Duncan didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt at blackmailing the rest of his team to vote out Tyler. Not that it was very hard. He told Harold he'd tell the rest of the camp he wet the bed, he told DJ he'd kill his pet rabbit and he told Geoff he'd ruin his chances with Bridgette if they didn't vote for Tyler.

He knew they suspected his reasons were about Courtney but he didn't really give a shit what they thought. They were to do with Courtney. He still hadn't achieved his goal of getting Courtney to admit she had the hots for him, and he couldn't let her go home before that. That was the only reason. He ignored the memory of Courtney's hand slipping into his and the way his heart soared when she threw her arms around him.

Alright, well maybe he cared a little what his teammates thought. He couldn't let them think he'd gone soft or something because he had a crush on a girl. Because he didn't have a crush. He thought she was hot, that was all. And he was nice and encouraging during the challenge because he wanted to win.

He decided he needed to spend the day away from Courtney, and the challenge that Chris had set for them made that easy. On any other day he would have snagged Courtney has his canoe partner right away, if only for the thrill of antagonising her the whole way (it was so easy, and so fun), but today he quickly grabbed Sadie and Harold, the two people least likely to grill him about his feelings for a certain brunette.

He glanced behind him as he led Sadie and Harold to a canoe, only to see Geoff make a total idiot of himself with Bridgette once again. He rolled his eyes. Geoff was so beyond Duncan's help, the guy was a disaster when it came to women. Duncan had tried to give Geoff some advice last night, but obviously it hadn't worked.

"Duncan, I think I'm starting to get somewhere with Bridgette," Geoff had said to him after the campfire ceremony that night. "I need your help though, what can I do to take it to the next level dude?" Duncan thought about it for a moment.

"You should get her a present," Duncan told Geoff.

"A present?" Geoff repeated musingly. "But what can I get her while we're on this island? There's not exactly a lot of stores around man."

"You'll have to make something. A bunch of flowers or a carving of your own skull or something," he shrugged.

"Is that what you'd do for Courtney?" Geoff asked. Duncan glared at Geoff menacingly.

"I wouldn't do anything for Courtney because I don't like her," he growled.

"Oh come on man, but she's your soulmate!" Geoff prodded.

"You don't know that," Duncan said gruffly. Just because he himself had considered it a few times didn't mean it was true. There were plenty of girls on this island that it could be.

"Who else could it be?" Geoff asked. Duncan shrugged and stood up to go back to the cabin.

"Fucked if I know, but if it's Courtney, I'll kill myself," he scowled and left Geoff sitting by the campfire.

But obviously if Geoff had taken the advice, Bridgette hadn't exactly liked the gift because she was clearly avoiding Geoff on purpose. Duncan quickly turned his attention back to the canoe when he accidentally locked eyes with Courtney as she came down to the beach. He handed Harold and Sadie the oars.

"You guys can paddle," he declared.

"But-," Harold started to protest.

"You got a problem with that, Dorkwad?" Duncan said threateningly, grabbing the front of Harold's shirt. Harold shook his hear quickly, shaking in fear. This was too easy.

Ten minutes later, Duncan was already regretting his choice of canoeing buddies.

"You know, when I went on Paddling Steve's canoe camp, he told us that the best way to paddle is if you turn your oar slightly- oof," Harold was cut off as Duncan punched him in the stomach.

"Oh my god Harold, that is just like the time Katie and I went to a camping store because our dad's were going there and we got totally lost in the canoeing section and-," Sadie gushed.

"Would you two shut up?" Duncan growled.

"Gosh Duncan, you're so boring," Harold sniffed.

"Totally. Why did you even pick us for your partners if you were just going to be so mean?" Sadie agreed. Duncan was silent.

"It's because he's afraid he's getting feelings," Harold said knowingly.

"One more word and you'll be swimming to shore, got it?" Duncan snapped. Harold nodded meekly. They were silent for the rest of the trip.

Courtney was relieved Bridgette had asked her to be her partner. Surely that meant Bridgette had rethought voting Courtney off last night and convinced Sadie and one of the boys to vote with her. That meant Duncan's wink was just some creepy innuendo that she hadn't understood at the time.

And now Bridgette was telling her all about her problems with Geoff and how he'd given Bridgette a heart-shaped clay bowl with a picture and inscription. It was pretty creepy, she had to admit.

"I know he thinks we're soulmates, but I'm really not so sure," Bridgette admitted. "I've really enjoyed hanging out with him lately… but I don't know, the idea of being meant specifically for one person kind of freaks me out." Courtney could relate to that.

Did this mean Bridgette considered her a friend? Could this be the alliance she had been dreaming of since day one? Bridgette was, after all, the sanest one on the team. And the girls had to stick together. Bridgette could manipulate Geoff into voting however she wanted him to, if his crush on her was as enormous as the present he'd given her suggested. If they could convince Sadie to join the alliance as well, they could easily eliminate all the boys and make it to the final three together. Courtney glanced over to Sadie's canoe, where she could see her paddling with Harold, Duncan sitting in the middle doing nothing at all.

"Typical," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Bridgette asked.

"Oh, nothing. What were you saying?" Courtney replied.

"I was just saying that I heard rumours that just because your soulmate is someone, doesn't mean you're their soulmate," Bridgette shrugged. "Like just because your mark lights up when you kiss, doesn't mean theirs will too."

"I've never heard that before," Courtney replied. "I doubt it's true. I do know that some people ignore it though. My parents were soulmates but they split up anyway. Sometimes love isn't enough," Courtney sighed. She'd never really told anyone that story before and she realised she really did think of Bridgette as a friend now.

"You're probably right," Bridgette said. She glanced over at Geoff and DJ's canoe. "Still doesn't mean Geoff and I are soulmates."

Once they reached the island Courtney did her best to help Bridgette avoid Geoff, while she herself tried to avoid Duncan. Avoiding Duncan was somehow much easier than usual, because he didn't seem to be trying to annoy her at all. It was odd she thought, and she almost missed it for a moment before snapping out if it.

Avoiding Geoff was harder. He kept looking behind and grinning at Bridgette, who was looking anywhere but him. When she happened to agree with him on what direction they should take he seemed to instantly brighten, only to have Bridgette snap at him. The poor guy had it bad, but he was coming on way too strong and Bridgette was not ready for it.

The group seemed to be making good headway, they had a good lead on the Gophers, until disaster struck and Geoff went down with a horrible splinter. Courtney rolled her eyes as Bridgette rushed to Geoff's side. What was her deal anyway? Did she like him or not?

"Go on without me!" he cried as he lay on the ground. Courtney was about to do as he said, figuring that if they tried to help him they'd lose their lead, but DJ insisted that they couldn't leave him. DJ and Harold hoisted him above their heads on Geoff and DJ's canoe and carried him to the other side of the island.

Courtney's mouth fell open when she saw that the Gophers had beaten them there and were already building their fire.

"Come on guys, we have to build this fire! Quick, everybody find some firewood!" Courtney ordered. The rest of the team hurried off to do her bidding. She quickly scooped up some kindling and began trying to light the fire by rubbing two sticks together.

"This isn't working!" she cried angrily. She felt a shadow hover over her and she looked up to see Duncan blocking the sun. She smiled at him, strangely glad to see him after not speaking to him all day. She then remembered she was supposed to hate him and turned her smile into a frown. "Are you going to help or what?" she snapped.

"That was the plan," he drawled, pulling out his cigarette lighter. Courtney grabbed it from him gratefully, ignoring his usual smug look and flicked it onto the pile of sticks she had built, and they caught alight instantly. She handed the lighter back to him, blowing on the small flame to make the flames grow quicker. She then hurried off the help the rest of the team get more firewood. Their team was in the lead again and she couldn't be happier.

"I don't think this is going to be big enough," she mused as she eyed the fire. Everyone rushed off to get more wood, but Harold, the total imbecile, grabbed the oars and threw them on the fire. A minute later the island seemed to explode after Izzy threw god knows what on her team's fire.

"Great, just great," Courtney muttered, glaring at Harold.

The campers made their way back to the canoes and as the Gophers paddled away, the Bass were left staring hopelessly at their canoes, until Izzy gave them the idea to have someone push the canoes back. Luckily DJ stepped up to the plate despite his fear of water, and the Bass won the challenge.

Courtney primped in the make shift mirror they'd set up in the girls bedroom, reapplying the lipstick that had worn off during the day, despite the fact that she'd probably go to bed soon anyway. But with all the cameras around she couldn't risk looking bad at any moment. She heard a crash behind her and she looked around to see Bridgette picking up the pieces of the gift Geoff had given her.

"Do you have any glue?" Bridgette asked.

"I wouldn't waste my time trying to fix that," Courtney sneered. Hadn't Bridgette been complaining about it only a few hours ago? It was a terrible and creepy present and Courtney could not for the life of her work out why Bridgette would want to keep such a thing.

"Maybe I would…" she heard Bridgette murmur. Courtney glanced at her new friend, taking in the small smile on the blonde's face and the blush that tinged her cheeks when she caught Courtney staring at her. Courtney realised then what was going on. Bridgette really did like Geoff, that much was obvious. They were probably even soulmates, like Geoff obviously thought they were. They would look really cute together.

Courtney sighed and walked over to help Bridgette pick up the pieces. She couldn't help feel that twinge of jealously she had felt when she found out about Tyler and Lindsay. And it was nothing to do with the people, but that they had found each other, and she hadn't yet. And she knew they were on this island, but she wasn't sure who it was yet, although she had a strong suspicion.

But that was ridiculous! They didn't even like each other. They had nothing in common. He was a terrible person who didn't have a stitch of empathy and could never love someone like that. Sure, she was attracted to him, she could admit that to herself (and only herself) but that didn't mean he was her soulmate. She knew there was only one sure fire way to find out the truth, but she wasn't about to just walk over there and kiss him, that could lead to major embarrassment.

But she could think of something else that might determine it for her, if only in her mind.

"Bridgette…" she started cautiously.

"Mmmm?" Bridgette responded absentmindedly, putting the chards of Geoff's present in her suitcase.

"Did you and Sadie decide to vote for Tyler in the end?" she asked, dreading the answer somehow. Bridgette turned to her, looking a little guilty.

"No, sorry. We voted for you. Or at least I did," Bridgette shrugged.

"Then who…?" Courtney started, but Bridgette interrupted her.

"I think you know who saved your ass, Courtney," Bridgette raised an eyebrow and Courtney looked at her hopelessly. "I'm going to see if Chris has any glue," Bridgette said, leaving Courtney kneeling on the floor of the cabin, her mind racing. Something inside her was sure now that Duncan was her soulmate. She didn't know if it was her heart or her head or the marks themselves, but she knew it with such a certainty that it ached.

And she was furious. She was so angry that she was forced to be connected in any way with such a vile, disgusting ogre. He may be her soulmate but she didn't have to like it, and she was going to fight it with every fibre of her being.

Ok whoops I know I said the last chapter would be the last one before I went away, but turns out I'll have more free time than I thought, and I'm really getting into this story now. So there might be a couple more before I go, but just be warned any one could be the last one.

Hope y'all liked this chapter, let me know what you thought!