Ant and Dec sat side by side in silence.

Not speaking,not moving,not pedalling...nothing.

They were both thinking the same thing.

This was the end of the line.

They had been pedalling aimlessly for what seemed like days now and getting nowhere useful and now they had no supplies,no food,no drink or anything to provide warmth.They didn't see any point in continuing.

This was over and they both knew it.

This was how their lives would end,drifting out in the ocean,alone and scared.

It was very likely that hypothermia would get them before they starved to death.

"I'm sorry" Ant whispered tearfully.

"What for?" Dec asked.

"For persuading you to do this" Ant sighed "I've basically signed our death warrants,we should have stayed on the island"

"It's not your fault Ant" Dec assured him "I didn't have to agree to it,I didn't want to be there any more than you did"

"I still wish we'd stayed" Ant frowned "just a little bit longer,at least we had food,water and shelter"

"There really isn't any hope is there?" Dec asked,with tears now streaming down his cheeks.

"I don't think so pal" Ant replied sadly,while pulling Dec in for a sideways hug.

"We're going to die out here aren't we?" Dec sobbed.

Ant nodded,while avoiding Decs distraught gaze,he just couldn't bear to look at him right now,not after the mess he'd got them into.

"I'm sorry" Ant muttered again.

"You shouldn't have brought me back when I drowned" Dec exclaimed "it would all be over"

"I had to Decs" Ant replied sadly.

For a painful few minutes,the air was filled with the sound of Decs wailing as he tried to come to terms with what was happening.

Ant was crying too,but silently,although he was making no effort to hide it,which was very unusual for him.

Ant kissed Decs forehead,there was little else he could do under the circumstances.

"What's it going to be like?" Dec whispered,as he cuddled up close to Ant.

"What?" Ant asked.

"Dying" Dec stated "will it hurt?will it go on for ages?or will it be quick?will we suffer?"

"I don't know Decs" Ant frowned "I hope it will be quick and painless"

"I can't believe this" Dec wept.

"Me neither" Ant replied.

"It's getting cold now the sun's going down" he continued.

"Yeah" Dec agreed "and we haven't got anything to keep us warm"

Ant pulled Dec in towards him even closer.

"Let's snuggle up tight" Ant suggested "at least we'll have a bit of body heat from each other"

Dec placed one arm across Ants stomach,resting his head on Ants chest and Ant wrapped both of his arms affectionately around Decs torso.

"Better?" Ant asked.

"Not really" Dec sighed "I'm still cold,but your hugs have always comforted me when I'm down...although this is more than feeling a little bit down"

"Yeah,I know" Ant replied "I know,how about we talk about what we're going to do when we get home?"

"We're not going to get home though are we?" Dec pointed out,while wiping his tear stained face.

"Well,we can pretend" Ant replied "will be nice"

"Ok" Dec nodded "let's not talk about food for once though"

"Agreed" Ant laughed.

"I'm going to give Ali and Isla the biggest hugs of their lives" Dec stated.

"Yeah,me too" Ant replied "with Anne-Marie I mean"

"Isla won't remember me" Dec announced sadly.

Ant didn't know what to say to that,it was a fact after all,so he couldn't just tell Dec that it wasn't true,Isla was still very young,so was unlikely to remember her Daddy who she adored so much,so Ant just carried on listening intently to what Dec was saying.

"I'd love to just be able to take Rocky for a walk" Dec smiled "and play with the little rascal,tickle his tummy,kiss his nose,you know?"

"Yeah,I do" Ant replied "will be great and I can't wait to get a haircut too"

"You've said that before" Dec grinned.

"I know" Ant laughed "and a shave"

"Sleep in my own bed" Dec added.

"Watch television" Ant replied.

"Go to a football match" Dec beamed.

"Yeah,we're gonna do all that" Ant smiled.

"We're not though are we?" Dec said sadly.

"We can dream" Ant smiled "and me and Anne-Marie have some...um...fantasies to fill"

"What?" Dec laughed.

"You know?" Ant grinned "in the bedroom"

"I don't think I want to know about that" Dec giggled.

"Oh come on Declan" Ant replied "are you telling me that you and Ali don't ever get a bit adventurous in that department?"

"Might do" Dec smiled.

"Go on then" Ant replied "tell us?"

"Tell you what?" Dec asked innocently.

"You know what?" Ant retorted "what's your fantasy"

"You tell me yours first" Dec insisted.

"Well" Ant mused "I wouldn't mind a bit of being tied up"

"What?" Dec laughed "didn't think you were that kinky?"

"Nah" Ant replied "I'm not,just some nice,soft ribbons and bedposts and the like,nothing more than that"

"Does Anne-Marie know?" Dec questioned.

"Yeah,course she does" Ant nodded.

Dec lifted his head to peer up at Ant.

"You've already tried it haven't you?" Dec grinned.

"Might have" Ant laughed.

"And how was it?" Dec grinned.

"It was fun" Ant insisted "she loved having power over me"

"Yeah,cos you're so weak that you couldn't escape from some little,girly ribbons?" Dec joked.

"I am at the moment" Ant frowned.

"You think you know a person" Dec quipped.

"What about you then?" Ant steered the subject towards Dec.

"I quite fancy Ali as a Princess Leah character" Dec grinned.

"Oh yeah?" Ant laughed "and what does she fancy you as...a wookie?"

"I'm too small for that" Dec laughed "I'd be Han Solo or Luke Skywalker of course"

"You two are so weird" Ant shook his head playfully.

"That's grand coming from you" Dec stated "Mister 'tie me up with pink ribbons'"

"Who said they were pink?" Ant smiled.

"Were they?" Dec asked.

"Yeah,they were actually" Ant laughed.

The two men then fell silent as the enormity of their situation hit them once again.

Their little chat had lightened the mood for all of three or four minutes,but now the despair was sinking in once again.

"Declan?" Ant whispered.

"Hmm?" Dec sighed.

"Would you like to say a prayer?" Ant asked.

"Really?" Dec sat up in his seat "you'd want me to do that?"

"Yeah,why not?" Ant smiled "we've got nothing to lose"

"But you're not at all religious" Dec pointed out.

"I know" Ant replied "but you are and I think it might be quite comforting at this precise moment"

"You know what?" Dec mused "I've actually been praying practically non stop since the day we arrived on that island"

"I can imagine" Ant nodded.

Ant was actually slightly envious of Decs faith,he wished he could believe so passionately,but he just didn't feel it and that was fine,it was never an issue between them.

"Our father,who art in..." Dec began.

"Not that one" Ant interrupted.

"Why not?" Dec asked confused "I just thought you'd know that one...everyone does"

"Yeah,I do" Ant replied "but I thought you could say something a bit...you know...personal to us"

"Oh,ok" Dec smiled and took a deep breath,just as Ant placed his hand on top of Decs and squeezed it firmly.

"Dear God" Dec whispered,in a barely audible voice "I'm not sure what to say here,but me and Ant have got ourselves into a right mess!It looks like we'll be coming to meet you much sooner than we would have liked,but if that's how it has to be,then so be it"

Dec sensed that Ant was watching him out of the corner of his eye,so closed his eyes,so he could concentrate on the prayer.

"I wish it didn't have to be like this lord" Dec continued "but please don't make us suffer,that's all I ask of you"

Tears were now running freely down both mens cheeks once again.

"Well" Dec continued "actually there is something else I want to ask of you and that is to help mine and Ants loved ones deal with this,please keep them strong and guide them through their grief,watch...watch over them like you have done with me throughout m...my entire life,I...I"

Dec couldn't continue any longer,the anguished sobs that he couldn't hold back were making it too hard to speak.

Ant turned to him and pulled him in close,both sobbing uncontrollably.

"Amen" Ant whispered into Decs ear.

"Amen" Dec just about managed to mutter the word.

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"I'm so glad I met you Ant" Dec cried,with tears still running down his face and dripping onto Ants bare chest.

"Me too kidda" Ant replied warmly "me too"

There was not much else to say now.

They didn't need to say anything more,especially not about how they felt about each other.

They both already knew.

Theirs was a deep,unquestionable,loving friendship,that they knew they had been so lucky to find.

Never in a million years would they have dreamed it would end like this.

"I'm so cold" Dec mumbled a few minutes later,finding his voice once again.

"Yeah" Ant nodded,who was wearing even less clothing than Dec "me too"

The night air was biting and stung their skin like thousands of needles.

"What do we do now?" Dec asked.

"Nothing we can do" Ant replied softly "just close your eyes,think of your loved ones and whatever happens will happen"

Dec nodded sadly and did what Ant suggested,now beginning to let the calmness of the open ocean wash over him.

Ant did the same and the two best friends who were huddled together in the tiny,plastic boat,drifted even further out into the sea.

Until they eventually started to succumb to the cold!