So it’s been a few weeks since the seventh part of Julian’s news, and now I present you with the finale to tie up the loose ends!

If you need to refresh your memories parts one to seven can be found below;

Prequel – The way you make me feel
Part One: Telling Dick
Part Two: Back at Kirrin
Part Three: The first day 
Part Four: George
Part Five: George again
Part Six: A walk and some trouble
Part Seven: The rescue

So, that is everything up to date, and with this makes the story complete! I hope you’ve enjoyed my short Famous Five Adventure, if I can think of any more ideas; you’ll be sure to get them here first!

For now; enjoy!

THE FINALE

When they got back to Kirrin Cottage, things happened quickly. Aunt Fanny ordered Julian to take a bath and to give her his clothes to wash to get rid of the seaweed smell he was carrying around with him, while George was carried into the living room and laid on the sofa. The Doctor had another look at her foot and checked her for a concussion.

Once he had declared her to be free of any head injury and announced himself convinced that her ankle was no more than badly sprained, but that she should probably have an x-ray just in case it was anything worse, he gave Aunt Fanny some painkillers to give George who had fallen asleep on the sofa under some blankets.

“She’s incredibly lucky,” Julian heard the Doctor say as he made his way downstairs after his bath. “It could have been a lot worse. I’ll pop round in the morning to see if anything else has cropped up in the night.”

“Thank you Doctor,” Aunt Fanny said.

“Don’t thank me, Mrs Kirrin. I’d thank this young chap for being so foolhardy as to go down into that hole himself. I don’t think I would have the nerve to do it,” The Doctor teased, nodding at Julian on the stairs.

“Sorry, I wasn’t planning on eavesdropping,” Julian said, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

“You’re not hurt in any way are you?” the Doctor asked him.

Julian considered for a moment and shook his head.

“Just a little tired,” he conceded when the Doctor raised an eyebrow at him.

“Take this just before bed, and you’ll sleep straight through until the morning,” the Doctor said, handing Julian a pill in a bag. “Now no more dare-devil trips for you this holiday, understood?”

“Yes Doctor,” said Julian, stowing the pill in the pocket of his trousers.

He smiled vaguely, comparing the doctor to the sister who looked after the san at St Andrews.

He raised a hand in farewell as the doctor left. His aunt turned to him and shook her head.

“Well I never. You five can’t go anywhere without getting into some sort of trouble, can you?” Aunt Fanny said to him.

Julian shrugged. “It’s a hazard of being part of the Famous Five, Auntie,” he said with a smile.

His aunt smiled fondly at him and pretended to give him a clip round the ear.

“Now, go and have something to eat,” said Aunt Fanny as Julian laughed. “Dick and Anne are already tucking in.”

“Aunt Fanny?”

“Yes dear?”

“Can I have a word with George when she wakes up?”

“If she wakes up, I have a feeling that she will want to have a word with you too, Julian,” Aunt Fanny said, with a smile.

Julian smiled back at her, and headed into the kitchen to join his brother and sister. He was already wondering how to tell Sally of the day’s activities and trying to plan what exactly he needed to say to George.

George woke up, just before supper time, keen to find out what had happened since she had been asleep. Aunt Fanny let the Julian, Dick and Anne sit in the living room with George while they all ate their supper.

“I don’t remember much,” George said, in between mouthfuls. “I do remember Ju doing a frightfully good job of getting me attached to that rope however.”

“I don’t know how I did it,” Julian confessed.

“Thank goodness you did,” said George. “Otherwise we would have had to wait for one of the fishermen to get down into the cave.”

“That wouldn’t have taken long,” Dick said. “As I was trying to haul you up George, you’re awfully heavy you know,” George threw a piece of bread at him. “The fishermen, Anne and the doctor arrived. The fishermen gave me a terrific hand in getting you up. Then we had to get the Julian out as the doctor checked you over.”

“How super!” George said, her eyes gleaming. Timmy was sitting beside the sofa, not having left George’s side since she had emerged from the hole.

“Timmy was awfully clever in finding us,” Anne said after a few moments of munching. “Did you tell him to find us George? Or did he know all on his own?”

“I did tell him to find you,” George said, her cheeks suddenly flushing red. Timmy got up and stretched. He licked George’s hand before walking over to Julian and laying down.

Everyone pretended not to see George’s face.

“The main thing is that we found you,” Julian said, his fingers scratching Timmy’s head.

Everyone nodded and finished their supper in relative silence.

Just before her cousins left her to go to bed, George asked Julian to stay behind for a moment. Julian obliged with good grace.

“Ju, I’m sorry I was such an ass earlier,” George said, looking down at her hands. “I just felt awfully left out when I knew that you’d told Dick and Anne, and not told us at the same time.”

“No hard feelings old thing,” Julian said, clapping her on the shoulder gently. “I was a fool not to tell you all at the same time.”

“And then you’re terribly decent to come and rescue me,” George said, quietly.

“As you would for me,” Julian said with a smile. “Don’t fret George. The five aren’t quite finished yet.”

George laughed, but there was a hollowness to it.

“The end is closer than you think Julian,” George said after a moment. “You’ve already made a move away from all of that.”

“Now, George,” Julian said in a warning voice.

“I can’t help it Julian,” she said, tiredly. “I thought we’d go on forever.”

Julian sighed and sat down in the chair across from her.

“You know we can’t George, we can’t put growing up off any more. I was the same as you before I was on the way to catch the train to St Andrews, but I realised that growing up is an even bigger adventure. We’ve had some terrific times and that doesn’t mean that we won’t ever have another adventure. Its not that you’re not important to me, just that Sally is important as well. I hope you can understand that.”

George wouldn’t look at him. Julian could see her eyes glistening.

“I’m sorry if that upsets you George,” he said gently. “But that’s how I feel.”

He got up out of his seat and went over to her. He laid a hand on her shoulder and have it a squeeze.

“But you’re not getting rid of me that easily, George. So don’t worry.”

George turned her head away from him so he could not see her face.

“Night George.”

“Goodnight Julian,” came the small reply.