[EDITED: 3/7/2018]


Cody was on a plane, sitting in his seat as he looked out the window. Expression full of anxiety, he looked at the passing clouds.

He couldn't believe this is happening.

As of now, he's flying from Toronto to Houston...but it wasn't going to be a special event. He's going there for one excruciating reason...and he's dreading it.

Cody sighed forlornly.

'How did all of this happened?'


"Cody!? What's going on, what happened!?" Cody's mother came into the den, along with his father. They heard him yelling out something, which woke them up out of their slumber. They saw their son standing there, the phone still in his hand. He stared back at it, a stunned look on his face...

"Cody?" his father said, instant worry spreading on his facial features. "What's wrong, son?"

Cody stood there, not replying...

"Honey...what happened?" Cody's mother said in concern as she approached her son.

Cody slowly turned his head to his parents. "I...I have to go."

His parents blinked.

"Go? Cody, it's close to midnight. Where are you going?" Mr. Anderson asked in worry.

Cody was silent, not knowing what to say...

"Dear...did something happened to Gwen?" Mrs. Anderson asked, hoping her intuition is wrong.

"...Yes." Cody answered softly, almost as if he's in disbelief.

Mrs. Anderson's eyes widened in terror, while Mr. Anderson looked really concerned.

"Son...what happened to her?" Mr. Anderson asked his son in a soft haunted tone.

"...I don't know." was Cody's grim answer.

They all stood there, letting it all sink in...

Not wanting to see his son in such a grieving state, his mother went to her son and gave him a comforting hug. His father decided to comfort him as well with a hand on Cody's shoulder.

Cody couldn't believe these circumstances right now.

What happened to Gwen?

What was she hiding from?

Did...did she survive?

"Mom...Dad...I'm sorry, I...I have to go to Houston early."

His mother lets go of him, giving him a shocked look on her face, while his father gave him a look of understanding.

"N-Now? Cody, what are you gonna do?" Mrs. Anderson asked her son in concern.

"I...Gwen...she asked me to tell her mother and brother...that..." Cody tried not to shed any tears. He just can't believe that this was happening.

"Her mother and brother? Cody, wh-what happened to her? What was going on in that cruise?" his mother asked in a slight panic.

"...I really don't know." Cody said in such a confused state. "She just sounded...so scared...so...terrified."

Cody's mother felt uneasy about what Cody was describing. She turned to her husband, "Maxwell, we need to call someone."

Cody's father, Maxwell, frowned solemnly. "Lisa-"

"W-We need to call the US Government, someone, anyone!" Lisa said frantically.

"Mom," Cody said softly, feeling hopeless.

"Lisa, please-"

"Maybe the American Navy, or the American Coast Guard, or-or our Navy even!"

"Lisa, please calm down."

"Maxwell, I can't be calm! Something happened to Cody's friend!"

"Mom, please-"

"Who knows what happened to the girl!? We-we got to do something!"

"Mom!" Cody raised his voice, which caused his mother to stop her panicked ranting, and turned to her son.

Cody looked determined, feeling a new resolve. "Mom...I need to go to Houston in the US. I have to tell Gwen's mother and brother about the news. I...I don't know what happened to her, but...she asked me to tell her family...that..." he tried once again to not shed any tears. "...she..." he shook his head. "Look, I just need to go."

"Cody, wait, we need to contact the authorities." his mother tried to reason.

"Mom, just...let me do this...please...for Gwen," Cody said in a pleading tone.

Lisa looked at her son with worried eyes.

It was then his father said, "You might need a passport."

Lisa looked at her husband incredulously. "Maxwell..."

Even Cody was shocked. "Dad..."

"Son, you really have grown into a fine young man," Maxwell said with a soft melancholy smile. "You might need to pack a few things as well and reschedule your flight."

Cody looked at him with such gratefulness. "Thanks, Dad...I know the airport closes in a few minutes, but I'll sleep at the hotel near it. I'll try to find a last minute flight until then."

Maxwell nodded. "Be safe, son."

Cody nodded back. "I will." he turned to his mother. "Mom...I'm sorry, but I have to do this. Please understand..."

His mother looked at him with tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, I know, Cody...just be careful," she said with a hug to her son.

Cody returned it back. It was then his father joined the warm embrace, hugging his son as well.


Now, he's flying to Houston...to tell Gwen's mother and brother the horrible news...

Could he really do this?

A part of him likes to believe that Gwen is still alive out there, and that she's faring well with whatever is happening to her...but her voice being laced with fear was something that he could never forget...something that really sounded like she was in real trouble...almost as if she was certain that she wouldn't be coming back.

He shook his head. 'No...don't think that...she could still be alive and I don't even know it.'

...But if he thinks that, then why is he doing this?

Cody blinked.

Actually...now that he thinks about it...what's the purpose of telling her mother and brother that she won't be coming back? They need to hold onto some hope that she could be alive somewhere...right?

But the way Gwen sounded, so convinced that she surely wasn't going to survive...

Surviving from what, he doesn't know. All he knows is that Gwen sounded scared...and it takes a lot for Gwen to get scared.

He shook his head once again and grunted. 'I really didn't think this through, did I?'

He was so determined to fulfill Gwen's last wish, that he never thought of the consequences of what would happen if he did tell them. Did her mother really wanted to know what happened to her daughter? What about her brother? They sounded like they were really close; could he tell him what might've happened to his sister?

Then an alarming thought stuck him.

'Wait...what if they don't know me? What if Gwen hadn't said anything about me?'

Cody frowned at that. 'No, Gwen had to have told them about me at one time. Besides, I would think her mother and brother watched a little bit of Total Drama, no matter how embarrassing it could be at times.'

Nodding at that assumption, he looked out the window of his seat...

He then had another alarming thought in his mind.

'Wait...if they did saw the show...then they might have saw me do all those stupid creepy things with Gwen!'

Cody cringed.

'Oh man...I really hope they don't label me as some sort of freak! Crap! I should've thought about the consequences of making a fool of myself while being on national television!'

He put a hand on his face and groaned quietly. He turned to his left to see the passenger next to him is sound asleep. Turning back to the window, he gazed at the sky that was passing him by...

He looked at his reflection on the glass and frowned soberly.

"Well..." he said quietly, thankful that the air noise is drowning him out. "I'm here either way, flying to Houston to tell them the news..."

...He sighed.

'...I hope you're okay out there, Gwen.'


After he checked in a hotel and got into his room, he had his laptop opened to try to search on the white pages for Gwen's family residence.

Her last name was Parker, which there was a dozen of Parker's in the pages of the Houston area, including in the suburbs. However, he was looking for one exact Parker residence, and that was on the north side of Houston somewhere around the suburb of Spring. Gwen mentioned living in that area to him one time on their Skype talks, so he looked for that last name to find any results.

Luckily enough, he came up with only one address in the whole Spring area with the last name 'Parker'. It says 'Parker, Vanessa'.

'Alright...I just hope this is the right address.' He grabbed his phone and was about to call the number when he hesitated...

'Okay, just...just act natural. B-But not too natural...I mean, I have to act natural, but...this is about her daughter possibly being...' Cody cringed, feeling dread in his stomach. '...I really hope I can get through this...'

He sighed pitifully. "They don't deserve this...to have a daughter and a sister be taken away from them..." He shook his head and dialed the number. "I really hope this is the number though..."

When he put the phone to his ear, it rang...

...And rang...

...After the third ring, Cody was getting nervous.

Then after the fourth ring, it was picked up.

"Hello?" said a mature woman's voice.

Cody gulped. "Um...is this Vanessa Parker?"

"Um, yes...who is this?"

"This is...t-this is...u-uh..."

"...Wait a minute, does this something to do with my daughter?"

Cody froze as his breath got caught in his throat. The way she asked it sounded so grave...and almost a tiny bit hopeful if Cody could decipher it.

'Yep...this is the right residence.' He thought grimly.

"...Hello!? Is it!?"

Cody jumped at the sudden urgent tone. 'Yikes! Okay, alright, no turning back now.' "Y-Yes...i-it is."

...There's silence.

He didn't know if she heard him, so he decided to repeat it again until he heard her repeat the previous question a while ago. "Who is this?"

Cody took a deep breath. "Mrs. Parker...this is...Cody Anderson..."

...There was more silence.

...Until Vanessa softly said. "Oh my gosh...something happened to her..."

He could feel the fear in her voice.

Cody had to stay strong for this.

Before he could say anything else, she asked him, "What happened? Gwen talked about you. Cody, isn't it? Please, tell me what happened to my daughter, she hasn't called last night! She usually does, but she didn't, what happened!?"

Cody sat there, feeling Mrs. Parker's anguish. He closed his eyes shut, not letting his tears slip away. "I...I don't really know."

"What?"

"She...she called me last night...and...s-she..." Could he do this? Does her mother really need to know the details? He felt like hyperventilating all over again, but he couldn't do that on the other line. He had to suck all this anxiety up.

"She...she sounded scared...and..." he swallowed air. "S-She sounded like she was running away from something...I don't know what, but...she...wanted to tell me...to tell you and her brother...that she loves you all..." Cody finished, his eyes still watering as one tear slipped away.

What felt like the third time, there was silence...

Cody frowned. "M-Mrs. Parker?"

"...Cody, isn't it?"

He blinked and gulped, "Yes..." He awaited whatever she'll say.

"...Thank you...thank you so much..."

Cody stayed silent...

"It's...it's not what I wanted to hear, but...if she asked you to tell us that...then...t-thank you..." Vanessa sounded like her voice cracked.

When Cody heard her voice break, he couldn't take it. "Mrs. Parker, I...I'm actually in Houston right now...I...I just...I don't know if Gwen ever talked about me too much, but-"

"Oh, she has...she told us a lot about you."

He eyes widened. "She has?" 'Please let it not be embarrassing things.'

"Yes. She told us about how you acted in Total Drama and throughout."

'Oh crap, she did.' "U-Um, M-Mrs. Parker, I-I'm not like that anymor-"

"But they were mostly nice things," she told him just in time. "She told us how you've matured into a good young man...and that she really appreciates your friendship with her."

"Oh...w-well...u-um, okay..." Cody said awkwardly.

He felt as if Mrs. Parker was giving out a sad smile. "I admit, when I first saw you trying to hit on my daughter on the show when it first aired, I didn't appreciate it...but after she told me that you decided to break out of your shell back at Toronto those four years ago, she was really impressed."

Cody smiled softly at the information. "That's...that's good to know."

Vanessa hummed...she then asked, "Cody...you said you're in Houston right now, correct?"

"Um, yes ma'am. I just...I mean, come to think of it, I've already told you what I need to tell you, but I just...I don't know, maybe I could...maybe I could meet up with you and Derek? I mean...I-I don't want to...I don't want to make my presence be a burden to you all, but I just thought-"

"Young man...Gwen spoke good things about you more than you would know...and maybe it's just to remember my daughter, but I like to hear what you two talked about on those Skype calls...maybe you can tell me what you like about my daughter...and I can tell you what she liked about you...will you be in the city for dinner?"

"Uh...y-yes. I wanted to...well, Gwen wanted me to meet you all when I came. Did...did she mentioned that?"

"Oh yes, she did. And Derek and I couldn't wait to meet you. She said such high praise about you."

"Oh...w-well, I-I'm not that special..." Cody said with a flattered blush.

"Well, you made my daughter genuinely happy."

Cody straightened up. "I-I did?"

"Mm-hmm. She's had it really tough in school, and seeing that she has someone to talk to that she trusts very deeply, not only makes her happy but makes me happy as well."

Touched to hear that, Cody smiled softly again. "Th-...thank you, Mrs. Parker."

He somehow could feel another sad smile coming from Vanessa. "Where are you staying?"

Cody blinked. "Uh-um...a Holiday Inn Express."

"...Would you like to come over to our house tonight?"

He blinked again. "Uh...I mean, again, I don't want to be a burden-"

"You are no burden. I can tell from talking to you, that you are a very honest young man. How about after you eat, you can come over to our home and we'll...talk about Gwen."

"...That...that would be nice."

Mrs. Parker hummed once more. "...Cody...you said that you didn't know what happened to Gwen...do you...do you think she could still be alive?"

Cody paused for a moment...he remembered what he thought about on the plane, how Gwen could withstand anything. "Mrs. Parker...I don't know for certain, but...I feel like if she can survive a totally deranged reality show, then I do have the feeling that...she's still out there somewhere. Whether she's hiding or if she's safe from whatever it is that's out there to get her...I feel like she'll be okay."

Vanessa was silent on the other line...until she said. "That's good to hear, Cody. I need all the hope I can get."

He smiled warmly, feeling good on giving Mrs. Parker hope. After asking if Cody had GPS on his rental car, Vanessa told him that she and Derek will see him around seven.

"Again, Cody...thank you for making my daughter happy."

Now Cody couldn't help but shed another tear as he smiled. "You're most welcome, Mrs. Parker."

And with that, he hung up...

Sitting there, he thought about the circumstances that were happening to the Parker family right now, with Gwen's brother Derek now being back to positive on his cancer. The whole reason for Gwen to have taken this cruise trip was to earn more money so she can help pay for the expensive operation on her brother and give some of it for research.

"...I need to do something for them." Cody muttered.

...He then decided.


'This is the place...I hope.' Cody thought in slight anxiety.

He stood in front of the supposed Parker residence, which was a nice one story traditional home. After driving through a fast food place to eat supper and eating in the parking lot in his car, he went over to where Gwen's mother and brother live.

He parked on the side of the curb and is now on their walkway. He was standing a little bit away from the door, trying to mentally prepare himself to go even further towards it.

He took a deep breath. "Well...here goes..." he advanced towards the door. Once he went up to it, he rang the doorbell.

He felt nervous...

The door opened to reveal a woman in her mid-forties, wearing glasses and a short-sleeved blue blouse, along with black jean pants. Her facial features almost looked like Gwen, even her black hair color. She actually looked like an older version of her daughter.

Her eyes also looked a little red...possibly from crying.

"Cody?" Vanessa asked with a sniffle.

Cody smiled tenderly. "Yes, ma'am."

Vanessa, through her grief, smiled as well. "Cody. It's nice to finally meet you."

Cody nodded. "It's nice to finally meet you as well." He then peeked around her for a moment. "Um...is Derek in the house?"

Mrs. Parker frowned somberly. "He is...I...I told him about Gwen."

"Oh..." Cody frowned as well. "U-Um...is he...is he okay?"

Vanessa sighed. "...He's taking it hard. And...with his cancer back, he feels..." she grimaced. "...He feels like not only he lost hope, but his sister as well..."

Cody frowned even deeper. "...Is...Is it okay if I see him?"

"...He's very emotional. I don't know if it's a good idea."

Cody stood there, contemplating on what he's about to say. "...Mrs. Parker..." he said with a resolute face. "I want to help you and Derek with your situation."

Vanessa looked at Cody in surprise. "You...You do?"

He nodded. "I want to help pay for Derek's operation."

Mrs. Parker looked at him stunned. "...Are...Are you sure?"

Cody smiled. "Absolutely. My parents and I will surely give you some money to pay off the hospital bills."

Vanessa still looked at him in shock. "...You...You don't have to do this."

Cody smiled sincerely as he put a hand on Gwen's mother's shoulder. "I thought about this when I was in my hotel room after we hung up...I really want to. In fact, if you're sending him to a research hospital, then I'll donate every bit of my money to it."

Vanessa's mouth dropped open in awe. "...Are you...are you really serious about this?"

Cody nodded again with the same smile on his face. "I'm serious. I'm going to be an intern for a video game company in Los Angeles. I want to commit donating at least once a month if you're sending him to a research hospital. Also, if I get the job and if Derek is still sick, I'll surely donate a good amount of my salary. And believe me, video game companies pay really well."

Mrs. Parker stood there, stunned beyond belief. Her lips then slowly turned upward, smiling with soft gratitude. "...Thank you."

"It's my pleasure." Cody smiled warmly.

Vanessa looked at him with warmth as well, smiling as she said. "Gwen was right about you."

Cody blinked at the statement, but he smiled tenderly again, feeling elated to her that.


Cody was in front of Derek's closed door. Vanessa gave him permission to speak to him but was hesitant on doing so...

He sighed. "I've come this far..."

He knocked on the door.

"Um, Derek?" he raised his voice. "This...This is Cody. I, uh, I hope you heard of me from...from your sister." he winced. 'Ah man. I don't want to remind him of Gwen...' "I just...I just want to talk to you for a moment..."

There was no reply.

Cody gulped. "Um...Derek...I know...I know you're suffering right now." Cody paused as he realized how grim that sounded, especially talking to a cancer victim. 'Ah come on, you idiot! Try to think of something better than that! You don't need to remind him of his condition!' "L-Look, I just...I just came by to..." he sighed deeply. "...Derek, I wish I could bring her back...so you can have a sister again...so you can have someone to help you out with what you have...but...I can only pray and hope that she's okay...I don't think she's gone, really...I believe in Gwen too much for her to go down like that...I just...I just don't want you to lose hope..."

There was still no reply...

...Until he heard a soft voice from the inside of the room. "Come in."

Cody heard him, and carefully open the door to enter his room.

He sees that the 18-year-old boy was laying on his bed, his appearance looking quite young. He was wearing a large black shirt and gray cotton pants. His hair was dark brown and his physique is on the lanky side as well. Next to his bed, was a turned on lamp on his right nightstand.

Derek turned his head to Cody. His eyes looked red from weeping as well.

"Uh...hey," Cody said softly, trying not to upset him in any way.

"...You're Cody, right?" Derek asked, his tone still soft.

"...Yes..." he answered.

"...Mom told me you were coming...she told me the news also..." he glances down at the floor from his laying position, not looking at Cody. "...Do...Do you really think she could be alive?"

Cody stood in the door-frame, trying to think of what to say...

"...To be honest...I don't know for sure..." Cody answered.

Derek looked up at him and stared at him, eyes looking hurt from the statement.

"But...I do think she could withstand anything..." Cody finished in time to give him hope.

The young boy's expression softened a bit, the statement getting his hopes up.

The silence was evident in the room.

Cody sighed and slowly walked over to where Derek was. Once he reached to his bed, he sat on the bedside, his back turned away from him, but his side facing him.

Derek laid there looking at the side of Cody's face...he adjusted himself and sat up cross-legged next to Cody.

"...Gwen talks about you." Derek says.

Cody turned his head at Derek. "Does she?"

Derek nodded. He stayed silent for a while, until he said, "You know, when the first season of Total Drama was on, and when you came onto the show...I pretty much thought you were a dork."

Cody froze as he looked at Derek. "Um..." he turned away and blushed. "...Yeah, I...kind of was a...dork back then...and not the good kind."

Derek cracked a smile but remained quiet... "The show aired when Gwen was doing the fifth season...when she came back home and mentioned you, she sounded...happy. Like she was pleasantly surprised..." he glanced at his hands in his lap. "...I don't know what happened back at Toronto, but...if Gwen spoke highly of you after that day..." he glanced at Cody. "...then you're okay in my book."

Cody looked back at Derek and smiled in gratitude. "Thanks."

Derek nodded.

It was then Cody spotted a picture on Derek's nightstand. It looked like Derek and Gwen when they were younger. Gwen was hugging the back of her brother, both smiling brightly.

Derek looked in the direction where Cody was glancing. He smiled sadly. "That's a picture when we were younger. I was twelve and she was fifteen. We were in Niagara Falls at that time..." he stopped explaining as his eyes began to well up.

Cody noticed this, wishing he could say something comforting. "Derek..." he hesitated a moment, but he kept going. "Look...I may not know what happened to her, but...I know that Gwen is a strong girl. She went through a lot of stuff in the show, both physically and psychologically even. If...If she could survive all of that, then...I positively do have the feeling that she could be alive out there."

Derek glanced at Cody, his gaze almost watchful and mindful.

They sat on the bed for a couple more seconds.

Derek began to say, gazing back at his hands in his lap. "...Gwen almost talks about you all the time."

Cody turned back to Derek. "Does she really?"

Nodding, Derek said, "Yeah...she...she liked how you 'broke out of your shell', basically."

Cody smiled solemnly once more. "I have been doing that a lot recently."

Derek chuckled softly. "...Thanks for coming all the way over here just to comfort us. That's pretty cool of you. I mean, you didn't really have to do that."

The older boy gave him sympathetic smile. "I want to."

The teenager smiled genuinely for the first time...but it soon turned back into a frown. "...Gwen was trying to get money from the cruise to pay for my operation...my mom was going to contribute as well, her being a preschool teacher..."

Cody's face was neutral, but his eyes looked grave.

"...Now...I wish she hadn't gone off on that cruise...not only because she didn't get the money, but...because...my sister might be gone."

Cody frowned. 'He's very strong...'

"...My...My sister was my only hope...and she...she could be anywhere, whether she's missing or...or..." he grimaced. "..I...I don't even know what happened to her..." Derek closed his eyes, about to sob.

Cody, feeling heartbroken and in grief himself, instinctively put his left hand on the teenage boy's right shoulder. Derek raised his hand to his own crying face, trying to cover his despair.

"It's...it's not fair..." Derek said with a sob. "I...I want Gwen to be here...to help me through this...s-she's like my hero...and...she could be gone for all I know..."

Cody was tearing up as well, feeling helpless on making him feel any better.

Derek continued. "I-I don't know...how much time I might even have left...I...I could die any day now."

"Derek." he interrupted him, shaking him a little bit with his hand on his shoulder, which the boy dropped his hand off his face and stared at him with red watery eyes.

Cody took a deep breath, trying not to shed any tears that were forming in his eyes as well. "Derek...I may not be your sister...but I can try, with all my might, to help you pay for your operation."

The boy's eyes widened. "What?"

Cody nodded. "I, along with my parents even, will pay for it. I'm pretty certain my folks will agree to it."

Derek looked at him in shock.

The older boy smiled reassuringly. "I'm going to be an intern soon for a video game company in Los Angeles when school starts again. And if I do really well and get the job, I can donate some of my salaries to the research hospital you'll be attending."

The younger boy just stared at him, not believing what he's hearing. "...Are...Are you really gonna do that?"

"Of course. It's the least I could do." Cody told him.

Derek just kept staring at him, obviously moved by his declaration. His eyes were tearing up once more, the feeling of hope coming back in his features. "Th...Thank you."

Cody nodded with a kind smile. Patting his shoulder, he let go of Derek.

They were both quiet for a moment, Derek wiping his tears as he sat there, while Cody silently smiled back at him in a reassuring way.

As soon as he got it together, Derek asked him. "So...you play video games?"

Cody smiled brightly. "Yeah. Do you play any?"

Derek nodded. "I sure do."

"Awesome! What kind?"

Derek smiled once again as he told Cody the type of game genres he likes to play.

And it was then Cody and Derek became good friends that day...


After reassuring Derek that he'll pay the bills of the operation, they talked a bit about their favorite games, making the young 18-year-old boy feel at ease for now. He got to know Cody very well through his interest in video games, talking about their favorite characters, to their favorite moments in these games. They even exchanged gamer-tags on each game console, so they could keep in touch online while they play games.

When Cody left the Parker household, he told his parents about the situation on Derek. They gladly agreed to help and pitch in the money to Cody to help with Derek's operation when the time comes.

He actually stayed in Houston for a couple more days, feeling like he should hang out with Derek to give the boy some emotional support. The weather was going to be bad anyways tomorrow, an awful storm coming through from what the weather forecast said.

Either way, the younger boy was very happy that he stayed those extra days, feeling like he actually has a new big brother, while Cody bonded with the boy like he was his own younger sibling.

When it was time to go, he bid Vanessa and Derek farewell and went back to Mississauga. While he flew back home, the Parker family was still on Cody's mind, especially Derek.

He had to keep his promise...he had to help out Gwen's brother.

'Don't worry, Derek...I'll help you...just like Gwen would.' he thought as he drifted to sleep in his seat while flying back to Canada.


Three years later, in Los Angeles, California...


In a condominium complex in Santa Monica, an elevator dings.

Out came out a more mature looking, 24-year-old Cody, whose apartment was on the third floor. He returned back home from his job at his video game company that he works in, ready to relax for the evening.

Cody still had his mop of shaggy brown hair and is still sporting his short goatee beard. He's wearing more casual clothes, such as a bright blue buttoned up shirt with a white undershirt underneath it, along with some dark jeans, and a pair of black formal shoes.

He went up to his door and got his key out, unlocking his door and entering his home. Once he closed the door, he locked it, putting his keys in the key dish, and made his way to the couch to relax. Plopping onto it, he took a deep breath...

Today has been a very productive day. He's working in the company that makes "League of Warriors", and he's been developing new games for the company. The pay is very good, enough to probably buy himself a home. However, he chose the condominium life, basically just wanting the right appropriate space for himself. He didn't really want to live the fancy life of a successful game designer, he's more simple that way.

Besides, he basically used the majority of his money to donate through Derek's treatment two years ago. Derek seems to be doing splendidly after the operation and is now cancer-free, thanks to Cody donating to the research hospital that he was staying in. Getting rid of the cancer was indeed time-consuming, but the doctors had finally taken it out before it could really spread even further into his skin. And since it's so rare, they had to get him the right treatment to make sure it doesn't come back, which they found with advance medicine that was mixed with natural remedies, as well as a new diet, so this specific cancer wouldn't come back.

Vanessa was extremely grateful for Cody's donations for Derek, and even more-so, Derek was forever grateful to Cody. He and Cody have been keeping in touch through emails, phone calls, and through online gaming, which means the whole world to Derek. Not only he had a friend, but he honestly felt like he had a brother now. They talk about different things, such as shows, comics, and games, and asking how the other person is doing.

Cody smiled at the accomplishment he done for the Parker family...

'Wherever you are Gwen...just know that your brother is going to be fine now...'

He frowned as he remembers that day...that horrifying phone call.

I don't know if I'm gonna make it back...

He closed his eyes and lowered his head...

It's been three years...three long years...and still no sign of Gwen.

The Coast Guard tried to find the ship that Gwen was on, but shockingly enough, they haven't found anything. No remains, nothing. They even contacted authorities in Belize, but they haven't seen a ship pass through during that time. It was very discerning for Cody, as well as for the Parker family.

A month ago was the anniversary of Gwen's disappearance.

...He wished he knew what happened to her.

No matter how many years had passed, he genuinely still thinks that she's somewhere out there...he just doesn't know where. The Parker family actually had moved on, although they are still saddened by their loss. But Cody still held onto that hope that she could still be alive...

As Cody sat there, feeling a little dejected, his phone rang. Snapping out of his sudden crestfallen mood, he got the phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID.

It was Trent.

With a smile, he answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hey, Cody! How's it going, man?"

"Going pretty good! Another successful day at the workspace. How're you and the band doing?"

"Doing great! We've been getting shows off and on, earning the extra dough. We got a show tonight actually at Dracy's. I called to know if you like to see how much we've improved?"

Not only Cody was in California, but conveniently enough, Trent was as well. He decided to make a name for himself in Los Angeles, spreading his musical talent in certain clubs. He and Cody would sometimes meet up with each other, always catching up with what's going on with their lives. It was good for the tech geek to actually have someone to talk to.

"Trent, you don't need improvement, you're already that good," Cody told him.

"Well, you know what they say, time and practice make you even better."

Cody chuckled. "Well, either way, I'm sorry to say buddy, but it's my supper time, and right now I'm at my place hankering for some Mexican leftovers."

"Hey, we start at eight. It's like six right now, so you can pretty much hang around if you want. They'll be plenty of good looking women there."

Cody smiled sadly. "Trent, you don't have to try to set me up with anyone."

"Aw come on, Cody, you need yourself a girlfriend! A nice guy like you can certainly bag a great gal in this club! There's this one girl who's a good friend of mine-"

"Trent, really, it's okay. I'm not looking for a serious relationship with anyone right now. I will, however, go to the club to see the show, though."

"...Cody, man. You need a girl. I mean, I get that..."

Cody sighed. "Look, Trent, I know what you're going to say, but...I feel like..."

"Cody, it's been three years."

"I know...it's just...I get the feeling that she's still out there."

Trent sighs on the other line. "Cody...I want to believe so too, but...well, I don't want to get your hopes up if things come to worse."

"Trent, we already had this discussion. I...I don't really want to hear it again."

"...Okay, Cody. I'm sorry...but...you'll still come, right? Not just to look for a girl, but just to at least have a good time?"

Cody smiled appreciatively. "Yeah. Of course."

"Great! The show starts at eight, so scarf down that Mexican food while you can. Maybe we'll catch up with a couple of cold ones after the show?"

He chuckled. "Sure! I'll be there!"

"Awesome! See you then Cody!"

"Later!"

They hung up.

Cody sighed...

The tech geek really wants to believe that Gwen could still be alive after all these years. It may seem like a hopeless cause, but again, he can still hope...

...He looked at the time on his phone.

6:28

Taking a breath through his nose, he went to his kitchen to get his food. While going over there he checked his email on his phone.

'Exactly 20 emails.'

As he went to his email app, he went to his fridge to get his Styrofoam box of food out. He placed the box on the counter to look up his new emails for the day.

'Hm. The majority of them are advertisements and mail from some of the Total Drama cast...' he placed his phone on the counter and placed his food on a pan to warm up his food in the oven. Once he did that, he picked up his phone, sat in the chair near his table, and looked up the emails on his phone while he waits for his food to warm up.

He read the ones that were from the TD cast first. Each one was from Noah, Harold, DJ, Owen, and a few more of his friends that he made while he was on the show. They were basically checking up on him, which Cody's really thankful that they would still go all the way to see if he was alright. Especially after what happened to Gwen three years ago...

Getting rid of that thought, he scrolled down to see who else could have emailed him.

There was even one from Derek that told him about an upcoming tournament on an online gaming site that they should compete in. Cody smiled at that, happy to see that Gwen's brother is living well after the cancer fiasco. The others that were emailed advertisements, he deleted.

However, when he scrolled even further down, he saw something that made him froze.

There was an email...from Gwen Parker.

Cody blinked.

"What the...?" Cody muttered to himself in confusion.

The email had been sent today at 8:00 AM while he was at work...but the time 'Gwen' sent this email was 10:00 AM...

In the preview of the email under the name, there were the words:

Dulvey, Louisiana. Baker farm. Come get me.

Curious, he touched the email to open it.

It said the same thing:

Dulvey, Louisiana.

Baker farm.

Come get me.

Cody blinked again.

That was all there is in the email.

"What...?"

Gwen...contacted him?

After three years?

But...she was missing.

Cody stared at the email, almost as if he's deciphering the message...

Actually, when he thinks about it...the route that the ship Gwen was on was still in the Gulf of Mexico...and Louisiana is above the Gulf...

He shook his head. "No...this...this is a prank...a cruel prank."

...But what if it isn't?

He gazed at the email again.

Did someone hacked into her email account? And if they did, then why would they do so? Why would they message him for this? Why...

Cody studied the email one last time...

He exited out of his email app and went to the internet on his phone, his meal forgotten for now. He went to Google and typed in Dulvey, Louisiana.

It was an actual small town and a parish in Louisiana. It's situated in the marsh coast, basically in the backwoods...

...Could Gwen...?

He shook his head again.

"Come on, Cody, you know it's too good to be true..." he paused for a second. "...But..." he grunted. "Who's responsible for this?" He went back to the email app and checked the email address that was sent to him.

The email address was exactly like the one Gwen uses...he remembers it well...

"...This...This can't be Gwen...can it?" Cody asked himself in question.

Could this be a scam? Is this really a cruel prank?

...Or...could...could she be in trouble?

Cody doesn't know.

But today is a Friday...and he has the day off tomorrow...

...He might need more day-offs.

If this really is Gwen...then he can't pass this opportunity. What if she's really trapped somewhere? And if she is, then why is she kept there? Is she being held hostage?

There were so many questions that need to be answered...

Cody...I love you.

...His dinner was ready...but he isn't hungry right now.

...He might need to go on this trip...but he's not going alone. If this was a prank, he needs someone with him...

All Cody could think was one thing.

'Are you really alive, Gwen?'


And that's the end of all that boring stuff! In the next chapter, we FINALLY get into the Resident Evil side of things! BE PUMPED, FOLKS! 8D

Thank you all for enjoying this story so far! I'm really glad you're all liking it! Leave a review, fave, and follow if you can! :)

Keep on rocking everybody! ^_^

-TSP