AN: I have resolved to post as many chapters of this as possible before series five premieres. And I'm sad to hear that Alejandro's voice actor is different for all stars. :(

Thanks to my incredible reviewers so far for the last chapter: malzi21, gypsy Rosalie, jayne'z star, the Guest reviewer, and JuliaAbadeerSkellington. Thanks also to everyone who put this story on favourite and alerts lists. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own total drama


Age details:

In this fic, I've assumed that they're about eighteen, and they graduated from high school in september, before TDWT started. Plus the fic starts sometime in early April, because if Cody's birthday was April 1st and they were in Drumheller then, then the finale will have been sometime about April 3rd.

Okay: Last chapter- Heather changed her mind about betraying him, and they sort-of-became a couple, but Heather was still confused.


The rather uncomfortable boat ride ended when they docked a the same Mexican beach that, a day ago, the remaining three contestants (and a tag-along Sierra) had departed from to race to Hawaii. It was getting late, and despite pleas to stay in a first-class-hotel Chris was eyeing up, the rather exhausted and bored host refused, sending on the contestants. It was this part Heather had always liked about total drama; the amazing moment when it was actually over, and the fleeting relief it brought- the cameras were switched off, and not every moment was spent thinking of the competition and how you'd appear on national television. The group of teenagers boarded a much safer plane than the death trap Chris had forced them on; after spending a good few months on Chris's jet, it felt shockingly clean and comfortable. However, Heather still felt giddily on edge as she climbed into a seat.

She idly watched Geoff and Bridgette in the seats across from her; the way they moved, laughed and acted in an almost synchronized procession. Their relationship was enviably easy; a simple 1+1 combination. However, her mind was reeling; what the hell was going to happen now? Was she even going to see Alejandro again after this? Despite herself, she couldn't envision him not being there. His irksome presence had been there for so long that it would be weird; weird to not have to stay on her toes all the time in case she slipped up and humiliated herself in front of him, weird not to be strategizing ways to defeat him. Stranger still was the fact that her former enemy was sitting casually beside her, reclining smugly in the chair and giving her an occasional cocky smirk that she coudln't help returning with a raised eyebrow. It seemed like a good moment to talk things out- work out where they stood with each other- but neither of them ended up speaking.

Chris McClean and Chef were god knows where- most likely Chris was relaxing in Mexico somewhere for a while, Chef waiting on him hand and foot- so it was an unfamiliar TV executive that directed the cast on and off the plane. The airport had never been so welcome to her as she stumbled off the plane. She felt drained of energy- not just physical, but also mental- but any relief at returning home sunk when she saw her parents waiting for her with false, plastic smiles. Her face sunk into a contemptuous scowl; though they had always been unlikeable, covering up their clear dislike for Heather with false pride and backhanded compliments, since she returned from total drama action they'd been unbearable. Now she intentionally missed her gaze, turning snappily onto the luggage carousel. Her suitcase had yet to come up, and she glared at the slowly revolving belt. Suddenly, for the first time ever, being free of total drama felt... Sad? Now she'd graduated from high school the previous summer, she didn't know what she'd do wth her life; it was too late to enroll in college, and she was looking at a weary stretch of time alone with her parents for another year or so...

Her thoughts staggered to a halt when something was deposited swiftly in her hand. Her head snapped up; Alejandro was standing next to her, looking completely nonchalant as he wated for his own luggage to return, though it was obvious he'd given what she found was a slip of paper to her. She unfolded it curiously, restraining a snort; a phone number had been scrawled down, encircled with a heart. As her luggage finally came into view, Alejandro gave her a wink.

"Call me, chica." He ordered her. She rolled her eyes, but blew him a light kiss, sweeping up her luggage and preparing for the inevitable; a reunion with her parents. Currently she loathed the sight of them- her mother with her strange, bouncing hair, and her father with his curiously effeminate looks. As she stomped towards them, resisting the temptation to run back in the other direction, they both shot her fake grins.

"Hi, Heather Feather." Her father told her weakly. "We've missed you so much."

Heather did not return the forced smile; she'd given up trying to be civil to her parents.

"So, Rumour has it you won!" Her mother piped up. Heather's stomach curdled; of course. They'd be all over her- or, rather, the boost to their reputation it would bring- if she won.

"Tied for first place." Heather corrected sourly, eyes trailing towards the rows of cheap blue seats people were waicing to board in; eye contact was a last resort. "But I didn't get the money-"

However, on the word "tied," her parents' faces fell, and the words after that fell onpedal ears. They exchanged a look that oozed disappointment.

"Well, I'm sure you'll win something someday." Her mother said in a patronising tone, the words a clear backhanded compliment. Heather gritted her teeth at the underlying words; once again, you've let us down.

But before she could retort and inform her parents why she hadn't come first, she felt someone approach her, and didn't have to guess who. For the first time in her life, she was grateful that Alejandro had butted in.

"I'm sorry, but you didn't grant me a sufficient goodbye." He purred in her ear, and Heather delighted in the shock that hit the faces of her parents. Without any consent, he cupped her chin, and was once again kissing her. Her insides cheered; the timing was too perfect. Her parents, parents who has said in stage-whispers obviously meant for Heather to hear that she "would never get a good boyfriend" and criticised her appearance would be able to see their least-favourite child being kissed passionately by her very real boyfriend, directly in front of them. Part of her was reflexively wanting to slap Alejandro across the face, but she didn't. After enough time he pulled away, tipping her a wink and uttering something in Spanish.

"I will be seeing you soon." He told her, in a mock-threatening tone. She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at him. It was so hard to believe that two days ago, he was furious at her for betraying him and was all set to push her off a train...

As he retreated, Heather was pleased to acknowledge the gaping looks on her mother and father's faces.

"Heather!" Her mother gasped, looking flustered. "Who was that?"

Heather folded her arms across her halter-top, grey eyes radiating smugness.

"Alejandro." She said lightly, as though it was obvious; this was too fun to torment her parents. "Uh- didn't you know? He's my boyfriend."


"...so surprised, though." Her mother continued to babble as she pushed the white-glazed door open, revealing the achingly familiar house. Heather grimaced, repressing the urge to childishly stick her fingers in her ears.

Half an hour. She's been putting me down for HALF AN HOUR.

"I mean- not that you're ugly or anything, darling, but Anna's the one who usually gets boys like that."

Heather's eyes narrowed, but she shouldn't have expected any less. Her parents always had to find an excuse to put Heather down while glorifying her elder sister Anna, a girl who reminded Heather sickeningly of Courtney mixed with herself. As a child, she'd taken every word to heart painfully, but as she'd grown she'd developed a harsh outer layer.

Her expected triumph at shocking her parents with the revelation of Alejandro had turned into some form of punishment; they'd spent the last half hour picking her to pieces. She tried her hardest to ignore what they were saying as she stomped into the house; the dull green walls and pristine furniture had never seemed so plain and unwelcome. She didn't stop and listen to more useless, condesceding talk (her parents were now discussing whether or not Alejandro was gay, to Heather's fury); instead, she lugged her suitcase up the stairs. There was no sign of either of her siblings, which was a relief; her brother was a terror, while her sister... She shuddered at the memory, pushing open the door to her room.

Mercifully, her furniture was still there, unlike the time she'd returned from total drama island (seriously, who sells a girl's bed when she'd only left temporarily?). Her room looked mostly unchanged since she'd left it; the huge collection of wigs she'd purchased before her hair finally began to grow back and she got extensions was still left on her desk, the books on her bookshelf were still present, and her white cat bruiser (looking worryingly underfed) was curled up lazily on her bed. She clicked her fingers at him and he rubbed her hand appreciatively.

"At least you're happy to see me." She muttered sourly, petting him on the head as she flopped down on her bed.

Home didn't seem thrilling now.

During total drama, she'd longed to return somewhere safe, clean and secure. And, though she was disappointed not to win, after the first two seasons she'd been relieved to be back in an environment free of grime and bugs. But now- now she felt let down. There was so little to gain here, and she didn't have the power she had in the game- she couldn't intimidate people the way she'd been able to during the competition. She'd never had any power over her parents or siblings, despite what people thought, let alone connected with them. Even her mother, who she'd once actually liked, had become stuck up and condescending towards her. Their personalities clashed shockingly; she had no one-

Except, Heather corrected herself, she did have someone. Someone as devious and manipulative as her... She unfolded the number Alejandro had given her triumphantly, smirking. Heck, he was an arrogant jerk, but at least he seemed to care about her...


"Al?"

Alejandro's eye twitched of his own accord, but he forced the words that were boiling up in his throat back down. To "welcome his brother back", Josè had returned home from college for the weekend, and while his parents- particularly his father, who had always held a soft spot for Josè- thought it was sweet of him, Alejandro knew that t was purely to aggravate him. The middle Burromuerto son had been regaling his brother with disgustingly accurate impressions of Owen, who he had taken a liking to in the show purely because he irritated Alejandro. Alejandro was beginning to feelthe urge to rip Josè's stupid smug head off, but he tried to repress it- it would only egg Josè on more.

"Al," Josè repeated firmly, reaching out and roughly punching his brther's arm. Alejandro unwillingly addressed him.

"What?" He snapped venomously, sliding as far away from him on the leather couch as possible. He would have left the room, but there was no use; from the particularly malicious glint in Josè's brown eyes (he had inherited his father's eyes, unlike Alejandro who bore the same green eyes as his mother) he knew that he would have followed him anyway.

"Did you really give up a million dollars for a whore?" He hissed, Alejandro flinching at the word.

The moment Alejandro had been left alone with his nightmare sibling, Josè had latched onto Heather; with the minimal difference in time between when the show was filmed and when it aired, it was currently up to their time in Australia, and Josè had seen enough of the show to know about Heather's personality. He'd been ceaselessly calling her a slut and a whore, assuring Alejandro she was likely to ditch him as soon as possible. He, of course, did not approve of Alejandro's relationship; women to him were nothing other than bodies, and hearing about Alejandro's romantic confession nearly killed him with joy-yet another thing to aggravate his brother about; he'd taken to calling him lovebird every chance he got, and had begun to make as many digs at Heather as possible.

"Anyway, she must be easy." He decided in a matter-of-fact tone. "Otherwise, why wouldhShe date you? Little -CENSORED- must be desperate-"

"Shut up!" Alejandro snarled, snatching Josè's shirt collar violently. "Do not insult Heather, you filthy, incompetent little -CENSORED!-"

"Alejandro!" A feminine voice cautioned. Alejandro cringed, dropping his disgustingly smug brother. His mother stood in the doorway, a look of shock on her cinammon-skinned face. Naturally, she'd walked in on her sons the moment Alejandro had retaliated, and was therefore oblivious to Josè's earlier abuse. Josè shot her a look of thickly feigned innocence, and she sighed.

"He started it, Mama!" Alejandro snapped indignantly, the childish phrase sounding embarrassing once it left his mouth. His mother sighed as she breezed across the room, sitting down in the seat across from her children and giving them bth a stern look. Deep down, she knew that Josè bullied her youngest, and her maternal nature screamed out to defend him. Alejandro was- and always had been- her favourite child, yet she knew her husband favored the two eldest sons, and her peaceful nature forebode her to step in; if she properly disciplined Josè, he would automatically whine to his father, who would give his wife another boys-will-be-boys lecture.

"That may be," She responded belatedly, shooting Josè a slightly suspicious glance, "But it's rude to speak like that. Remember, I raised a gentlemen."

Alejandro scowled at his brother, whose face was reminiscent of a child who had just gotten away with stealing out the cookie jar. He had a good find to tell his mother the far more severe ways Josè had been describing Heather all afternoon, but knew better; instead, he stalked angrily out the room. As he passed through the hall, the state-of-the-art phone caught his eye, reminding him that he'd given Heather his number. Obviously it was unlikely that she'd phone him th day he'd given her his number, but a thought struck him; what if she never called? After all, she was Heather- stubborn and reluctant to show any affection to anyone. It seemed dubious that she would want to appear eager and phone him... He wished he'd pestered her for her number. However, there was still a way to get her number, which a quick check on the Internet confirmed; a certain purple-haired superfan whose name began with "S" and ended with "Ierra" had inexplicably acquired the phone numbers of everyone in the cast on her eleventh total drama blog (Cody's was surrounded with flashing heart emoticons). He quickly scrawled down the one listed for Heather (Sierra, on her blog, had typed in "Feel free to send hate-mail and prank call" above Heather's name), stopping for just a moment to contemplate how stalkerish it seemed; looking her up on the internet wasn't exactly his style.

Still- he had her number now. And- though he obviously wouldn't call her that exact day- he had a link back to Heather.


Wow, this chapter was REALLY uneventful. Still, I kinda needed the filler in there before interesting stuff happens. And ugh, I hated writing Josè, because they really don't say much abouthim (except that he's an even bigger jerk than Alejandro and torments him all the time) in TDWT. Josè is NOT going to play a major part in my fic, he may crop up or be mentioned from time to time but he's not gonna be major, because he just isn't important to the plot I have planned for this fic.

Um, I apologise for any random typos in this, but it was on my IPad, which autocorrects weirdly all the time. (Seriously, it autocorrected Alejandro into Alepepperoni one time. How does that even work?)

I promise to try and update sooner with the next chapter, guys. I kinda wanted to update this every week, but stuff keels getting in my way.