Okay, another rest day. I'm probably not going to write full chapters on them anymore, since most of Toni's friends are gone and there's less for her to do. Thanks for reviewing, lordgemini, AnonBrowser and OmniIBIBUltraInstinctGodzilla.

I made an immense effort to make up with Zoey the next day. I'd missed being friends with her, and although I probably wouldn't keep in touch with her, I thought I could just about hold it together if she didn't talk about Mike. I even told her that. "Just…can we not talk about you having a boyfriend and all that?" I said carefully. "I'm not ready to face that yet."

Zoey gave me a sympathetic smile. "I understand. I'd feel the same way if our positions were reversed. But I do still want to be friends."

We just chatted quietly for most of the day. Cameron joined us, too. Lightning was mostly just in the zone, being active all day long. I didn't see much of Scott at all, but I suspected he was strategizing, now that I knew he had at least two votes coming for him unless he could get invincibility or convince the others to go for Lightning.

For the next two days, though, I did what Jo had said and went for runs alone. It wasn't anywhere near as much fun, but the island really was quiet during the early morning, as if it had no toxic waste anywhere and it was just a regular island, like it had been a year ago.

Nothing much else happened on the break day, except I approached Chef. "Um, I don't know if you remembered, but tomorrow, it's your turn to take the challenge. Did you check with the producers what your plan is?"

Chef nodded gruffly. "What's your plan tomorrow?"

I shrugged. "I'll hang around, narrate for the camera. I know you're not into doing that. I have to record the opening for the episode anyway where I talk about the last one." (It was the most boring part of the job, standing on the dock and announcing, "Last time, on Total Drama Revenge of The Island….", but it had to be done).

The challenge, by the way, was simple. While Chef sent everyone off to make food out of anything they could find on the island, I went to get DJ from the dock.

"I know you didn't want to come," I told him sympathetically, "But the fans love you. The producers said I had to choose you, and this is your thing – cooking. Just pretend you're on Master Chef or something."

DJ managed a weak smile. "If anything scares me," he said firmly, "I'm bailing. That's my sticking point. I'm not going to stick around just to be freaked out again."

I couldn't help laughing. "You're a lot tougher than you think. I mean, nothing on here is going to be scarier than Heather in a face mask."

I spent most of my time in my trailer, watching. DJ actually did bail, in the end, but I blamed Scott for that. The thing was, everyone had made something. Cameron managed a reasonable mushroom quiche, but the mushrooms looked like they could be radioactive. Zoey had made a salad, but there were bugs on it. Lightning had managed a creamy sauce on a giant maggot, but hadn't bothered to kill it, so it kept rearing up while he was cooking it. My reasoning? Scott had copied Cameron with most of what was going on and made his own quiche, but it was green and seemed to have something alive in it – and that's what made DJ run for it, screaming. In fact, he ended up running straight into my trailer.

"Sorry," I said quickly, "I had no idea what those four were going to make. I know now they're going to have to reap what they sow." Chef had told them that they had to eat their own food before DJ had made it here. "Anyway, the boat won't be back for a while, so you'll have to wait until the episode's done."

I would totally have done something if I'd caught Scott swapping quiches by distracting Cameron, or even earlier if I'd caught him putting poison ivy in Zoey's salad, but I didn't catch him cheating. So when he won the eating challenge and was allowed an advantage in the manhunt footrace combination (the only one without a tracking collar), I couldn't complain.

DJ didn't see that part, either, but we discussed things as we watched Cameron help Lightning lose his collar via technical hacking, along with his own. "Doesn't that mean…" DJ began.
"That Zoey's at a major disadvantage." I said grimly. "I haven't had an easy time of her being on the show, but I don't like it, either."

About a dozen different things happened within the rest of the challenge. Scott nearly won, but Fang jumped in front of him first and kept him from getting to the finish pole. Lightning had originally promised to help Cameron to the finish line after he got their collars off, but then had run off. Cameron had arrived there by being so little and light he'd hung onto the back of Lightning without him even noticing.

Well, I couldn't have that. Before either of them could touch the pole, I put the intercom on. "Lightning, stop now! Before anyone touches the finish line pole, Cameron, let go – I'm sure you've had enough of a lucky break getting here."

I'd forgotten Zoey. If I'd been there, it would have been fatal. I mean, all went well. Lightning got immunity. He and Cameron were fine, but not Scott.

When I watched the footage back, I finally saw what happened to the sweet, quiet Zoey I'd known for most of the season. Chef had found her and attacked her with a spaghetti bazooka, and she'd just…snapped. She tore a strip off her shirt and tied it around her head, painted soot on her face, and then made a whole lot of traps and declared that it was payback time. "And I don't care if that's okay with everyone!" She'd taken revenge on Chef first, and then Scott. Needless to say, Chef had a lot of patching up to do before the elimination, which I still got to host.

I gave a sigh, looking at the final four. "Okay, everyone. Lightning, you've got a ticket to the final three. Cameron, you had no votes against you, so you're safe too."

Then I looked at the last two. "Zoey, you did get votes against you. I think you freaked out a couple of people today." Zoey tried not to smile, but I thought she seemed pleased at the idea. "Including me," I went on. "But as you're not injured today, votes don't count. Scott is officially too injured and must go home next."

Despite being half mummy and in a wheelchair, Scott scowled and said "What? You've got to be kidding me!"

I smiled in spite of myself. "Sorry, but you know, cheaters never prosper. I missed it the first time, but I watched the footage again. DJ helped me – you sabotaged Cameron and Zoey today. And don't think I don't know you owe Dawn and Mike, not to mention a few others, a major apology. Go recuperate. Chef really wants to try using the Hurl of Shame anyway, so he'll come and drag you there if you don't show up in the next two minutes."

I turned to the final three. "Lightning, Cameron, you can head back to the cabin. Zoey, can I talk to you for a second?"

The boys left, but Zoey stayed where she was. The episode was over, so the cameras were off us. I sat down on the stump next to her. "You know," I said quietly, "I was proud of what you did today. You really let loose and stood up for yourself. But you don't have to go crazy for it."

"You know why I've done this?" Zoey said in a new, harsh tone that she'd never used before. "Because I'm not going to be that passive small-town girl any more. When has that ever helped me here? This is who I am. Who I've always wanted to be."

I edged away. If Zoey wanted to be tough, sure, whatever. But something felt very wrong about her manner. "Um, okay, so you're this really scary, tough warrior girl now and everything. That's great, really. But I'm serious. I liked you as you were. And I think Mike prefers the old you as well."

I saw Zoey's eyes flicker as I said Mike's name, but she still used the same tone as she spoke. "At this point, I'm not interested in being a loser any more. This show is to win, and I will prove it. It's about time I stood up for myself."

I gave a sigh. "Well, I'm not going to say anything more about it. But Zoey? Can I tell you something?"

Zoey made eye contact with me, her face expectant of something she thought she wouldn't want to hear.

I made my peace with myself, smiled and said "I'm sick of feeling like I have to tiptoe around you and act like I don't dislike you. We should start hanging out, because I really want to stop feeling like I dislike you – because I know I shouldn't. Will you let me be friends?"

Zoey's expression returned to a poker face. "Sure," she said, still in that same tone. "When the competition's over." And then she walked away.

I could live with the new Zoey, if she'd seemed authentic, not like she was trying to turn herself into a warrior princess. But I was a little worried about her. I mean, that sweet girl that was the old Zoey…she couldn't have just lost all her old traits just like that? Right?

I think Toni would prefer Commando Zoey, really. But I think she would also notice that it wasn't quite the real thing. A combination of sweet, self-conscious Zoey with the savage commando during challenges wouldn't be a bad thing. Zoey needs to find that balance.

Also, Lightning is going to leave Cameron alone this time around. Toni stopped Cameron from taking away the victory Lightning earned.