My heart's pounding as I stare up above us. I'm half expecting to wake up any moment now; to find Harry tickling my sides or poking my face and realise that this is all a dream. But the sight before me is not leaving and I can't decide if I'm incredibly excited or exceptionally terrified.

The side of the helicopter slides open and reveals a vivid, navy jumpsuit and a gloss-finish black helmet. There's something overwhelming about seeing another human being apart from Harry after so long and I'm grateful when his fingers curl around my own in a reassuring hold.

I want to ask him if things are really going to be ok now. All our efforts have been for this exact moment but we've never really stopped to consider how life will be when we get home. I'm not naive to think that upon our return, Harry and I will be sharing a sleeping quarters. Nor will we go on fishing trips or buy one another cartoons of coconut water. But surely there'll be something? I can feel the question bubbling on my lips but the helicopter is so loud that I know there's no chance of being heard.

The jumpsuit-clad human leaps from the helicopter; revealing a trail of rope extending from behind them, attached to a harness buckled to their waist and hips. I barely blink once before a sturdy pair of boots thud into the sand before us; whisking up a sandstorm around our feet. My grip of Harry tightens. 

"Are you hurt?" Even over the noise of the propellors, I can hear the thick accent and the male voice, but I'm so startled by the opaque helmet shielding their entire face that I can't find it in me to answer. I want to see friendly eyes and a reassuring smile, not my own reflection blinking back at me with a terrified expression. There's a gentle pressure on my hand before Harry steps forward, his broad shoulders now blocking my view of our new acquaintance.

"No!" He calls over the noise and tugs me forward as the wind whips his hair in front of his eyes. "Take her up first."

The jumpsuit nods and I stumble into a pair of unfamiliar, polyester arms. "Harry! No - what are you doing?!" My voice shoots up an octave at the prospect of leaving him behind. There's no way in hell that I'm going without him, regardless of how gentlemanly he thinks he's being by allowing me the first lift. 

"It's ok, Sarah!" He shouts and there are hands suddenly at my waist; strapping and buckling me in to some sort of neon-orange harness that fits me like an oversized nappy. I can't help flinching. "I'll be right behind you, I promise."

Logically, I know he's telling the truth and even with him smiling at me - eyes twinkling with the excitement of it all, I can't help the irrational fear that we're about to be torn away from one another without warning. It's like a weight crushing my chest and even though I'm outside, very much in the open, I feel as though I'm having my first taste of claustrophobia. 

My back clashes with the chest of our rescuer and one of his arms tightens around my waist like a barrier; tearing my hand from Harry's. My eyes widen but somehow he's still smiling at me, almost nodding an emotional farewell as if he's just dropped me off for my first day of primary school. I suddenly feel like there's an awful lot I need to say to him - as if I need to thank him or make some dramatic declaration of my feelings. And at the same time, I feel as though I should bid farewell to the island that has been my home and my hell for the past goodness knows how long. 

But there's no time. 

My feet leave the sand; leave the island, leave Harry. I can see him watching me from below, squinting up at my limp, dangling body whilst trying to control the rebellious stands of hair that are flailing around in front of his face like a crowd of arms waving me off. I don't want to look down because - quite honestly - the increasing distance between my position and the ground is making me nauseous, but I can't bring myself to look away from Harry. I have to make sure he doesn't move... doesn't jeopardise his own rescue. We both have to board this helicopter. 

The backs of my legs scrape the edge of the metal shell as we reach it and I release a sigh I hadn't even realised I was holding. My view of Harry vanishes as the jumpsuit guides me to the back corner and begins detaching the scaffolding around my waist. I'm desperate to run back to the edge and make sure he's still down there but the gloss helmet invades my vision again.

"Sit." He barks at me and I all but cower away from him, practically falling on my bum. A rough grey material settles over my shoulders and I curl my fingers into it; fisting the material with a sort of desperation as he makes his way to the open doorway of the helicopter. The crushing in my chest relents slightly and I know that in a matter of minutes Harry will be joining me, probably draped in his own blanket and brimming with excitement. 

The jumpsuit disappears. 

Aside from the pilot whose helmet is only just visible in front of me, I'm completely alone. It's awfully disorientating to see so much technology and materials we've only been able to dream of since we wound up on the island. I'm still half expecting to wake up at any moment and am almost on the verge of declaring war on my brain for conjuring up such a vivid and hopeful scenario. 

If this really is a dream - I don't think I'll ever truly believe we're going to be rescued. This is too much. Too cruel. I'm not sure I'll survive another day having had a taste of this. 

There's movement in the corner of my eye and I snap my head to the left in time to see the navy jumpsuit clutching at a wild mass of curling hair and a yellow shorts. Harry actually looks somewhat embarrassed to be strapped to the chest of a stranger but I've never been more relieved to see him. I have to stop myself from scrabbling to my feet and helping him inside - neither of us are used to relying on anyone other than each other or ourselves and the prospect or sitting by and allowing someone else to assist him is more difficult than I could have imagined. 

"Harry." I breathe as the harness is released and falls away from him. The wind from the propellers has knotted his hair and blown it into a middle parting and I can only imagine what my own must look like. He joins me in the back corner and another square of fabric is thrown over his shoulders, similarly to my own. 

"I told you I'd be right behind you!" He bellows with a knowing grin. His fingers interlock with my own again and I instantly relax. I still want to reel off all my questions but he's almost glowing with happiness and I don't want to kill the mood for him.

The jumpsuit comes to kneel down in front of us - still not revealing their face - and the helicopter jolts forward, carrying us away from the island. I turn instinctively to the opening at the side of the helicopter, wanting to get one last glance but we're already hurtling away and all I can see is the mass of navy polyester anyway.

"Names?" He shouts; a radio now in his left hand. His helmet darts between us as if he's not quite sure how we're alive and in one piece.

"Sarah Starnell." I yell back. It's almost weird hearing my surname after so long and I'm under the impression that Harry is thinking the same given the peculiar look he's giving me.

"Harry Styles." He announces and it sounds as though he's introducing himself on stage. I can almost picture it; him bounding out in front of a room packed with eagerly awaiting fans. I remember him telling me about his tour and his disappointment at the realisation that he might not be attending. I'm pleased that now he'll actually get to be there.

The helmet stops bouncing and stays focused on Harry as if wanting him to repeat what he's just said. There's a moment of awkward silence and then he raises the radio to his lips. The first few words are in a fast paced, unfamiliar language followed by our full names and it suddenly hits me that soon enough - everyone will know.

Everyone will know we're alive.

"Where are you taking us?" Harry leans forward, still gripping my hand but almost dislocating my wrist in his eagerness for an answer.

"Kuala Lumpur Hospital." The voice behind the helmet bellows back.

At the mention of Jules' home, my stomach somersaults. I want nothing more than to tell him to get someone on the ground to locate my Aunt and have her waiting for me upon our arrival. But in addition to my desperation of wanting to see my family again, I'm also riddled with nerves.

Jules probably thinks I'm dead.

So do my parents.

So does probably everyone who knew about the plane crash.

And I'm about to waltz back into their world...very much alive.

a/n: I had initially only planned for the rescue and arrival in KL to be in one chapter - but there's so much I want to write that it's going to span into the next one! Or maybe it's just because I don't want them to go back to reality yet!! There are also only 5-6 more chapters remaining of Stranded so I will be focusing on and only updating this story until it's complete. Then I will be returning back to my other two stories - Theirs and Mermaid. Enjoy! :)