Diclaimer: We don't own TDI, TDA, or its characters. The idea for the story is Tdirockandmusic's, with a lot of Sprinlemist's thrown in. We write the fic together.

After They're Gone

~by Tdirockandmusic, Sprinklemist, and CamperThirteen

Chapter 1

~by CamperThirteen

The invitations arrived in the mail, small pieces of snow-white paper with some ridiculous flowery patterns for decoration.

"Who's getting married?" Courtney asked Duncan when she saw the envelopes in his hands.

He jumped at the sound of her voice, even though they had been chatting while they went through their mail.

"What?" he asked, bewildered. Then he seemed to regain his composure enough to sniff and say casually, "I don't have psychic powers, in case you've forgotten, Princess. We'll have to open them first, don't you think?"

She put on a stern expression, although she was beaming on the inside.

"Go on, then."

Duncan proceeded to open one, never imagining that twenty other people from their past were doing the exact same thing.

* * *

Geoff and Bridgette were one of them. Like Duncan and Courtney, they had remained together after Total Drama Island had ended, and were currently living together, as well.

"It will be so cool to see everyone again," Geoff commented, grinning. "I can't believe I didn't think about it before!"

Bridgette could only smile at him. She was not so excited about seeing certain people again – such as Heather and Ezekiel – but Geoff was a kind soul, and he forgave easily. It was one of the things she loved the most about him.

"It will be a good opportunity to relive some old memories, I guess," Bridgette said, kissing his forehead.

* * *

Izzy and Owen had an on and off relationship marked by its remarkable lack of rules. The afternoon Owen's invitation arrived, Izzy was there by chance, and they too read it together. Izzy commented it was probably an invitation to Geoff and Bridgette's wedding.

* * *

Cody usually let his mail pile up in his kitchen, until he had no choice but to start going through it. He wasn't expecting anything different from the usual bills, magazines, and bank notices, so when he saw the suspicious-looking envelope he feared some weird fangirl had managed to find out his adress. Still, he opened it with hesitant fingers, only to find out it wasn't from a fangirl. It was worse.

* * *

"I have a bad feeling about this," Gwen confessed to LeShawna over the phone. Next to her, her husband was reading the letter again, unable to believe his eyes, even though he probably had the thing memorized by now.

"You mean you think they're making us sign up for a new season or somethin'?" LeShawana asked. Gwen could practically see her cocking an eyebrow. "After ten freakin' years?"

Gwen let out a long sigh and rubbed Trent's back absent-mindedly.

"I'm probably just being paranoid," she conceded with a small, secret smile.

* * *

Ezekiel considered not attending. For a long time he sat in his kitchen table, with the letter in front of him, and the plane ticket on top, as if it was luring him in. For that time he sat there, staring at it, and thinking.

Twice he jumped up and grabbed the ticket to toss it to the trash can. It wasn't like anyone would miss him, anyway. He had barely been around; they probably didn't even remember him.

A part of him felt sad about that possibility, but the other part told him it was probably better that way.

That was sad too.

* * *

Heather fumbled with the ticket, her back pressed against the cold steel of one of the airport's chairs, almost as if she wanted to merge with it. She didn't know why she had come; she really shouldn't have. Maybe it was not too late to leave.

"Good, I was beginning to think I was the only one who had a watch," a deep, monotone voice said. Someone took the seat next to hers, and Heather was so surprised by this physical proximity that she almost yelped.

"Noah," she said when she recognized him. He hadn't changed much since she had last seen him, except perhaps for a few extra premature wrinkles on his forehead. "How did you recognize me?"

"Well, let's see," he said, his voice dripping with annoyance, "You are sitting alone at a reserved area which contains exactly twenty-two seats..."

"You haven't changed, I see," Heather said in a vicious tone. "You're as charming as always."

"I could say the same thing about you," he replied, not missing a beat.

Without waiting for her answer or even bothering to look at her, he took out a book. Heather glared at it in incredoulousness and annoyance, but her jaw dropped when she read the title.

"The Total Drama Experience According to Heather," Noah said, smirking. "Such a creative title."

"At least I got some money out of that infernal summer, unlike others."

"By talking trash about all of us? Well, this reunion should be joyful for you."

She sniffed and turned her attention elsewhere. It was true that her book was a little harsh on everyone that had been on Total Drama Island, but she was only telling it like it was.

The third person to arrive didn't seem to hold that against her. He greeted her politely and sat next to Noah, while Heather struggled to come up with his name. Some skinny loser with a gap between his front teeth... Cody, was it?

She was half expecting DJ to arrive with his pet Bunny, and to see Katie and Sadie wearing the same outfits, so she was almost disappointed when she saw the three of them arrive. DJ looked as big and huggable as ever, but there was no rabbit on his arms; Katie and Sadie were dressed in a similar style, but they no longer mirrored each other. It seemed some things changed after all.

"Heather," someone said in an unpleasant voice.

Heather straightened. Other things never changed.

Lindsay walked towards her with remarkable confidence, with Beth and LeShawna by her side. The three girls looked pretty much the same as Heather remembered them: a dumb blonde, an ugly brunnette, and a large sister. Each more annoying than the last.

The only thing she could say had changed was LeShawna's look. Ever since her talk show had turned to be a success, she had started appearing on magazines sporting fashionable outfits. Heather guessed she had hired a stylist – it was the only possible explanation.

Right now LeShawna was wearing large sunglasses and black clothes, which only made her celebrity status more evident. Apparently money couldn't cure stupidity.

"I hope we're not on the same flight," Beth said, forcing Heather to tear her eyes off LeShawna and to fix them on the short girl with the eyeglasses.

"Same here," Heather replied coldly.

* * *

They were going to be late, and Trent knew it would all be his fault. Why had he decided to take his old motorcycle instead of a cab? Gwen shouldn't have let him, but for some reason she was really happy that day, and she told him he deserved one last taste of freedom. He guessed she had taken some marriage counseling tips from LeShawna or something, and didn't inquire further.

"The letter said we have to meet at a special area," Gwen reminded him patiently. "Do you see anything with Chris' face plastered on it?"

Trent looked around the crowded airport. "Nothing like that, but there is an area that says 'Reserved' and there are... twenty people there. Hey, that's the place!"

Gwen returned his bright smile with a smirk of her own.

"You have incredible powers of observation as usual, honey."

Trent didn't have time to reply. As soon as they got close to the place, he was engulfed in a tight embrace by a pair of strong arms. He caught the scent of expensive perfume and heard Gwen's cry of surprise before being released and seeing LeShawna's in the flesh.

"Nice to see you out of the TV for once," he managed to say before she went to hug Gwen. He couldn't help but notice she didn't squeeze her with as much strength as she had him. But he had no time to complain, as his old friends and acquaintances approached them.

"Yeah, didn't know big celebrities hugged like normal people," Gwen teased her friend, just after hugging Bridgette.

"Oh, shut it, you two," LeShawna said. She looked almost embarrassed. "I'm not that big a celebrity, anyway."

"Sure you aren't!" Duncan said. "Because hosting your own talk show and being featured in every magazine in the country doesn't make you a big celebrity, at all."

"Yeah, everyone who's anyone goes to your show," Cody intervened. His tone sounded slightly bitter.

"Which is why you'll see me there, very soon," Justin hastened to say.

"Really?" Sadie asked, grasping her hands together and bringing them close to her face in delight.

"What have you been up to?" Katie added, imitating her BFF.

Justin's handsome face seemed to freeze, but the effect melted into his classic smile.

"Well, I've done dozens of ads, commercials, and modeling. Not to mention I've landed a big contract as the new face of a cosmetics line for men."

"Whoa, you must get invited to the coolest parties, man."

"So, what flight are you guys on?" DJ asked with a smile. "I'm on Flight 472, with Harold and Eva," he motioned to the aforementioned. Trent noted that Eva looked as grim and unsmiling as ever, and Harold hadn't even changed his haircut.

"Unfortunately we're with Queenie too," Eva said, scowling at a young woman with long, straight black hair and expensive clothes.

Trent quickly grabbed Gwen's hand when he recognized Heather.

"Don't remind me," LeShawna groaned. Then she smiled at Gwen. "Please tell me you two are with us."

"No, we're on Flight 1472," Gwen couldn't mask the relief in her voice.

"Geoff and I are on Flight 390," Bridgette said, waving two tickets. "Is anybody else on that flight?"

Everyone shook their heads, except for one. A pale hand raised in the air.

"I'm on that flight too, eh," Ezekiel said.

Bridgette resisted the urge to groan out loud.

"That's awesome!" Geoff said, giving Ezekiel a thumbs up. "Too bad we don't all get to be together, though."

"I'm guessing that was Chris's idea," Gwen said.

"We'll see each other at the reunion, anyway," Courtney said. She didn't mind at all. There were certain people she did not want to be sharing a plane with, and Harold and Eva were among them.

* * *

Lindsay was the first to step on the plane.

"Oh my God, I've never traveled overseas!" she exclaimed. "Are we going to America?"

Tyler smiled at her, affectionately. "No, Linds, we're going to Sydney."

"Ohh," Lindsay paused. "Is that in America?"

"It's in Australia, genius," Gwen said as she and Trent passed her.

"It feels so wrong to be here without Sadie," Katie whined as she took the last seat of the right row.

"It's not like you're never seeing her again," Courtney said kindly, but still rolling her eyes. She took the seat next to Katie, and Duncan took the one next to her.

"Think they'll play a horror movie?" Gwen asked Duncan, as she sat next to him.

"I hope so," he replied, sending a playful glance towards Courtney. "I've never convinced Princess that they're the most romantic movies–"

"That's because they are not," she cut him off.

Trent couldn't resist but to smirk a little when he slid into the seat next to Gwen's.

"Actually, Courtney, they are nice to watch with your partner," he teased. "When she gets scared, she jumps straight into your arms–"

"You mean when you get scared, you jump straight into my arms," Gwen laughed, poking him on the arm with her finger.

Cody watched this exchange with slight envy. Still, he smiled at them when he took a seat behind Trent.

Lindsay watched the exchange too, frowning a little. When she and Tyler sat next to Cody, she couldn't help but let out a small sigh – why wasn't her relationship with Tyler the same as the one Gwen and Trent, or Courtney and Duncan had? Was there something wrong with them?

"Hey, Tyler," she began to say, but was cut off when Owen took the seat next to her boyfriend, causing the plane to incline in his direction.

"Sorry," Owen aplogoized.

Izzy laughed loudly and did a pirouette before landing into her seat, shouting "Woohoo! Let's go to Sydney! Alright!"

* * *

Meanwhile, on Flight 472, Beth lamented her fate as she sat next to LeShawna, who was sitting next to Sadie.

"I can't believe we're with Heather," she said, not caring if the girl had heard her. After all the humiliation Heather had put her through – first on national TV, then on her book – she had no consideration for her.

"You've said that twenty times already, girl," LeShawna sighed.

"Yeah, like, get over it," Sadie agreed. She then scooted closer and whispered, "Besides, you're sitting next to Justin!"

Beth gasped, not daring to turn around. She could feel the heat and the scent of cologne coming from his side, practically caressing her.

"Ladies," a voice rasped. Said ladies rolled their eyes when they saw Harold sit next to Justin.

Eva, DJ, and Noah boarded the plane and did a quick scan of who was sitting next to whom and what seats were left. Next to Sadie and separated by a narrow aisle were two seats.

"Hey, Eva..." Noah hadn't finished pronouncing her name when said girl scooted into one of those seats, followed by DJ. "That's just great."

That only left one other seat... The one next to a pale girl with long black hair. The girl was staring out the window so that her face was hidden from view, but Noah knew who she was.

He sat next to her with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

* * *

Heather had been trying her best to hide her face and, if possible, become invisible, when she felt someone sit next to her. Probably a stranger. It had to be.

But her eyes found Noah's when she turned around.

"Don't look so surprised, it was the only seat left," he said. "I'm just as delighted as you are."

Her eyes narrowed before she turned to face the window, again.

"In your dreams, dweeb."

"More like in my nightmares."

* * *

Author's Note: The original idea for this story was Tdirockandmusic's, and it became a collaboration project between him, Sprinklemist (sprinklemist1 on this site), and myself. I wrote the first chapter a while ago, so it's not like I abandoned my other fics to write this one. I've just been busy, but I'll update as soon as possible. Be patient with me, guys.

I don't really want to spoil the plot or anything, but be aware that this will be a dark fic. If you're hoping for a light-hearted story, this isn't it. Sorry.

And as usual, your reviews are appreciated. They are encouraging and help us see what we're doing right and what we're not, so go crazy!

Cheers,

~Emmy.