Author's Notes: Sorry again for the huge wait. There were a lot of problems with this chapter---one, TDA Courtney turned out to be very different than I imagined her, so I had to re-plan this to fit that mold, and two, I had a hard time writing this in a way that didn't bash Duncan/Courtney too much, while also explaining why I like this pairing more. (Well, other than the fact that Winter-Rae doesn't write DxC.) I hope I did a good job. XD

Current Interaction: Duncan and Leshawna

In the end, Duncan had no choice but to break up with Courtney.

It wasn't because she was "mean," or "harsh," or any of those stupid complaints the others were making; Duncan liked her being all badass and nasty, reveled in the way the dark side had finally emerged from that Ms.-Goody-Two-Shoes she'd been at the start of TDI. He didn't mind that she was rude to the other contestants, that she schemed and connived, no, that was dumb; that was what he had wanted, after all, heck, what he had worked for, poking fun at her and tempting her and finally drawing her to let that faux good side go and embrace the viciousness inside her.

Duncan didn't mind that Courtney was evil. What ticked Duncan off was that she just wasn't any fun.

She screamed, of course, when he finally broke it off; she screamed and yelled and kicked him in the groin, and then, to top it all off, she sued him. Yeah. That, of course, was it for Duncan; if he had had any doubts, this proved that he and Courtney were never meant to be. Everything was always about rules, her rules, she couldn't even do a breakup right for Pete's sake. The first time a girl broke up with Duncan, what did he do? What any sane man would: write her phone number on the bathroom wall along with a rather descriptive and vulgar ad, and get suspended a week later because of it. But no, Courtney was going to twist the rules, try to claim mental anguish or some shit like that so that she could get her revenge all official and legal-like. As Harold rather geekily put it, Duncan was Chaotic Evil, but Courtney was Lawful; that was what Duncan couldn't stand, not the nastiness, but the fact that underneath it all she was just such a---bitch! And damn did he hate it.

Then Duncan started to date Leshawna.

Leshawna, it turned out, was just the opposite of Courtney. Where Courtney was rude, Leshawna was friendly; where Courtney was uptight, Leshawna was calm and laid-back. Courtney was implacable, flying into a rage if Duncan hit on her but flying into an equal rage if he so much as talked to any other girl. When Duncan teased Leshawna, Leshawna teased him right back, and she didn't care if he was friends with Gwen or any other chick---though she made it clear she'd kill him if he ever tried anything more.

Duncan felt like he was free now. He could finally flirt, he could finally see his friends, he could finally have a conversation about something other than strategy and get an actual response. He was having fun again, all the fun that Courtney never wanted to have. Finally, someone who was cool instead of preppy, calm instead of uptight, nice instead of mean---

Well, scratch that last one, Duncan thought. That one turned out to be a problem, because Duncan liked a certain amount of evil, and Leshawna...not so much. And while Duncan had spent a lot of time and effort fostering that dark side in Courtney, Leshawna had the idea of doing the same thing to Duncan---in reverse. Which turned out to be the cause of their first major fight.

It had been so stupid, too---all he was going to do was put itching powder all over Harold's clothes and bedsheets, and he thought Leshawna would want to help---I mean, what girl wouldn't want to play a prank like that on her ex? Instead the two wound up on opposite sides of the room, screaming at each other---oh no, you ain't gonna do that, she said, oh yes I am, he said, and why the hell not, you never seemed to have a problem when I did this to Heather or Courtney? That was different, she screamed, and you know it, Harold didn't do nothing to you so why you always teasing him? Because it's funny! Ain't nothing funny about being a jerk! Yes there is! No there ain't! Well I'm doing it! No!

Back and forth they raged for at least ten minutes, before finally Leshawna threw up her hands and declared that if Duncan went through with his prank, the two of them were over. Well FINE! Duncan screamed, and threw the itching powder to the ground---which wound up working against him, since the whole thing exploded up in his face. He spun around, ignoring the snorts of laughter from onlookers as he stormed away, seething and hissing and already starting to scratch himself as he ran to the showers to wash this crap off.

Damn Leshawna! What, she thinks she can control him?! The way she stood up to him like that, the way she screamed, as far as he was concerned she was just like Courtney, except without dropping that stupid goody persona. Using her own voice instead of a lawyer, her own threats instead of a painful kick, it didn't matter, she was still such a---bitch!

And Duncan didn't want to admit it at the moment, but damn, did he love it.

A/N: I don't know if this came out as good on the screen as it did in my head...does the ending make sense to anyone, or does it just seem like a contradiction that Duncan dislikes Courtney but likes Leshawna? Did I make the point clear? Please review and let me know.

Next Interaction: Cody and Beth, since Total Drama Addict has been so patient. ;-) Now to just figure out what I'm gonna write...