guarding the tree, for I've only been able to get so far. We were in the caves searching for a place to rest, and I think we got too close for the creature's liking."

"What kind of creature was it?" John asked, thoroughly interested. Here they were, reunited and instantly  back to working as a team again, and did it ever feel good. 

SMACK! John groaned as he was suddenly struck across the back by Müdfly, who now had a rifle in hand.

"John - no!" Lily tried to interfere but was grabbed and held back by the armed soldiers, and when the animals tried to jump in as well, they were only held at torch and gunpoint.

Müdfly continued to beat the doctor.  "Oh you sad, misguided nut, Dolittle! Give that to me, give it!" He  snatched the British flag from one of the soldiers. "I will find this damn tree myself, and by God, history will remember me!" He raised the flag.

"No, don't!" Lily cried, but she was too late.

He slammed the flagpole into the ground, cracking the rock beneath their feet. Almost instantly afterwards, a deep rumble shook the caves, as though coming from the depths of the mountain itself. 

"What the - that seems and lot larger than all of us-"

A flash drew everyone's attention to a nearby illuminating shadow. No one could believe their eyes when they saw what it was. 

"Dragon!"

(Lily's return was inspired by Atlanna's similar return in Aquaman :) I loved that sweet and happy ending! And I suppose you could say Lily's 'pirate' line was inspired by the best pirate out there, Captain Jack Sparrow himself ;) 

Thanks  for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))