All right. You know the drill. Thansk for reviewing, Bloodylilcorpse, Elizabeth Life Stone and queenoftrouble.

With Heather gone, I was on my own in the cabin. There was only one thing to be done.

"You know," I remarked to Duncan casually, "Now that Heather's gone, I've got a clear room in the cabins all to myself..."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"And I really don't want to be alone tonight." I said, giving him a look of pure innocence. "I have nightmares if I'm alone!" (Granted, I'd had nightmares while I was sharing the cabin or spa hotel bedroom with Jo, Gwen, Heather, Lindsay...but I still didn't want to be alone.)

"And?" Duncan said innocently.

"Oh, come on!" I said frustratedly. "You know what I'm asking you."

Duncan laughed. "Yeah. I do know. But I can't answer it until you ask it." He paused. "I might as well tell you that if you want to have hot crazy fun, the answer is no – the walls are too thin, but..."

"No, I was just asking if maybe you'd stay on my side of the cabin with me, maybe let me cuddle with you." I finally admitted. "If I'm alone in the cabin, what might happen if Mal sneaked out of the spa hotel? Without Zoey around..." I let the threat hang, but quickly added "And I'd rather sleep in your arms than on my own."

"Well," Duncan grinned, "I guess I could work with that. All right, I'll share the girls' side of the cabin with you for tonight. Just don't start thinking I'm a girl."

It was lucky that the night was pretty cold, because otherwise, I probably would've laid awake all night. And although having Duncan with me was a huge comfort, it didn't completely drive my nightmares away. Well, 'nightmare' was probably a strong word for this one. But Mal was still in it...

"Did you enjoy taking the fall last challenge, doll face?" Mal's tone was light and teasing. He was sitting on the cabin floor, leaning against the wall, and I was alone. I could still feel something, and deep down, I knew Duncan would be there when I woke up, but I couldn't see or hear him now.

"You better get used to it," Mal continued, "Because I don't intend to lose this game...or you. I have big plans for the money." He paused. "What would you do? I mean, if you had the million dollars?"

I stared at him incredulously. "You're asking me that? Like you care what I think."

Instantly, Mal's visible eye darkened. "Remember, doll face, you can't speak to me like that. Show some respect for your master. Now answer the question."

I didn't bother to correct him, although I had no intention of submitting to him, and said "I hadn't thought it through. I guess I'd save half and spend the rest. Depends on whether I have college entrance, and I haven't got my exam results back yet."

"I don't think you'll be going to college." Mal stated in a neutral tone. "You'll have full employment and never want for anything when I win the money. But you will still be mine, to do with as I wish." He reached down and touched my cheek, his touch feather-light for once. "Enjoy the freedom while you can, doll face. I'm just waiting for the day when I'll have you and Red all to myself." I shivered, and then he was gone.

Although the dream wasn't as bad as some of the previous ones, it was still a relief to wake up with someone beside me. And on that note, Duncan looked adorable when he was asleep. He still had a sort of "I-don't-care" position, but his face had this cute look to it, like he was a little kid again.

As I lay there for a few seconds, just looking at him, Duncan's eyes snapped open, and immediately, his lips curled into a smirk. "Staring at me, sweetheart?"

I tossed my head. "Like I can help it. You spent the night holding me so tightly, I couldn't even move my head to stop having to look you in the face." I teased back.

Duncan shrugged. "I know you wanted to. What time is it, anyway?"

I checked my watch. "Six twenty-five."

"No point in trying to go back to sleep." Duncan muttered. "And Chef doesn't toss gruel into the cabins until seven, so I don't have to be back on the boys' side for another half-hour. Wanna make out, Diamond?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Diamond?"

"Like your stud." Duncan explained. "Cause you were sparkly when I met you with the sequins on your T-shirt, your nose still sparkles, and you're a girlfriend I value. Therefore, Diamond. And if you don't like it, tough – I pick names for all my girlfriends."

"But you didn't do that when we dated for the first time." I frowned.

"I was pretty much just a kid. I only started nicknaming my girlfriends later on. But remember how I used to call Courtney Princess? I only give names to the girls I'm serious about. Anyway, you wanna make out or not?"

I pretended to think about it. "Um...sure!"

And later that day, when everyone was up and dressed, the boys on our team smirked at me. "Have fun last night?" Scott chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. "Mind out of the gutter, creep. Besides, I know you'd do the same if you had a girlfriend." Alejandro was about to say something, but I stopped him. "And you don't have any room to talk, either, because if you and Heather had actually dated while you were on the show, you would've shared her room if she'd been alone. Besides that, you flirt enough for all the guys left on this season."

Alejandro gave me a faux hurt look. "I am wounded, senorita. How can you think so low of me?" I laughed at him, and he dropped the act. "All right, I understand, you watched the third season. But in all seriousness, I haven't acted against anyone this season, unless you count Heather, which she brought on herself after what she did to me in Hawaii."

I shrugged. "Only because most everyone was either on the third season, or watched the third season. You know you can't get away with it, like you could on a season when no one knew anything about you."

Duncan and I also had fun with a bit more graffiti. Duncan did a skull and crossbones in purple, while I wrote Dark eyes, dark soul around it. It was a very subtle warning about Mal, but since I had naturally dark eyes...yeah, it kind of worked against me.

I went to the confessional. "I keep hoping and hoping my dreams aren't real, but I have to face it. They are. I haven't even spoken to Mike this season. I just hope he can regain control."

About ten minutes later, Chris called us all together, along with Zoey, back from exile and looking fatigued but otherwise all right.

"I have a big announcement." Chris told us. "Today, the teams are being merged!" We all gasped. "That's right! From now on, challenges are for individual winners only, and everyone is at risk of getting the not-so-royal flush!" At that moment, Chris' phone rang. "I have to take this. It's my stylist." He walked away as he answered. "Yeah, how come my socks don't match my shirt?"

I looked at Duncan. "Alliance buddies?" I offered. "We might as well both be in the final two."

We shook on it. "Just don't whine when I win again!" Duncan grinned.

"Buy me a tattoo with some of the money and I'll think about it." was my reply. I kind of wanted a cute tattoo on my shoulder, maybe a diamond to match my nose and the name Duncan had given me. Or three bars, to symbolize juvie, and the promise I'd made myself that I would never go there again.

Zoey, Cameron and Mal were in their own alliance, although I could see from Zoey and Cameron's faces that they weren't sure who he really was. I guessed Zoey had told Cameron what I told her.

Alejandro, Scott and Sierra were all ally-less. I thought about it and then called out "Hey, Sierra!"

The purple-haired girl smiled and came over. "Hey!" she said in a bubbly tone. "It's Bailey, right? I've been making a blog for you from my SmartPhone!" She showed me the screen, and I saw the words "All-Stars new girl: Bailey, the Lawless Artist."

I scowled. "You gave me a label?"

"Everyone on this show has one!" Sierra said defensively. "Even I have one!" She tapped away on her SmartPhone, then showed me a Total Drama website with links to all her blogs. "See?" Every single link had below it: "Managed by: Obsessed Uber-Fan".

Anyway, I didn't get a chance to ask Sierra to be in our alliance. She asked Cameron, and was pretty much accepted, although it looked like that might be temporary.

Chris came back. "Guy thinks I'm colourblind." he muttered. "As if!" Then he told us that the challenge was a boat race, or regatta, around the island's perimeter. There were boats at the dock, and they were first come, first serve. The first person back at the dock got the spa hotel for the night and immunity. "Starting...now!"

I ran as fast as I could. "Hurry up, Duncan, let's go!" I called back to him, running much faster than he could.

Alejandro was the only one faster than me. He grabbed one of the speedboats, so I jumped onto the other one and waited for Duncan to join me. The minute he did, we zoomed off, just as Mal reached the dock.

Chef did cause some problems for us, as he dropped coconuts, and then dynamite on us, but luckily, Duncan put out the stick of dynamite and the coconuts were only a temporary problem. In fact, we passed Alejandro, who had some trouble with the boat. Mal passed us on another boat, actually better than ours, and Zoey, Cameron, Sierra and Scott on a raft. We ended up in the lead, after Zoey tried to bring out the real Mike by putting herself in danger, and Mal went to save her. That gave me a glimmer of hope – I could see that it was still Mal by the marks around his eyes, but maybe, just maybe, Mike still had some influence over his actions.

Finally, we passed the finish line. "Bailey wins it!" Chris announced.

I narrowed my eyes. "Just me?"

"Only one winner." Chris grinned. "Technically, you were closer to the front of the boat, so you crossed the finish line first."

We were followed closely by Alejandro, then Mal and Zoey. Finally, Sierra, Cameron and Scott were last. They'd used Fang as a motor early on, by making Scott bait, but eventually, things had happened, and they'd lost their motor. And Scott was really mad at Cameron. I actually saw Sierra yelling at Scott in defense..

"You dare hurt Cam, and I'll hurt you!" she screeched. "No one touches my friends!"

Chris had that camera grin on his face as we all stood on the dock. "Bailey, as winner of the challenge, you get a free night in the spa hotel, and you can take one person with you."

I grinned. "Nice." I turned to my boyfriend. "Duncan, you coming?" The two of us high-fived.

That night, no one was exiled, as a reward for making it to the merge. Still, it was time to vote. I voted against Mal, no question. I just wanted him as far away from Zoey and I as possible. Sure, he could wreak havoc on the world, but at least he had no special targets, and maybe he'd be locked up again by the time I got back on the mainland.

"Well, I believe this is a first!" Chris commented. "The votes have been tabulated, and it's unanimous!"

I grinned, but as Chris spoke, my expression slowly changed. "Tonight's Flush of Shame recipient is...Cameron!"

"WHAT?!" cried Cameron. "How can it be unanimous? I didn't vote for myself!"

"I didn't vote for him, either!" Zoey added.

Sierra threw her arms around Cameron. "Don't send him home, Chris, please!" she begged. "The votes are obviously wrong! We should vote again!"

"The votes have spoken, Sierra." Chris said, giving her a cross look. "I don't care. Cameron is going home."

Well...obviously the votes were rigged. Did Mal do it? With Cameron being pretty much Mike's best friend, it would make sense. It was sad to say goodbye to the poor guy, though. He would be missed by many.

I didn't have time to worry about Cameron, though. I wanted to enjoy myself for one night, and I was going to do so, dammit!

Yep, Bailey won a challenge! I wanted to give her a little time with Duncan...

Next chapter: The camera room, a kidnapping, and a friendship with a certain superfan!