A BFG's World Tour

by The Legendary Dragon Reaper

What if DJ wasn't eliminated in Jamaica, and instead placed on a new team? How would he fair now that he was free of his animal curse, and onto Alejandro's schemes? How would things change with the presence of Total Drama's Big Friendly Giant?

8. Niagara Brawls

(Niagara Brawls)

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed this story since I last updated it.

BigSmokeYeet: Interesting predictions, but you forgot about DJ.

Brocknedjar: Thanks, I'm glad to see you liked it. If there's one trope I hate in fanfictions, it's when writers make one guy look like a complete asshole to make another pairing work. I wasn't going to do that, and I know Trent isn't that kind of guy. I figured Ezekiel deserved some chance to shine.

Ellismskd24: Yep, Gwody all the way, and Gwuncan should never have been a thing.

SuperSonicHeroes: Thanks, I'm glad to see you liked it. I didn't see a ton to change from canon since this mostly follows the canon timeline, but yeah, showing a few reactions to Gwody being a thing was something a lot of people wanted to see, and given how horribly Ezekiel was treated in canon, I figured he deserved at least a little bit of a chance to shine.

Romeoaifesili: No worries, I'm just glad to see you liked it. I know what you mean about Trent, I've seen dozens of fanfictions that make someone out to be this irredemable asshole just to make a pairing work. As far as I'm concerned, that's just a cheap and lazy way of getting two people together, and you'll never see me do any of that in my stories. As for Ezekiel, I figured he was due for some time in the spotlight, especially given how horribly he was treated in canon, and in a fair number of other fics.

OmnipotentUIJudgeOfCharacterOG (ch 6): Hey, you can never go wrong with Dragon Ball references, and Cody building a Goku head was something I enjoyed doing. Yeah, if it wasn't for the reward challenge, it was likely that Alejandro would've lost. Gwody is something that I've really enjoyed doing, and I can totally see Cody doing that. Duncan still having unresolved feelings for Courtney was something I had always planned, and DJ is one of his closest friends, so he knows that all too well. Yeah, Courtney's had some sizable character development, and now she can actually work well with others.

Guest: Thanks, I'm glad to see you liked it. Yeah, the love triangle between Duncan, Courtney and Gwen was easily the worst thing about the whole show. All Stars is a discussion for another day, but I will say that it was continuing a bad trend that had already been started, so it's not the only thing to blame for it. Yeah, I never liked Sierra to begin with, and her thing with Cody was something I always found unsettling, to say the least. As for DJ, I firmly believe he's the kind of person that would do what he could to help Duncan and Courtney through this. All in all, I'm glad to see you liked it.

Omni (ch 6): I always like making anime references, and I have no doubt that Gwen would like anime, especially some of the darker ones, starting with FMAB (probably the best there is), and others like Death Note and Attack on Titan. Nerds to stick together, and I know Cody and Noah are good friends that we should've seen interact more. Noah is more intelligent than he's given credit for, so I do believe that even if he can't beat Alejandro himself, he'd have a contingency plan or two in play to make sure he goes down.

OmnipotentUIJudgeOfCharacterOG (ch 7): Thanks, I'm glad to see you enjoyed the way they reacted to Gwody becoming a thing. Sierra, I pretty much wrote her in the only way I could see her reacting. The same goes for Trent. Just because things between him and Gwen didn't end well doesn't mean that he's gonna become some self-righteous asshole. He's still a good guy, and I hate it when fics make him out to be unlikable. Heather about the Wild Card, I can imagine her saying that, and having learned from TDI, she knows it to be true. Alejandro is still new to the game and pretty arrogant. Blaineley was the only real choice I had. I had never intended to have either Zeke or Lindsay come back, because Lindsay has had more than her fair chance to shine, and Zeke had a chance to shine in the challenge. But I am going somewhere with Blainely being in the game, so bear with me for now.

Frosty Wolf: Thanks, but I usually put out the chapters when I finish them. I did think about what would happen if Ezekiel got back into the same, but I couldn't really think of much to do with him, so I figured I'd go with the Blainely option. I don't have a ton planned to do with her either, but I figured I'd wait and see how it pans out. As for Sierra, I couldn't really think of what else to do with her either. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Arianna: I know what you mean, that would've been really interesting to see. But at the same time, if they had gone through with that, there wouldn't be as many moments between Heather and Alejandro. But if you want to see what would happen in that situation, there is a fic out called Total Drama World Tour: London Reoriented. It's unfinished but it's pretty good, and I recommend you check it out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In typical fashion, Chris started off the episode with a recap of the previous one "Last time on Total Drama World Tour: The remaining 8 contestants nearly turned into a pack of Swedish meatball pops, but our competition heated way up as Noah put the burn on Alejandro by doing everything in his power to convince DJ, and Duncan by extension, not to trust him. Alejandro wasn't gonna go down without a fight though, and he tried to do the same, but in the end he just wasn't able to stop Noah from swaying them to his side. Oh yeah, and Cody did what the producers would never let me do, and made a giant honking Dragon Ball reference, which made a lot of people really happy. A lot of physical pain went down too, in the form of Cody taking a meatball to the leg, and Noah getting shot out of a cannon. Is there any limit these freaks won't go to, or anything they can't handle? I guess we're about to find out, because this time I'm about to add someone that's gonna kick things up all the way to thermoniculear! This show is so hot that it would take about a bazillion gallons of water to cool us off, and we've got them coming up right here on Total! Drama! World Tour!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things were about as quiet and peaceful as they could be, at least for all but one.

Duncan opened his eyes and found himself in a peaceful grassy meadow, the sun shining down on him, and he let out a sigh "Okay, not the first thing I was expecting to see. Better than waking up to Tyler screaming in his sleep again. Seriously though, where the hell am I?"

"Why don't you turn around and see for yourself." a voice from behind made Duncan freeze in place, as the sun was replaced by a series of dark clouds hanging overhead.

Duncan composed himself and slowly turned around, his hand reaching for his pocket knife, the other hand gripping his neck where he had his spiked collar on as he let out a growl "What the hell do you want?"

As it turns out, standing before him stood a figure with dark rings around his eyes, a spiked portion of his hair hanging over his face and covering his left eye. His attire consisted of an aqua colored t-shirt with blue jeans, and he shot a smirk at Duncan "Come on Dunkie, what kind of a greeting is that? It's been what, about three years since the last time we were face to face with each other like this?"

"Nowhere near long enough as far as I'm concerned."

"What, you're still mad about that little parting gift I gave you?"

"About a lot of things, but that's definitely one of them. I've been itching to settle the score with you for a damn long time though."

"Well now you're about to get your chance, and as a little bit of extra incentive…" he snapped his fingers, and the meadow was suddenly engulfed in flames, and then a certain figure appeared next to him.

"What the- Courtney?!"

Sure enough, Courtney appeared next to the figure, only suddenly be caught in a chokehold, leaving her to struggle in vain to try and break free "Duncan!"

"Get your freaking hands off of her!"

"Why should I?" the figure let out a chuckle "It's not like you care about her anyway."

"Who says I don't?!"

"You do obviously. After all, if you gave a damn about her, then you wouldn't have thrown her away like a piece of trash over a stupid letter. You took the coward's way out, because that's just what you are. A coward."

"Yeah? Well how's this for being a coward!" Duncan let out a snarl as he gripped his pocket knife and charged forward, making a grab for Courtney with his free hand, only for the ground beneath them to suddenly disappear, and for both of them to suddenly start falling into an endless void as he continued to try and reach for her, only for a white light to engulf them…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And now back to reality…

"I'll wreck your entire freaking world you son of a-" Duncan's eyes snapped open, only to find that he was freefalling in mid air, along with two giant swan boats. "Yeah that figures. Everyone who doesn't wanna die, wake the (bleep) up!"

"I told you I was sorry about your toothbrush!" Tyler snapped awake, only to start screaming when he realized what was going on, which lead to pretty much everyone else doing the exact same thing.

"Hey guess what you guys?" Chris called out to them from his place in the plane "You might wanna hurry up and get into your paddle boats!"

"I should've cut my losses with my million bucks!" Duncan latched onto one of the swan paddle boats, with Cody, Gwen and Noah, and DJ, Courtney Tyler and Alejandro latching onto the other as they landed in the water "Anyone dead yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm thinknig about reevaluating how I make life decisions." Gwen told him dryly as she let out a yawn "I can't be the only one either."

"Oh god…" Cody's face went pale as he looked in the direction they were floating "Wa… Wa… Water…"

"Yeah we know we're in the water Cody, you might wanna wake yourself up already."

"I think I know what he's trying to say." Noah pointed a finger at the waterfall that was lying in front of them.

"...Oh. Aw crapbaskets."

"Wa… Waterfall! Quick, everyone paddle if you want to live!" Alejandro started paddling on his boat, with DJ and everyone else following his lead.

Noah on the other hand, he found himself praying in the heat of the moment "If we live, I give you my word that I'll stop being so snarky and cynical and actually make a genuine effort to connect with people!"

"If we live, I'll get rid of my internet search history!" Cody followed his lead, ignoring the looks he got for that one.

What really caused some concern was when Duncan started doing it too "If we live, I promise I'll stop acting like a criminal and actually become a productive and responsible member of society!"

"...Seriously?" Gwen was the first one to speak up after that.

"What, there isn't a chance in hell that we're gonna make it. But if we did… maybe I'd try to fix things with… a certain someone." now that earned him a few more looks.

"Does he mean…" Courtney froze, but then her eyes started burning with determination "No one is dying her today, not on this dumpster fire of a show!" so she tied a rope around DJ and threw him over to the other boat, and then she and the others started paddling as hard and as fast as they could, and before they knew it they had escaped the falls and crashed onto dry land "Is everyone okay?" she was met with various groans and sounds of coughing up water "Just checking. My legs are burning, but as long as we're not dead, right?" she then glanced over in the direction where Duncan was picking himself up off the ground, and she offered a small smile, only for him to pause and look away, and her face fell, which didn't go unnoticed by DJ.

"Okay, that was pretty hardcore." this was when Chris showed up on the scene "So what did you guys think, Niagara Falls is pretty awesome isn't it?"

"It almost killed us." Gwen pointed out dryly.

"Yeah I know, and like I said, it was awesome. Niagara Falls is the jewel in the crown that is Canada, not to mention one of the top 10 natural wonders in the world. It's also well know for its fabulous casino, and that's where we're going to be heading for the first part of the challenge for today." now that got some positive reactions out of the others.

"Holy crap, are you serious?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One unsatisfying transition later…

Needless to say, Duncan and the rest were less than impressed "Are you kidding me?"

"You really shouldn't be surprised by this." Chris gave a shrug "Since all of you are underaged, we were forced to move the challenge from the gambling floor down to the nowhere near as exciting casino concert hall."

"Hey it can't be all bad right?" Tyler gave a grin "Maybe someone is gonna perform."

"Actually Tyler my man, it just so happens that you're in luck. Last time on the Aftermath show, they had a second chance challenge, where one of the losers would be able to score a spot back in the game, and we're about to enjoy a little number from the winner."

"As long as it's not another lunatic." Noah commented dryly, then frowned "But on this show, that's pretty hard to come by."

"You said it, not me. Anyway, she's 200 pounds of sassy in a 90 pound package, and she's cut back to wearing 12 pounds of mascara! Here's Blainely!"

"...Are we supposed to know who the hell that is?"

"You're about to find out!"

Sure enough, Blainely rose up onto the stage top of a structure that looked like a cake, and she started her song "Blain-Blain-Blain-Blain-Blainerific, is my name, and dishing dirt is my game. Invading your TV with my Blainelicious frame!"

"Bla-Blainerific! S-s-so terrific!" Tyler popped up to do some backup for the song, only to get shoved out of the spotlight by Blainely.

"I'm fa-fa-famous. Famous!"

Courtney was quick to protest this turn of events "This is so against the rules, does Chris think we're a bunch of fools?"

And then in one of those rare moments, Chris actually joined the song himself "Rules? This ain't no Sunday School! Miss Thang up there's a rating's jewel!"

"Bla-Blainerfic!" Tyler popped up again, only to get shoved to the side.

"Ma-Ma-Make me si-ick!" Gwen started gagging, only to get shoved out of the way herself, and in her anger she had to be held back by Alejandro and Cody.

"I'm fa-fa-famous. Famous!" Blainely didn't bat an eye at this as she walked onto the set of a coffee shop that somehow popped up out of nowhere "Get me a half fat, no foam latte steamed to a hundred-two, heat! I'm quite specific."

All the while, DJ and Duncan were watching that scene from the sidelines, and the two of them shared a look "She's Blainerific."

"So so horrific." Duncan let out a scoff.

And then she tried to start another solo "I'm fa-fa-fam-"

"Who is that girl again?" Cody glanced over at Gwen with a raised eyebrow.

"WHAT?!" Blaineley promptly rounded on Cody in a rage "Who am I? Who am I?! Who the hell are you? I'm the host of the Puppy Bachelorette! I was nominated for a Gemmy award! I interviewed you for Celebrity Manhunt. It's a fact and scientific, that I'm still Blainerific!"

"She's not so famous, turns out she's not so famous!" Gwen and Coutney shared a smirk as they closed out the song.

"Yeah well, whatever." Blainely let out a scoff and glanced down at Chris "So which one of these lame teams am I supposed to be on anyway?"

"You're gonna be on your own actually." Chris told her "And the same goes for the rest of you, because as of right now, there are no more teams. Consider yourselves merged!"

"So the merge has finally arrived." Alejandro took the opportunity to shake hands with Tyler and the others "Well gentlemen, it's been the honor of a lifetime. I trust that the brotherhood we share will be able to continue in some manner?"

"Oh yeah, I'm dying on the inside." Noah told him dryly.

"I choose to take that as a yes." and so he walked away, leaving the rest to share a few looks with each other.

"And Blainely isn't the only semi-familiar face showing up." Chris turned their attention back to him and gave them a wicked smirk "We've got another person from the sidelines showing up, at least for this episode. Someone that's gonna raise the ratings straight through the roof. Gwen, it's someone you might know all too well from last season, considering you dumped him and stabbed him in the back."

"Oh crap…" Gwen shared a nervous look with Cody "Don't tell me…"

"He's the cool guy who plays guitar, and has an uncanny obsession with the number 9."

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap."

"He got dumped by his girlfriend on international TV and cheated out of a million bucks."

"Oh crap, oh crap."

"Let's give it up for Trent!"

"Crap infinity."

Sure enough, Trent made his way out onto the stage and waved nervously at the group "Hey you guys, how's it going?" he was met with various blank stares."

"Hey man." Tyler was the first one to greet him with a fist bump "So what, are you joining the game too?"

"Nah, Blainely just hired me to do the music for her song, and then Chris roped me into doing some other stuff for him. I'm just here for the episode, then I'm gonna be heading back to the Aftermath." Trent glanced over at Cody and Gwen, and cringed when he saw how nervous they looked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional)

"And once again, karma likes to punch me in the face." Gwen let out a groan "Dammit, I've been so preoccupied with everything that happened with Cody this season, and then having to deal with, and mostly survive, Courtney and Sierra melting down on me, I didn't even stop to think about how Trent might have reacted. I know it's been like six months since the two of us broke up, and he did defend me during that Aftermath, but… We haven't really gotten a chance to talk since then. I shouldn't drag Cody into this though. At some point today, Trent and I need to talk one on one, clear the air and get some closure and all that good stuff."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back with the main challenge…

"Enough with the awkward reunion, get over there and help Chef set up." Chris shoved Trent out of the way and shot a smirk over at Gwen "Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun."

"I thought you said you wanted me to help you set up challenges, not torture people for shits and giggles." Trent and Chef brought out what looked like a giant slot machine.

"I did, but I think I can multitask. Anyway, since we are in the honeymoon capital of the world, I thought it was gonna be a fun idea to drop some arranged marriages on you guys. Check it, because this one is gonna be slots of fun for me, but no so fun for the rest of you. Each of the girls is gonna have to pull the lever in order to win a husband that she's gonna team up with for the challenge for today."

"But Chris, counting Blainely there's only three girls here." DJ pointed out.

"Yeah I know, but this is partially to get the gay rights people off my back, so that means that the last bride, or groom for the sake of not pissing them off, is going to be Noah."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional)

"And suddenly I'm grateful that my little cousins can't watch this show." Noah noted dryly "For one, they won't get to see me in a dress, and for another, they won't have to watch what I plan to do to Chris once this is over."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One transition later…

"Sorry about this you guys, at least for most of you." Trent shoved Duncan and the others into the giant slot machine before leaping back down onto the stage, only to be taken aback slightly when he saw Chef lower a cage with a bear down from above "I don't remember you saying anything about a bear."

"I wanted to make it a surprise." Chris gave a shrug.

"So what's it for?"

"Casinos are all about excitement, and so I asked myself, what's more exciting than bringing in a big angry bear?" Chris motioned for the bear to be dropped in and the door to close, followed by lots of screams of agony "Believe me when I tell you this, you don't wanna land on that guy or it's gonna get nasty. Oh, and whoever doesn't get called on is gonna be picked for another role in the challenge. Now let the games begin! Courtney, you're gonna be up first."

"Alright, here goes." Courtney took a breath as she stepped forward and pulled on the lever, only for her jaw to drop as she saw who she landed on "Duncan…"

Sure enough, Duncan slid down the chute and landed on the stage, and he let out a sight when he saw Courtney standing in front of him "Great, I think I'd rather take my chances with the bear instead."

"Um, Duncan… Do you think we could-"

"Let's just get this over with." and so he walked off, with Courtney following rather nervously behind him.

"Ouch, that was kind of harsh actually. Awesome." Chris let out a chuckle, then glanced over at the next person in line "Okay Blainely, you're up next."

"Great, getting stuck with one of these idiots. Great way to debut." Blainely rolled her eyes as she stepped forward and pulled on the lever, and blinked at who she landed on.

With a loud scream, Tyler rolled down the exit in front of Blainley "Um… hey."

"Well I could do worse, and I guess marrying an audience favorite would serve as a positive boost to my image."

"I'm an audience favorite? But barely anyone talks about me on the blogs!"

"That is true, but keep in mind that nothing is as important as your likability index, and I've studied that for everyone on this show. Now in the meantime, what the hell is going on with your face?"

"What do you mean? I just washed it yesterday, and I haven't gotten any bruises or anything since Australia."

"That's besides the point, what we need is to get some make over here. If you can contour them correctly, then you'll look even more muscular. Make up, and make it snappy!" she snapped her fingers, but nothing happened "Staff? 911?"

"Huh?"

"That's how you know she's a newbie." Noah commented dryly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional)

"You've gotta be kidding me." Blainely scowled at the camera "What kind of TV show doesn't have a makeup department? The people on this show need to get some gumption, and a few agents wouldn't hurt either."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back to the challenge…

"Well if the falls didn't kill me, I doubt anything about this will." Noah gave a shrug as he took a step forward and pulled the lever, only for the bear to roll down in front of him "And I spoke too soon." then the bear roared in his face "Aw crapbaskets." and so he took off running, with the bear hot on his heels.

"Hang on man, I've got you." Trent breathed a sigh as he grabbed a net and took off running after the two of them.

"Has Noah finally found his perfect match?" Chris watched as Noah ran away screaming from the bear, with Trent chasing after both of them "And will these two fan favorites get mauled at the falls? Find out after the break, right here on Total! Drama! World Tour!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One commercial break later…

"Huh, so Noah and the bear are in splitsville already?" Chris glanced over to see Chef having to hold back the bear on a chain "Lasted longer than I expected though. Hey Trent, go ahead and get those tranqulizers ready okay? Noah you're up and on the rebound, so why don't you go ahead and pull the lever again to pick up the lucky husband number two."

"Fine, it's not like things can get much worse." Noah rolled his eyes as he pulled on the lever a second time, and his expression dulled even further when he saw who he landed on "Evidently I really have to learn to shut the hell up."

It was at this moment that Alejandro slid down through the exit, and he gave a smirk as he stood up and dusted himself off "Well mi amigo, it seems that we're meant to be together in the spirit of competition and matrimony."

"I'd rather try and work things out with the bear."

"Moving on!" Chris shoved the both of them out of the way "Gwen you're the last one, time to pick a husband."

"I'm still waiting for a chance to hit karma below the belt." Gwen rolled her eyes as she stepped forward and pulled the lever, and she gave a shrug at who she got "Could be worse."

This was when DJ rolled down the exit and pulled himself to his feet "So… I guess we're gonna get married. Sorry you didn't get to be with Cody." he noticed her flinch, then he looked over to where Trent was loading some tranquilizers into a rifle, and he realized his mistake "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Forget about it. I do have worse choices for who I could be stuck with." Gwen gave a shrug and patted DJ on the back.

"Looks like we have our matchups." Chris took a step forward "Duncan and Courtney, Alejandro and Noah, Tyler and Blaineley, and lastly we have DJ and Gwen. That leaves Cody as the only one without a spouse, so I'm gonna stick him with a special role later on in the challenge."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional)

"Great, I'm picked last for the important stuff." Cody let out a groan "This feels just like gym class all over again. Oh well, at least this time I won't get strung up a flagpole by the back of my underwear."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One transition later…

"Okay, they're getting set up for the next part of the challenge." Trent helped Cody get out of the slot machine and down onto the stage "To make a long story short, since you're alone you're gonna be acting as an obstacle for the others in the challenge, and if you stop all of them from completing it you're gonna get immunity."

"Yeah, that's well and good and all but…" Cody let out a sigh "Can we talk for a minute? Like, from one guy to another. This is important."

"Well Chris wanted me to clean that bust of him… so make it as long as you can." the two of them sat down on the edge of the stage "What's up?"

"It's… It's been a pretty eventful season for all of us. I don't know if you heard, but not that long ago, Gwen and I… We sort of became a couple."

"Yeah I know man, we've been watching everything from the Aftermath. Geoff even had a pool going on it. Which reminds me, I gotta give this to DJ when I get the chance." he held up a $10 bill in one hand and stuffed it into his pocket "Harold and Leshawna were pretty thrilled when they heard about it, the same with everyone else. Though Leshawna did threaten to break you like a Kit Kat bar if you hurt her."

"I believe that." Cody let out a chuckle, but then he looked down "I gotta ask though… Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah of course I am, you guys are my friends. Why wouldn't I be happy for you?"

"Well I mean, she's your ex and I'm kind of seeing her now, and you know how much of a crush I had on her back on the island."

"Hey come on man, I'm not gonna go crazy like some kind of jealous stalker or an obsessive lunatic." Trent paused as he realized what he said "I'm not gonna do it again anyway. Look man, I get what you're saying and I don't blame you being worried. I probably would be too if I was in that position. But the truth is that I had my chance with her, and I blew it. I let my jealousy and paranoia get the better of me." he let out a sigh as he looked down at his legs "I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt to think about. The truth is that Gwen really is something special." but then his face lit up again "But I could see the way you two were getting so close this season, at least when you weren't hiding from Sierra. Granted there were a few weird bits here and there, like that one time in the Amazon." this caused Cody to cringe "But I saw you loosen up a lot around her and start acting like yourself, and that's the kind of guy she likes, someone who's okay with just being himself around people. Plus you took a freaking cannonball and busted your leg for her, and that shows me just how much you really care about her." he let out another sigh "I had my chance with her, and I screwed it up big time. But as long as she's happy, the least I can do is be happy for her."

"Seriously? Thanks man, that's a real load off." Cody gave him a small smile.

"Like I said, it's the least I can do." Trent put an arm around Cody and pulled him in close, his voice low"And listen, I can't say a ton about this because they threatened to bust my kneecaps, but keep an eye out for Alejandro. The dude isn't as nice as he looks."

"Yeah I figured, Noah told me about him earlier. All goes well, we can vote him off after the challenge today."

"Good. Anyway, I mainly agreed to come here so I could tell you all of that, and with any luck, get a chance to apologize to Gwen for everything. Alright, we'd better go set up before they decide to sick the bear on us. Again."

"Fair enough. So what else has been happening with the others?"

"Well the biggest thing is you and Gwen, and Duncan breaking up with Courtney. Not sure how that one is gonna pan out. Oh, and Izzy and Owen got back together."

"Seriously? How the hell did that pan out?"

"I'm not really sure to be honest. He came out onto the stage, she pounced on him like a predator and leapt onto his shoulders, then they started making out."

"...Yeah that sounds about right."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with the other contestants…

"Alright guys, listen up." Chris glanced over to where Duncan, Alejandro and the other grooms were lined up on a series of pillars, while the brides (and Noah) were all lined up and blindfolded in front of them, standing before a series of obstacles "Because a good marriage is supposed to be based on trust, along with the ability to argue louder than your spouse, each of the grooms will have to use a megaphone to guide the blindfolded brides, and Noah, safe to the gown, or tuxedo in case of Noah, that they've been assigned. Only the couples that actually have a dress will be able to continue, now get to it and make it good!"

"Which is one of the things he says before someone dies." Noah her eyes behind her blindfold and turned back to Alejandro's pillar "Don't try anything funny with me, or else you're gonna feel the wrath of a pissed off nerd with admin privelages."

"Oh come now amigo, I would never do such a thing." Alejandro gave his typical charming fake smile as he said this "After all, what makes players like us as capable as we are, is that we choose to put reason over emotions."

"Fine, but remembe that I'm coming for you if you screw me over."

"I'll remember that. Now then, walk three paces straight ahead and turn to your right."

"Fine." Noah followed the instructions, only to end up walking into a pool of mud, which he quickly pulled himself out of "Oh yeah, real classy for an eel."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional)

"Perhaps not my most strategic move." Alejandro gave a shrug "There's no doubt that Noah is spreading the word to the others about my intentions and actions throughout the season, so I can't afford not to win invincibility. But at the same time, being able to watch Noah in pain gives me an oddly cathartic feeling, so I suppose I can find an opportunity to multitask."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back to the challenge…

"Duncan?" Courtney turned back towards him, noticing how quiet he had been "I know things have been… trying for both of us lately, but I need you to work with me on this. I am in your hands right now." she was met with silence for a moment, until…

"Move a little bit to the right."

Courtney paused, but then followed the instructions "Okay, what do I do next?"

"Too far, swerve around that confetti cannon and go to the left, then go straight."

Courtney did so, and when she reached her dress she ripped off her blindfold "I guess that means we won, looks like I'm not the only one good at giving out orders then." she turned around and gave a bright smile, but her face fell when she noticed Duncan walking away.

DJ noticed this as well, and he let out a sigh "Hey Gwen, sorry but we're gonna have to pick up the pace a little bit. Go right through that water pool and take three steps to the left, and that's where your dress is gonna be."

"Got it." Gwen followed these instructions and reached her dress, though she let out a groan once she ripped off her blindfold "Great, now all I need is a can of black spray paint."

"I'd like to help you with that, but I've gotta go take care of something."

"You dealing with more Duncan stuff?"

"Pretty much yeah."

"Fair enough. Go ahead and do what you have to do." Gwen glanced over at Courtney, and her expression softened slightly when she noticed how downcast she looked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with the jock and the blonde…

"Oh man…" Tyler glanced ahead at the wedding cake in front of his path "Some of that actually looks pretty good right about now. It kind of makes me think of Owen too, he'd probably love this challenge. Lindsay would too."

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous." by this point, Blainely was getting frustrated "Tyler would it kill you to spit out some directions?"

"Right yeah, sorry about that. Go that way."

"You mean this way?"

"No wait, I meant go the other way!"

"Would it kill you to spit it out?!" and then she walked face first into a giant cake "God dammit you imbecile!"

"Hey no need to get so freaked out, it's just cake."

"What the hell do you mean it's just cake?! I just gained 5 pounds from touching it!"

"It's not that bad, and it actually looks pretty good from here."

"Yeah sure, you would say that." Blainely wiped some of it off her face, though she did take a quick taste of the frosting, and her face lit up at the sensation "Oh sugar, it's been years! Where have you been all this time? It's like I just entered a land of vanilla-flavored paradise, with a hint of lemon!"

"Sounds pretty good actually, can I get a taste?"

"Get me to my dress and then we'll talk."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with the rivals for this season…

"Okay, you've passed by most of the obstacles and now the tuxedo is close. You simply have to walk 2 paces to the left, and then five paces straight ahead."

"Sure, now you decide to be the master navigator." Noah rolled his eyes as he followed the given instructions, and he took his blindfold off once he reached his goal "Now if only you did that before I got dunked in a mudpit and blasted in the face with a confetti cannon."

"You made the choice to ignore my directions morethan once, so that one is entirely on you amigo."

"See, stuff like this is why I would've preferred the bear. Plus at least when they're coming to get you, they're straightforward and honest about it."

"Yeah sure, if you like getting your face clawed off. Like a normal marriage." Chris made his way over to the others "Nice, looks like each bride, or groom as I have to say to avoid making enemies out of the gay rights people again, move onto the next round. You guys get a half hour to get dressed and take care of any other business you need to, and then it's gonna be time to move onto the next challenge."

"Yeah you guys go ahead and do that, I'm gonna go and see if I can get my hands on some black spraypaint for this thing." on that note, Gwen took her wedding dress and promptly walked out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

About 20 minutes passed, and the brides (and Noah) were all getting changed for the next part of the challenge. Well, most of them were anyway.

Gwen on the other hand, she was looking at her wedding dress with disdain "No spray paint, no maker, nothing. Just freaking perfect, there's no way Reaper and Pixie Corps are gonna let me live this down."

"Is this what you're looking for?"

Gwen whipped around at the sound of a certain voice, and she found Trent standing a few feet away holding a bottle of black spraypaint in one hand "Uh… Yeah actually, that's exactly what I needed." she was handed the bottle and started spraying it all over the dress "Thanks. Where did you get this?"

"I snuck it out of the cargo hold, figured Chris wasn't gonna need it." he paused, then he found his voice again "So, you and Cody huh? I gotta admit, I didn't see that coming."

"Yeah, it kind of just happened, but I don't have any regrets." she stopped working on her dress and let out a groan "Okay, that's a big fat lie. Listen Trent, I'm so sorry for the way things turned out between us."

"Don't be, if there's anyone who should be apologizing it's me. It's actually the main reason why I agreed to come here, so I could say this to you." he breathed a sigh "Look Gwen, you're amazing in just about every sense of the word. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met. I mean you're beautiful, intelligent, you've got a good heart, you're pretty much the total package in my eyes, everything I could've wanted in a girl. So when we got separated onto different teams and you and Duncan started getting closer to each other, I pretty much panicked, and then the whole number nine thing came out."

"Yeah, I heard what that's about. I'm…"

"Don't bother apologizing, it's not on you. Truth be told, it really only comes out when I get really nervous or stressed about something. I thought that I was gonna lose you, so I figured I'd do whatever I had to in order to make sure that didn't happen, and when Owen told me that girls like winning stuff… You pretty much know the rest."

"Trent, you don't have to tell me all of this."

"Yeah I do, I should've told you a lot sooner actually, and maybe then they wouldn't have given you so much grief out there. Look Gwen, I can accept you and me not being a thing, I actually am glad you and Cody are a thing now, but what I can't accept is the way I acted, and how I pretty much caused this whole thing and ended up painting a giant target on your back. I just… I want you to know I'm better than that."

"Of course I know that. If you weren't, then I wouldn't like you as much as I do."

"Yeah…" Trent let out a sigh as he pulled Gwen into a hug "I'm just glad you found a guy that won't screw things up as bad as I did."

"I think we both could've handled things better to be honest, so… live and learn?"

"Yeah, sounds about right. And like I said, I'm really happy for you and Cody, and I told him so earlier. I wish you guys the best, really I do." he looked around for a minute, then lowered his voice so only she could hear "And listen, I can't say a ton about this because they threatened to bust my kneecaps, but keep an eye out for Alejandro. The dude isn't as nice as he looks."

"Yeah I know, Cody mentioned that Noah told him awhile ago, and frankly I know that he's right about it. I would've brought that up myself sooner, but I've been a little bit preoccupied with the two psychopaths out for my blood this season."

"Fair enough." Trent paused as he broke away, then tapped the earpiece he was wearing "And speaking of which, apparently Courtney is refusing to come out of the dressing room and won't talk to anyone."

"...This is gonna be a whole thing, isn't it?"

"Pretty fair chance."

"You want some backup?"

"There's a better chance of her listening to you than me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with two of the grooms…

At the same time, Duncan sat on the edge of the stage doing his typical thing, which was carving a skull into the wall "Oh yeah, that's better. This always has a way of calming me down."

"And you only need to be calmed down when you're stressed about something."

Duncan glanced over to see DJ walking towards him "Hate to break it to you dude, but I'm not really in the mood to talk."

"I didn't think you would be, but I wouldn't be here of this wasn't important." DJ sat down next to him "We do need to talk though. About Courtney." this caused Duncan to tense up.

"What's there to talk about? I dumped her because she kept trying to change me, and then she flirted with you to try and spite me. I didn't need her before, and I don't need her now."

"Don't even try to kid yourself man. You're not fooling anyone, especially you or me."

"What the hell are you going on about?"

"Duncan you're one of my closest friends on the show, and I know when you're lying. Whatever happened, you still care about Courtney, and you miss her don't you? Like I said, I can tell when you're lying."

"...(Bleep)."

"There it is. You've been trying to avoid the issue this whole time too, and because of that now you're barely even acknowledging that she exists."

"And again I say, (bleep). Of course I know she exists. Fine, maybe I do still like her okay? It's why I keep trying to brush her off and stuff. It's not like it matters anyway, there's no way she'd actually want me back after I dumped her on international TV. Now I know how Gwen felt last season."

"Yeah well, you know the difference? You've got something you can learn from, so you don't repeat that whole thing again. Besides, when is this stuff ever easy?"

"...You know, you acting like some kind of goddamn love guru brings up one question I've been dying to ask you for awhile."

"And what's that?"

"Why the hell don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Because every girl I ever bring home ends up in a cat fight with my momma."

"...Yeah okay, that makes sense."

"Alright guys, enough of the mushy stuff." this was when Chris popped up between them and grabbed onto both of their shoulders "Time to get this challenge underway, or at least it will be once the brides are ready. Apparently that's gonna be a few minutes though."

"Why, did something happen?" asked DJ.

"Only more of the good stuff that keeps this show going."

"Which means?"

"Drama, and a hell of a lot of it. Just watch and see through the dressing room screen we had set up, I can tell you now that this I gonna be good." he snapped his fingers and a screen came down from above, showing them what was going on back there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, outside the dressing room…

"For crying out loud Courtney, will you open the door already?" Gwen pounded on the door from the outside, Trent standing by her, only to get no response "So you made an ass out of yourself on international TV, we've all done it at one point or another."

"It's not even just that." Courtney told her from behind the closed door "It's doing this entire dumpster fire of a show in general."

"You think you're the only one who thinks it sucks? In case you forgot, you're not the only one who got all sorts of crap because of your love life." she glanced over at Trent as she said this, and the two of them cringed.

"I thought I put all of that behind me last season, and look how that turned out for me. I turned myself into a jealous, raging psychopath that didn't give a damn about anything but winning and getting my lawyers to do whatever I wanted. Now everything that's happened this season, it's just that much worse."

"Well there's gotta be something you like about it." Trent creaked the door open and poked his head inside "As bad as this show can get for us, there's always at least one thing we have to look back on right?"

"There… There is one thing." Courtney finally poked her head out there "I mean I did make a few new friends, at least in the people that I consider sane."

"I know that feeling." Gwen muttered.

"But aside from all of that, there was still… Duncan. Even after everything happened last season when I was acting like such a control freak and such a jealous (bleep), I still liked him. I never really stopped liking him."

"So what then, are you gonna tell him how you feel?"

"How can I? I've been trying to all day but he keeps avoidin me, and I can't really blame him after the way I've been acting. And don't forget, he's the one that broke up with me."

"But you still like him."

"Honestly… yeah, I do."

"Then don't tell me, tell him. Courtney I've dealt with enough relationship bullshit on this show to last a lifetime, and frankly I'm pretty much sick of all of it, so I'm telling you that if you're gonna fix things with him in any way, you've gotta tell him how you feel, and you've gotta do it now, before it spirals into something even worse, and it will. I would know."

"Are you sure that this conversation doesn't count? Because chances are that Chris is watching all of this through some hidden camera and broadcasting it to the others."

"Knowing him, that's a pretty fair chance." Trent pointed out dryly, but then he let out a sigh as he pulled some papers out of his shirt "But if you really wanna make things right with him, I think I've got the best way for you to do it right here. Bridgette said to give this to you if you wanted to apologize to the guy you like."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back on the stage…

"Oh yeah, this is gonna be good." Chris let out a chuckle at the sight "Get her out here so we can make some more drama, it's go time!"

It was at this moment that Gwen stepped out, without Courtney "Yeah no, she still doesn't want to come out."

"Don't care, bring her out here already."

"Shove it McLean, Courtney says that she wants to sing."

"Oh trust me, I plan to make her sing like a canary."

"Not your way, she wants to do it her way. It's the only way that you're gonna get her out here anytime soon. Plus you either let her sing or I start mocking you with Fallout Boy again." this earned a low growl from Chris, which caused Gwen to smirk "Your call."

"Fine, but only because I did say I was gonna make you guys do two songs in a single episode at some point, and because she's the best singer out of all of you." but then Chris regianed his own smirk and turned towards Duncan "Well how about it Duncan, you up for seeing your ex sing like a canary for you?"

"That depends, you up for seeing a knife go through your eyes?" Duncan held up his knife for emphasis, which prompted Chris to back away, though he let out a sigh "But if she wants to make an ass out of herself singing for you like all the other suckers, I say that's her choice."

"Good enough for me, now hit it!"

"I already regret this." Duncan shared a look with DJ, only to feel him patting his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him as the lights shut off around them.

A single spotlight began to shine on the stage as the curtain opened, revealing Courtney, clad in a beautiful white gown with a tiara on her head, sitting on top of a grand piano (which was being played by Trent) as she started her song "I'm sorry… so sorry. Sorry like a flower after the first frost, and I'm sorry like a mitten that's been dropped, and feels so lost."

"Uh…" Duncan was left taken aback by the sight before him, only to get snapped out of his stupor by DJ smacking him upside the head.

Courtney then got to her feet to continue, with Trent switching to a guitar for the next verse of the song "Oops, I really messed up. At least I fessed up."

"You never fessed up, you practically shoved it in my face out of spite."

"Not to mention it was on international TV. Her little freakout over the past few episodes is being seen all over the world." Chris pointed out, only for a boot to suddenly be thrown at his head and knock him out cold, courtesy of Gwen.

"It's true though."

Courtney flinched at this, but she didn't let up on her song "But I'm sorry… so sorry. Sorry like a surfer who's busted her board. And I'm sorry like the band when they play a wrong chord…" she cringed at the sound of a wrong note being played, and she glanced back with a raised eyebrow "Come on Trent, I need you to work with me."

"I've been mauled by a bear more than once today." Trent pointed out dryly "I think I've earned a break for hitting one wrong note."

"...Go ahead."

"Thanks." and so he went on playing.

"Oops, I really screwed up." Courtney made her way forward, then knelt down in front of where Duncan was sitting and gently cupped his chin as the two of them locked eyes "I felt some dude up."

"It wasn't just some dude, it was my best friend!" Duncan paused as he looked at the camera "It was one of my best friends, cause I know Geoff is probably gonna lose his shit over it.

"But I'm sorry… so sorry! Duncan, I really think you rule."

Duncan said nothing, he just turned away, only to be forced by DJ to turn around and face her as the song continued.

"You're so cute that you make me drool. And if you give me one more chance… I'll do my happy, happy dance!"

"Okay, seeing you dance is kind of a turn on- Oh son of a (insert stream of bleeps)!"

Ignoring the string of cursing, Courtney sat back on the grand piano as Trent dropped the guitar and went back to the piano "Duncan, you're the one for me. And I'm so incredibly, wildly, madly, crazily, oh so completely, infinitely, beyond… sorry." she bowed her head as the song came to an end, earning a series of applause and cheers from the others.

Once it was over, Gwen glanced over at Trent "Okay I've gotta admit, she is the best singer out of all of us."

Courtney gave a sigh as she got back to her feet and set down her mic "I'm sorry Duncan, I truly am."

"Uh…" as one would probably expect, Duncan was left in a dumbstruck stupor by recent events, only to be snapped out of it by DJ smacking him upside the head "Yeah, I… You always did like singing, so… Let's go, we've got a challenge to win right?"

Courtney's face fell slightly, but she gave a simple nod "Okay. We can talk later right?" she was met with silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional- Duncan)

"Well that… happened I guess." Duncan paused to get himself under control, but then he put up his usual act "But I'm not some kind of sucker that lets himself get won over and turned into a pile of goo like a lovestruck idiot by a… pretty good song by someone who's got the voice of an angel… and the face of one… these incredibly hypnotic eyes… That fire in her eyes… The smile that just lights up the room around her… Aw crapbaskets."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional- DJ)

"Well, I think I've done all I can for them." DJ let out a sigh "The only problem left to deal with now is that Duncan isn't exactly the best at admitting how he feels, so it might take him a little while to swallow his pride and admit how much he cares about Courtney. He'll do it though, I know he will. Duncan always comes through when it really counts. I haven't forgotten about how he reunited me with my Bunny."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Another 20 minutes went by, and the next challenge was about to get underway.

By this point, Chris had gathered the various brides (though Gwen had colored her dress back), grooms and Noah "Okay, now this part of the challenge is a little something that I like to call, Till Death Do You Part."

"Okay, so there isn't any makeup people, but you have to have stunt doubles at some point in this right? Right?" Blainely looked around nervously, which only got worse when no one bothered to answer her.

"Yeah, that sort of thing takes some getting used to." Tyler let out a chuckle "Don't worry, just don't look down and you'll be okay."

"So let me see if I've got this." Gwen glanced over at Chris "We escaped falling down Niagara Falls first thing in the morning just so you could make us walk over it on a tightrope?"

"Nope, I went with something even better than that." Chris let out a chuckle "Each groom has to carry his bride, or groom in the case of Alejandro and Noah, across this gorge, and once that part is done, you're gonna have to clear customs, the role for which is being played by Cody." he then jerked a thumb at where Cody sat in the tower on the other side of the tightrope "He's playing that part since nobody got matched with him in the first part of the challenge, and because Chef refused to do so since his soap opera was on right now. The first pair that manages to complete the challenge wins invincibility, and a pimped out wedding reception in first class. Duncan and Courtney won the last part of the challenge, so I'm gonna give them a head start."

"Just freaking perfect." Duncan let out a groan as he glanced over at Courtney, the two of them locking eyes for a brief moment, but then he quickly looked away "Fine, if I've gotta do it."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot the best part. Because we didn't think the falls weren't quite dangerous or unpleasant enough, we stalked them with semi-anthropomorphic sharks." Chris pointed down to where a group of sharks were roaming the waters at the bottom of the falls on a boat "Oh yeah, this is gonna be good."

"...Yeah, I really need to rethink how I make life decisions." Noah's expression turned duller than usual at the sight of the sharks, only to find himself being pulled aside by Alejandro "You make a crack about me being gay, I'm feeidng you to those things myself."

"Oh come now mi amigo, I would never." Alejandro let out a chuckle, but then his expression turned serious "Listen, I think it's safe to say that we've had our fair share of… disagreements over the course of this season."

"You mean on account of the fact that I saw through your facade and figured out that you're an eel dipped in grease?"

"Because obviously we have differing ideas on how to play this game, and evidently you would prefer to be able to throw me over this gorge."

"I'd be lying if I said the thought had never crossed my mind, but then I'd be you."

"But I think we can also agree that we would both like to win invincibility, and we cannot afford to let any of the others do so."

"What makes you think I'd go along with anything you say? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not an idiot."

"Exactly, and the others know that as well as I do. I will admit that at first, I made the mistake of underestimating you. The others will not make that same mistake, and they will come to see you as a threat. Even if I'm eliminated tonight, they will more than likely come for you tomorrow, unless you help me win this challenge."

"Uh huh. Interesting prospect. I've just got one question for you."

"And that would be?"

"Do I look like I'm stupid enough to fall for that?"

"I expected not, but I had to be sure." Alejandro's expression turned more malicious, his voice being lowered to a whisper "Let me put it this way. I fully intend to earn immunity from the vote tonight, and if you intend to get in my way… Well you saw what happened to most of Team Victory, did you not? Tricked into elimination, and then thrown out of a plane so high up in the air. But the differences is they had parachutes to protect them from such a fall, as well as the lack of predators waiting for them at the bottom." he glanced down at the sharks in the boat for emphasis "Unfortunately, you may not be able to say the same if you should choose to defy me in this challenge. What do you have to say to that?"

"...I hate you with every single fiber of my being."

"You and many others, but I suppose that means we have a deal." Alejandro's smirk grew even wider "I look forward to our marriage ceremony mi amigo, and to our inevitable victory in this challenge and beyond."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional)

"Well that could've gone better." Noah let out a sigh "Evidently I really have to work on keeping my mouth shut in front of people like him. On one hand, taking a dive would cost him a chance at invincibility and put a huge target on his back. On the other hand, if I do that, there's a pretty fair chance I could get eaten by a pack of sharks. I'm willing to give up my chance at a million bucks if it means that slimy eel goes down, but I'm not willing to give up my life. I should've known that getting rid of him wasn't gonna be that easy, but I guess if you wanna get far in a game like this, and in life in general, you've gotta be flexible and willing to adapt to changing situations, and the occasional backup plan can't hurt. Unfortunately, that raises the question. If I'm not gonna be able to vote out Alejandro tonight, who should I go for next?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back to the challenge…

"Well, I think it's about time we got started." Courtney glanced down at the sharks in the waters below, then turned over to Duncan "So, shall we then?"

"Might as well I guess." Duncan gave an uncaring shrug and promptly slung Courtney over one of his shoulders, and he started along the tightrope "Let's get this over with, the sooner it's done the sooner I have immunity."

"And a quick word to the wise!" Chris called from his place at the starting point "Keep in mind that violence is never the answer, except on this show!"

"Yeah, I'll be sure to remember that when I come back over there and stick my knife through your eyes!"

"Duncan please, just hold on a second." Courtney grabbed onto one of his shoulders, stopping him in his tracks "We need to talk."

"Whatever it is you have to say, it can wait."

"No it can't, please I just need to-"

"Yeah listen, if we have to have some kind of life changing feelings talk or some crap, it can wait until we're not standing on a tightrope suspended a few hundred feet in the air, and above a few pissed of sharks." he paused, then let out a sigh "Maybe later in first class, that whole reception bullshit aside."

"I meant what I said in that song. I'm sorry. For everything." she moved to let herself get carried again, only to falter when something fell out of her pocket and down into the gorge below, much to her horror "No, no no no no no! Crap!"

"What's the matter with you?"

"Didn't you see, I just dropped it and- Oh god, one of the sharks picked it up! I've gotta get it out of that thing!"

"What's the big deal, get another one or something."

"It's a big deal because you're the one who gave it to me, you idiot!" she tried to move, only to find that Duncan was holding her back, which led to the two of them falling off the tightrope and into the waters below.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back at the starting point…

"Duncan! Courtney!" DJ and the others looked on in horror as he watched the two of them fall into the waters below "Do you think they're okay?"

"This show hasn't killed you yet, and keep in mind that Courtney fought off three of those things last season." Chirs pointed out dryly "So if you're done freaking out, that means they're out of the challenge and their head start is null and void, so that means the rest of you can go. Oh, and you've got 30 minutes to complete the challenge, and if neither of you do, then Cody's gonna get immunity and get to bring one person of his choice up to first class with him. So you might wanna get to it."

"But…" DJ let out a sigh and turned to Gwen as he held out a hand "Shall we?"

"We might as well." Gwen gave a shrug as she leapt into DJ's arms, and the two of them started making their way "Just remember not to look down."

"Right." DJ let out a sigh as he looked straight ahead and started inching his way across "Do you think they'll be okay though?"

"McLean said it best, Courtney fought off three of those things, and this time Duncan is down there with her."

"No I get that, but that's not what I was talking about. I meant… them."

"...Well we're gonna have to wait and see. Come on, let's go."

"Got it." and so he continued along the tightrope, holding Gwen tightly as he did so.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional)

"Trust me, I want Duncan and Courtney to get back together for a number of reasons." Gwen let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair "First off, both of them are my friends and of course I want them to be happy. Second, maybe that means the pissed off Duncney shippers will finally stop sending me death threats, and third, the freaking Gwuncan shippers will back off. Also, to those people: Duncan and I are NOT getting together, and we probably never will. If I said that the thought had never crossed my mind, then I'd be lying. But the more I did think about it, the more it just didn't make sense. He and I are better off as friends than anything else, and as far as I'm concerned, that's all we're ever gonna be. Besides, I'm with Cody now, and to be honest, I'm really happy with him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the falls…

With a loud splash, Duncan burst up from beneath the water gasping for air, and then he shot a pissed off look at Courtney once she followed "Okay it's official, you're out of your freaking mind, and not in a hot way!"

"Nevermind that, I've got a shark to make upchuck!" Courtney didn't even hesitate as she pounced on one of the sharks, tackling it off the boat and prompting the other two to chase after her in retaliation.

"...Dammit, what I wouldn't give to have a conscience right now. It would make my life a hell of a lot easier." Duncan let out a groan as he chased after them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with the jock and the hostess…

"Okay, this is the biggest pain I've had to deal with since Tik Tok became a thing!" as one could imagine, Blainely was growing impatient while being carried by Tyler "Seriously, do I have to get spurs or what? Hurry up you idiot, they're getting away!" she urged him to go forward, but then she ended up farting.

"Huh, you actually just farted." Tyler blinked, then let out a chuckle "I didn't even know chicks could do that.

"No I didn't!"

"Yeah you did, I just heard it and it kind of smells like my mom's egg salad."

"Whatever, just tell me where the hell I can find the editor! I need a contract stating that any of my… bodily expressions, so to speak… won't make it into the final cut!"

"Hey take it easy Blaineley, it's nothing to freak out about. Go ahead and let it out, nobody will think any different of you."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah! Well they probably will actually, but I won't."

"...You're unbearably naive, you know that?"

"I just like being myself. It's worked out pretty well in the past."

"I rest my case."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with the most iconic couple…

"And again I say, you're out of your freaking mind!" Duncan let out a groan as he reluctantly pulled Courtney up onto a rock away from the waterfall, with a bloody and battered shark lying in front of them.

"Okay, I admit…" Courtney let out a sigh as she wiped the blood from her lip "I might have bitten off more than I can chew with that one. Fighting three sharks at once, not really one of my better ideas."

"Didn't you beat the crap out of three sharks last season?"

"Yeah, but I got a physical after I was eliminated and it turns out that little incident left me with some internal bleeding."

"Huh. You never mentioned that. So we got the shark."

"Yeah, would you mind grabbing hold of it?"

"Why not, I've already made an ass out of myself today, what's one more stupid stunt compared to the rest?" Duncan rolled his eyes as he caught the shark in a full nelson "So what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Just give him the Heimlich."

"Do I look like a freaking doctor to you?"

"Nevermind I'll do it, Bridgette is an animal lover and she taught me how to do it. Just hold him still and…" she grabbed hold of the shark just as Duncan let go, and then she did the Heimlich, which caused it to spit something out "Did you get it?"

"I don't even know what the hell I'm looking for!" Duncan paused as he examined what it was he was holding "It's a freaking gitch with some writing on it. Property of Tyler. Remind me to kick his teeth in for using my toothbrush to clean this thing."

"Duly noted, but first…" Courtney repeated the Heimlich process, causing the shark to cough up something else "Is that it?"

"Still don't know what the hell you're looking for but-" Duncan cut himself short when he saw exactly what it was he was holding "This is… This is the skull I made for you."

"Yeah, you gave it to me back when I was kicked off in the first season, because Harold messed with the votes. Life was so much simpler back then."

"I didn't think you still had this thing. I figured you would've chucked it off the plane the first chance you got after… London."

"Yeah…" Courtney flinched at the memories of that night, but then she sighed "Believe me, there were plenty of times I thought about getting rid of it. I even went over to the Drop of Shame on more than one occasion, opened the door and tried to throw it out but… I could never bring myself to do it."

"You actually jumped off a freaking tightrope hundreds of feet in the air, into water infested with sharks, just to get this thing back from one of them. You're freaking unbelievable, you know that right?"

"What can I say, I guess you rubbed off on me more than either of us realized." Duncan gave a small smile, but then his face fell, and he let out a sigh "Look Prin- Courtney, I… I'm sorry for the way this whole thing turned out." he was met with Courtney's jaw dropping "What?"

"You… You actually apologized for something?"

"I'm as shocked as you are, and believe me when I say that I tried my best to ignore that voice in the back of my head that kept screaming at me too. It's not like I wanted to hurt you or anything, but…"

"Yeah, the but in this situation." Courtney let out a sigh as she pulled herself up onto a nearby rock, with Duncan climbing up next to her "You don't have to apologize Duncan, not for this whole mess. You did what you had to because of how much of a (bleep) I was being, and you could've done a lot worse. You could have cheated on me with Gwen."

"Oh god, this again. I already get enough of the death threats from the pissed off Gwuncan fans about this on a daily basis. She and I are-"

"Just friends, better that than anything else. I overheard what you said to Cody about that after the challenge in Greece, but I was too upset to accept it. Look, I know I don't apologize for a lot, or really for anything at all, so please just let me get this right okay?"

"...Alright, go ahead Princess."

"I'm sorry. For everything. For acting like such a (bleep) to you this whole time, for leaving you for dead when we got that case with the million dollars, for making that stupid 32 page letter of all your faults, for making that list of 47 things you needed to change, for always acting like such a controlling (bleep), for all the kicks to the crotch, for flirting with one of your best friends to try and spite you… everything. Look, I didn't want to admit it for a long time, but I thought you were amazing. You brought out a side of me that I never even knew existed, or really one that I had forgotten about… How to have fun, and to actually enjoy myself instead of obsessing over winning. But then we got separated by me getting kicked off, and then the way you got onto season two but I didn't, along with the way you were getting so close to Gwen… I panicked. I thought I was going to lose you, so I guess somewhere along the way… I thought that if I changed you, she might stop liking you, and then I wouldn't have to worry about you leaving me. I know this sounds horrible, but it's what I thought…" she tried to fight back her tears, but they started streaming down her face "And somewhere along the way, I became something I didn't even recognize. I mean look at me, I'm even letting myself cry in front of you."

"Courtney… you don't have to tell me all of this."

"Yes I do. If you don't want to be together with me anymore, then I… I can accept that. I'll be able to eventually I mean. What I can't accept is the way I've been acting, or the thought that you would remember me as nothing but some selfish, controlling monster. I just… I want you to know I'm better than that, instead of some self-righteous piece of-" Courtney's apology was cut short when she felt Duncan's lips crash onto hers, causing her eyes to shoot wide open from the shock, but then they closed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, before the two of them broke away after a moment, and she was blushing and panting, but she was smiling at the same time "So, was that just your way of trying to shut me up?"

"Not entirely. I did it because I wanted to."

"Fair enough. So does this mean…"

"You tell me."

"Let's see… I think it depends on how this turns out." she then wrapped her arms around his neck again and pulled him into another gentle and tender kiss "But things are gonna have to be different this time. I never thought I'd say this, and there's a pretty fair chance I'm never gonna say it again, but… Why don't we take a cue from Gwen's book on this?"

"As in?"

"We do what she did with Cody and just let things happen. No pressure and no planning, and no stupid lists about each other's flaws."

"Works for me. Don't like some submissive puppet or anything though, okay? It would be way too weird and boring to see you agree with everything I say."

"Of course not. I don't want to be some kind of weakling pushover, I still have my own way of doing things, even if I am trying to change that to an extent."

"Good, because that's what I'm counting on." there was a brief pause "So can you move around a little bit? I think one of my legs is falling asleep-" he was cut off by Courtney pressing her lips against his, and the two of them laying back against the rock as they started making out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional- Courtney)

"Me and Duncan, really back together?" Courtney let out a sigh as a smile began to spread across her face "Well I never thought I would say this, but if I do end up going home tonight, at least I'll have gotten something out of it. But I'd rather not go home today. I think it'll be okay though… as long as I have him with me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional- Duncan)

"Me and Courtney, back together after all of that?" Duncan gave a shrug "Trust me, I'm about as shocked as the rest of you. At least if I get voted off tonight, this season won't have been a total waste of time. But I still don't wanna go home just yet. At least with her and DJ, it would still be bearable."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back up on the tightrope…

"Oh for god's sake, could you be any slower!" by this point, Blainely and Tyler had progressed far enough along the tightrope to the point where they were trailing behind DJ and Gwen, the latter two moving at a very slow pace "Get the hell out of the way, this idiot jock is in the middle of carrying precious cargo here!"

"Wouldn't exactly call you precious." Gwen told her dryly, earning a seriously pissed off look from Blaineley as a result.

"You care to run that by me again you stupid clown girl?"

"Who the hell are you calling a clown you fake blonde?" the two of them started growling at each other, which caused DJ and Tyler to share a nervous glance, just as Blainely and Gwen then grabbed hold of each other's hair, this scuffle culmination in Blaineley kicking DJ in the shin, which culminated in the four of them falling off the tightrope and being sent hurtling down into the waters below.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Confessional)

"Okay, so not my most subtle or composed moment." Gwen let out a sigh "Evidently being on this show tends brings out the worst in me. But at the same time, there aren't that many things I enjoy more than sticking it to someone who thinks they're better than anyone else. As far as I'm concerned, Blaineley is just what Heather would be like as a fake blond."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with customs…

"Oh man, they're gonna be mad about that later." Cody cringed as he watched Gwen and the others fall into the waters below, then glanced over to see Alejandro easily carrying Noah across the tightrope "Alright, so are you guys here for business or pleasure?"

"Why can I not have both my good man?" Aleandro let out a chuckle, which earned him a dirty look from Noah (whose mouth was covered by Alejandro's hand).

"...Fair enough. Okay then, first question. What's the capital of Canada?"

"A simple matter, that would be Ottawa."

"What's the name of the leaf on Canada's flag?"

"That's the maple leaf."

"What's the name of Canada's most famous fishing and racing schooner?"

"That's the Schooner Bluenose."

"What's the national desert of Canada?"

"Those would be Butter Tarts."

"And the national animal of Canada?"

"That would be the majestic beaver."

"Uh huh. You got all five questions right on your own, so do you have anything else you want to say before you cross over?"

"As a matter of fact, I would like to thank mi amigo Noah for his cooperation-" Alejandro was cut off by Noah biting his hand, causing him to retract his hand in pain and shoot a venomous glare in Noah's direction "Was that really called for?"

"Probably not, but this is." Noah then proceeded to take a step off the tightrope, only to then find himself being grabbed by the arm and pulled onto the platform "Nothing I have to declare can be said on international television."

"Too bad, it would probably be good for ratings." Chris made his way over to the two of them and let out a chuckle "Congratulations you guys, you two are gonna be travelling together in first class, and the both of you have won invincibility, which means that you won't be able to vote for each other. A sick twist if there ever was one. Now once we fish the others out of the water, you three are gonna have to get voting, and since two of you won invincibility, this time you guys are gonna have to vote off two contestants."

"...You said two?"

"I said two."

"Of course you did."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

About an hour passed, and the plane was once again flying to its next destination.

"Here, might as well have something good come out of this." Noah placed down a piece of cake in front of Cody, and then subsequently watched him devour it, before turning his attention over to Gwen and DJ "That's probably the only good thing that came out of today."

"I wouldn't say that man." DJ gave a small smile and pointed to where Duncan and Courtney had engaged in a heated makeout session.

"Yeah, I got enough of that last season watching Geoff and Bridgette in the Aftermath, and so did the rest of us."

"Speaking of having enough…" Cody finished downing his cake and glanced up at Noah "Why did you help Alejandro get invincibility?"

"Because I happen to value my life. I'm willing to give up a million bucks to watch him go down sure, but I'm not willing to get mauled by a pack of sharks. Keep in mind that self preservation is a thing." Noah rolled his eyes "Whatever the case, now we've got a problem. Without him, who are we going to vote off?"

"Don't forget that we have two vote out two people. So based on the process of elimination, I'd say that leaves… the love birds over there." Noah jerked a thumb at Duncan and Courtney, which earned him a few looks.

"Seriously dude, they just got back together and you wanna get rid of them?"

"And that's why we gotta get rid of them now."

"Because those two working together will be an unstoppable force?" Gwen guessed.

"Because it's better for their relationship, not to mention all of our sanity, if you get rid of the pressure of competition. It can do things to people. If you want a prime example, just take a look at you and Trent."

"Hey!"

"You know I'm right over here right?" this was when Trent sat down next to them "And I hate to say it, but he's got a point. This competition does things to you."

"Never thought I'd say this, but thank you Elvis. Face it, by getting them out of this thing you'd probably be doing them a favor."

"But…" DJ shared a look with Gwen and Cody, and he let out a sigh and hung his head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't long before the elimination ceremony was about to get underway.

Chris gathered everyone in the elimination room and started things off "Alright, you guys know the drill. The two contestant that don't get the barf bags full of peanuts have to take the Drop of Shame. This should turn out to be pretty interesting. The following players are safe to compete another day. Alejandro and Noah for starters." he tossed the bags to them "Cody and Gwen. Next up is Blainely, and then DJ." he glanced at Duncan, Courtney and Tyler "Only one left, and that means two of you are gonna take the drop. The final bag goes to… Tyler." he tossed the last bag to Tyler "Duncan, Courtney, you two are done.

"...Huh. So this is what Geoff and Bridgette felt like." Duncan shared a glance with Courtney, then turned to the others "Is this because I made those cracks about Harold and Leshawna that she's probably gonna kill me in my sleep over?"

"No, it's got nothing to do with that." DJ took a step forward and bowed his head "I… I'm sorry you guys. But you've both been through a lot this season, and I… I don't want you guys to get hurt again. I just don't want you to hold this against me."

"...Aw screw it, I was about done with this shit anyway." Duncan gave a shrug and patte DJ on the back "And for what it's worth? Thanks." he was promptly pulled into a tight hug "A little too much big guy."

"Okay okay, enough of the mushy friendship stuff." Chris was quick to ruin the moment "You two, time to fall out of a plane."

"Yeah whatever, choke on it McLean." Duncan shot him a certain finger gesture as he grabbed a parachute, with Courtney doing the same.

"Any last words to the guys that ousted you before you take the drop?"

"Nothing I haven't already said."

"Actually, I do." Courtney let out a sigh as she turned to the others "Putting aside my elimination tonight, I just want to take a moment and apologize to all of you, about the way I've been acting and how I've treated all of you in the past. I acted like a, well for the lack of a better way to describe it, an absolute (bleep). I'm not proud of it, and I never really have been. I always acted so stuck up, snobbish and arrogant, like I only cared about myself. After all that happened back on the island, and before it really, I started to focus on only one thing: winning and being the best at everything, no matter what I had to do, even if it meant running over anyone I didn't like or I thought was a threat. I'm not perfect, and I never have been."

"Maybe not, but nobody really is perfect." Tyler pointed out "We've all done stuff we aren't proud of."

"Exactly. Looking back, that "win at all costs" attitude I had did a lot more harm than good for me in the grand scheme of things, but I want you to know that stops now. I said in my audition tape that I would conduct myself with integrity and honor, even if I did mix it up with my speech for student council president, but in any case, I think it's about time I start to live up to that promise I made. But in any case, the person that I want to thank most of all… is DJ. You didn't give up on me, and you never lashed out at me. You were the only one who made an honest effort to help me get my act together. I'd be proud to call you a friend."

"That goes both ways." DJ pulled her into a quick hug "Make sure you and Duncan take care of yourselves, okay?"

"That goes to you too. And I'm choosing you for who I want to win."

"Yeah good to know, now take the drop already." Chris jerked a thumb at the doorway, earning a few dirty looks from the others "What? It's a half hour show, and I still have to sign off."

"I know, I know." Courtney let out a sigh as she held out her hand to Duncan "Well how about it, shall we?"

"I say we ditch this dumpster fire." Duncan took her hand in his, shooting a certain finger gesture at everyone else but sending a smirk in the direction of DJ, before he and Courtney jumped out of the plane, hand in hand.

Once they were gone, that was when Blainely broke down sobbing out of nowhere, earning a lot of confused looks "I swear I'll miss you most of all, you were like the siblings I actually liked being around!" then she perked up "Was that good, you think the audience is going to like me for that?"

"Depends on whether or not they keep that little part of yours in." Noah told her dryly "And word to the wise, work on your timing."

"Speaking of timing…" this was when Trent finally spoke up from where he was standing on the sidelines "Is there somewhere you guys can drop me off?" he was handed a parachute, and his expression dulled "Yeah that figures. Alright, later guys. Cody, Gwen, I'm rooting for the two of you a ll the way." and so with a simple wave, he hopped out of the plane himself, screaming all the while.

"Well we definitely got our money's worth out of this." Chris turned to the camera in order to sign off "If you guys think that was brutal, just wait and see what I have in store for these guys next time, right here on Total! Drama! World Tour!"

A/N:

And thus a major story arc comes to an end, leaving only 7 contestants remaining in the season. I knew going into this that I would have Courtney and Duncan resolve their relationship issues and go in a double elimination. Truth be told, my original plan was to have Courtney be eliminated, then come back through the second chance challenge, make up with Duncan, and then they'd both leave. Either way, I knew I would have them leave once their story arc was done. To all the Duncney fans out there that wanted a proper ending to their story, you're welcome.

Adding onto that, while I was sure I wanted to eliminate both Duncan and Courtney in this chapter, I was faced with a dilemma: Alejandro and Noah. Obviously both of them would be gunning for each other in this chapter, and I knew I needed at least one of them to have immunity, but then it hit me: Why not have both of them have immunity? Granted Noah doesn't really need it right now, and he hates Alejandro with a burning passion, as many others do, but being threatened with being thrown into shark-infested waters can be good motivation.

In addition to Blaineley, I also had Trent make a cameo in this episode, if only to do some background music and help with setting up. But the real reason I brought him in was to give him some closure with Gwen, and give her and Cody his blessing. One complaint I've heard about him a lot is that they never really gave them any closure, and I do agree to a certain extent. While I personally ship Gwody, I do think they could've given them at least one more meaningful conversation, so I decided to bring him in so they could make amends.

Oh and just throwing this out there, who do you think it was that Duncan saw in his dream at the beginning of the chapter? I'm eager to see if you guys can figure out who it was.

Elimination order:

Duncan (returns)

Ezekiel- 18th

Harold- 17th

Bridgette- 16th

Leshawna- 15th

Lindsay- 14th

Izzy- 13th

Heather- 12th

Owen- 11th

Sierra- 10th

Courtney- 9th

Duncan- 8th