"You don't know that" Ant smiled "it could be anywhere"

"I'm telling you Ant" Dec replied "Piccolo has eaten my wedding ring,where else could it be?"

"Lots of places" Ant assured him "the beach,the forset"

"We looked on the beach and I've hardly been in the forest since I was ill" Dec pointed out.

"Well,what do you suggest?" Ant frowned "chasing Piccolo around and just hoping he poos it out in front of us?"

"Maybe" Dec shrugged.

"Well,if that happens" Ant turned his nose up in disgust "you can be the one to search it"

"I will" Dec snapped.

"We didn't look that hard anyway" Ant stated "but it's getting dark now,come on,let's get some sleep,then we can start looking again in the morning"

Dec reluctantly agreed,still convinced that this was a bad omen and as he lay next to Ant on the blanket,he couldn't help thinking about it.

"What would Ali think if she knew I lost it?" He mused.

"Declan" Ant replied firmly "don't you think Ali will be more concerned about you than the ring?jewellery can be replaced,people can't,please stop worrying about it,Ali will be desperately worried about you,she'll just want you home,she won't give two hoots about that ring"

"It...it's just..." Dec stuttered.

"It's what?" Ant encouraged.

"It's just" Dec continued sadly "it's just that it's the only thing I've got of...you know...of her...my only connection to her and now it's gone"

"Well,that's not true is it?" Ant frowned.

"What?" Dec asked surprised.

"That's not true" Ant repeated "it's not your only connection to her and I know a wedding ring is special Dec and all it represents,but it's a piece of jewellery...an item...an object,you have something even better than that"

"Do I?" Dec asked confused.

"Of course you do,you idiot" Ant laughed "you've got your love for each other,that's not gone anywhere and you've got your memories,those are more meaningful than any ring aren't they?"

"I guess so" Dec smiled "if you put it like that"

"You must have made so many beautiful memories with Ali by now?" Ant beamed "and it doesn't matter if you haven't seen her for a few weeks,she's still in your heart and you'll still be in hers"

"I guess you're right" Dec smiled,now feeling a little bit more positive.

"Of course I am" Ant grinned "I'm always right,I promise you Dec,all Ali wants is for you to come home safe and well,nothing else matters"

"Yeah" Dec nodded,before rolling over and drifting off into a blissful sleep,dreaming of his wife.

Dec was the first to stir the next morning,the shimmers of sunlight peaking through the gaps in the wood,warming his face.

"Morning Piccolo" he whispered at the snoozing animal laying by his bedside "you had a poo yet?"

Dec had had a good nights sleep,but he didn't feel particularly refreshed,he was still thinking about Ali and Isla a lot and he missed them desperately.

As he stared blankly at the wooden planks of the shelter,something caught his eye...a tiny little glimmer of light between two of the slats,something golden,half buried in the sand.

"MY RING" he shouted out in delight and startling Ant awake.

"W...what?" Ant yawned "what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong" Dec beamed "I just found my ring...over there"

He pointed to the gap in the shelter and after retrieving it,placed the ring back onto his ring finger,which immediately fell off again.

"God,I'm so skinny" he noted.

"Better keep that somewhere safe then" Ant advised "and apologise to Piccolo"

"Sorry I thought you ate my ring" Dec laughed,while stroking the contented animal "I'm really glad you didn't though"

Dec got up and tucked the ring into one of the small inside pockets of Andys bag,before sitting down again.

Even though Ant had made him feel better last night about the situation,Dec was still incredibly happy he'd found the gold band.

"You know what I was thinking last night after we talked about Ali?" Dec asked as the two men sat side by side on the blanket.

"What?" Ant asked curiously.

"I thought" Dec said "what if she's already gone home...back to England,Anne-Marie might have gone too and any other family members who may have come out here when we first went missing"

"It's very likely Decs" Ant nodded in agreement "we've been here for weeks after all"

"That makes me sad" Dec frowned.

"Me too" Ant replied "but they can't stay here indefinitely,they all have lives to get back to,but it doesn't mean they're not thinking about us every minute of every day and just waiting for our safe return"

"Do you think they're still looking for us?" Dec asked cautiously "you know, the emergency services or whoever?"

"Not sure" Ant replied "we've been gone a fair while,we could be...you know?"

"What?" Dec asked fearfully.

"We could be listed as missing...presumed dead" Ant sighed sadly.

"Oh God" Dec shook his head in despair "that means no one is looking for us and never will"

"Maybe not" Ant agreed "but that still doesn't mean we'll be here forever,we've seen one boat and there'll be others,I'm sure of it,so please don't be down about this and anyway,we don't know for sure that they have stopped looking"

"Guess not" Dec sighed as he frantically scratched his chest.

"You been bitten again?" Ant asked concerned.

"Yeah" Dec sighed "bloody mosquitoes or whatever they are,are driving me mad,look at the size of this one"

He pointed to a large inflamed insect bite on his chest.

"Looks like you've got an extra nipple" Ant grinned.

"Oh,you're helpful" Dec rolled his eyes and playfully shoved Ant.

"Guess,we should have something to eat?" Ant suggested.

"Yeah,that would be good" Dec nodded "but do you know what I was thinking?"

"What?"

"That maybe you could teach me to fish?" Dec smiled "it's not fair that you always have to do it,I want to help"

"I really don't mind" Ant smiled "I find it quite relaxing,might take it up as a hobby when we get home"

"Instead of golf?" Dec frowned.

"No,of course not instead of golf" Ant laughed "as well as golf"

"That's alright then" Dec smiled "come on,no time like the present,show me how to catch a fish"

"You'll just feel sorry for it" Ant teased.

"Not any more" Dec replied "I'm too hungry for that"

As the boys started to make their way down to the beach,something immediately caught their eye.

"Oh my God" Ant stated surprised "look at that"

"A pedalo?" Dec replied "where the hell has that come from?"

They walked cautiously towards the small boat,not sure of what they might find in it.

"STOP" Ant ordered.

"Why?" Dec enquired.

"Think about it Decs" Ant continued "these things are used just for tourists to have a bit of fun aren't they?you know?to have a little pedal around the water,not too far from the beach"

"Yeah" Dec agreed,not yet getting where Ant was going with this.

"So how the hell has it got out here?" Ant mused "we're obviously miles from anywhere"

"Does it matter how it got here?" Dec asked.

"Well" Ant went on "whoever was in it,might still be there,could have got lost like we did"

"Can't see anyone" Dec noted as he craned his neck to get a better view.

"Well,they might be..." Ant shut himself down.

"Might be what?" Dec asked confused.

"Well,if someone has been lost for days,weeks even" Ant stated "they might be..."

"Dead?" Dec offered.

"Yeah,dead" Ant nodded.

"Ugh,I don't want to look then" Dec frowned "I really don't want to deal with any more dead bodies.

"Don't think we have any choice mate" Ant replied,as they watched the pedalo gently bob up and down near the shore "we have to at least check"

So they slowly and cautiously approached the small boat.

"No one's here" Ant said relieved as he entered the shallow water.

"Thank fuck for that" Dec replied.

The boat was completely empty,no people,no belongings...nothing.

"You know what I think happened" Dec smiled.

"What?" Ant asked curiously.

"I think it probably broke free from it's moorings during that storm we had when we first got here" Dec replied "and has just been drifting around the ocean since then,until it washed up here"

"Ah,clever boy" Ant grinned "you're not just a pretty face"

"Fancy a little go in it?" Dec giggled "will be fun"

Ant didn't need much persuading,he'd loved these things as a kid and even as an adult,he was delighted if he could persuade someone to go on one with him when he went on holiday.

"Come on then" Ant laughed and quickly jumped into the boat.

"Hey,wait for me" Dec insisted as he scrambled to climb in.

They spent a good half hour happily pedalling around,until they decided to go back for something to eat.

"That was fun" Ant announced,as they dragged the boat onto the sand so that it wouldn't drift away.

"Yeah,it was" Dec agreed.

As the day went on,Ant had something on his mind which he hadn't yet voiced to Dec.

As he sat on the sand watching Dec having a quick swim,he decided he would tell him his idea over dinner.

Dec had taken to fishing like a duck to water and caught one on his very first try,he had then insisted on catching more so they could have a real feast that evening.

"Decs?" Ant said as he chewed his food "I've got an idea"

"Oh yeah?" Dec replied casually "what's that then?"

"Well" Ant continued "now we've got this boat,I think we should leave the island and go searching for more land...another passing boat...anything?"

"What?" Dec exclaimed "are you mad?we'll die out there"

"Well,we were going to do it at the beginning with Andys boat weren't we?" Ant pointed out "so why not now?"

"Er yeah" Dec replied "but Andys was a proper boat,you know?with an engine and everything,this is a bloody pedalo,invented for tourists to have a laugh"

"Don't write it off just yet Decs" Ant urged "just hear me out,we can stock up on loads of mangoes and avocados,enough to last us ages and water"

"How are we gonna stock up on water?" Dec frowned "we've only got one bottle"

"I'll think of something" Ant replied excitedly "but just think,if we did this,someone could find us,I know it'll be hard and dangerous,but it's a risk I'm willing to take,aren't you?"

Dec was understandably terrified at the thought of drifting helplessly out in the ocean,at least on the island,they now had a constant source of food,Ants idea could be suicide.

But Dec wanted to go home as much as Ant did,it was all he'd ever yearned for since day one and if pedalling like lunatics across a wide ocean meant there was even a tiny chance that could happen,then there was only one answer.

"Ok Ant" he smiled nervously.

"Let's do it!"