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Chapter Text

Abandon Ship

Day 1:

They dropped anchor just inside the harbor, the closest land about a mile away. Nick noticed that while a couple of his fellow castaways looked a little seasick, one man in a purple buff with Eurasian features looked more than a little green around the gills, and Nick worried he might throw up at any moment.

They had been instructed not to speak to each other until Jeff gave the evacuation order, so Nick had used his time to study the other contestants, starting with his own tribe, each of whom was wearing a light blue buff. 

The first person he took notice of was the tall, thin, dark skinned woman. She was pretty, he supposed, although not really his type. She had used her buff to pull her hair back off her face, except for two thin braids on either side of her temple. She seemed fairly athletic, with the slim build of a swimmer or runner.

The guy sitting to her left had also taken notice of her as well. He was about the same height as the woman, with dark hair cut at an odd length so that it curled up on the ends, framing his cupid's bow mouth. His eyes had that slight tilt that proclaimed him to be of Asian descent. He kept glancing at the woman beside him as if to assure himself that she was real, and he wasn’t dreaming her.

On his left was a woman with blonde bangs over brown hair. She seemed to be vibrating with the need to talk, and kept smiling at Nick whenever he glanced her way. He wasn’t sure what to make of her at the moment. Nor did he know what to make of the blonde guy sitting beside her. He wore an arrogant sneer and an air of superiority.

And then there was Him. Nick had overheard one of the Production Assistants call Him Charlie, and Nick thought it suited him, with his smile that took up his entire face, and oh so soft looking curls. Granted, there were two other guys with soft looking black or dark brown curls, but neither of them looked as adorable with their buff hanging loose around their neck.

He tore his attention away from Charlie to look at one of the other two dark, curly haired men. This one had strong Latin features and cafe au lait skin, accented by the purple buff he wore. He currently had his face turned up to the sun, eyes closed as if he were absorbing the warmth of the sun’s rays. He was also rather attractive, Nick thought.

The woman sitting beside him was more Nick’s type. Her dark, natural hair was hardly contained by her buff as the sun glinted off her dark skin. She had a full figure, and had curves in all the places women should have curves. She reminded him of the first girl Nick had ever kissed. She hadn’t really glanced in Nick’s direction, though. She kept sneaking glances at the guy to her right, with the dark blonde hair.

He didn’t seem to notice her, though. He was basically staring straight ahead, as if afraid to look at the people around him. Maybe afraid wasn’t the right word. More like indifferent. He wasn’t exactly ignoring everyone else, but he wasn’t inviting interaction, either. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. 

On his other side was the guy who looked like he was going to vomit. Nick felt a pang of sympathy for the guy, but really, he should have considered that before they’d left and taken something for the seasickness.

The blonde woman on his other side was slightly older than the other contestants, maybe mid thirties. She seemed to be observing everyone else as well. She nodded her head in Nick’s direction when their eyes met. There was something about her that screamed training, and Nick was itching to know what she did for a living.

The last person on the purple tribe was a woman with long black hair that she wore pulled up into two braided ponytails on the sides of her head. She wore a bracelet of crystal beads on each wrist, and a pentacle around her neck. She had smelled vaguely of sage when Nick had passed her while boarding the boat.

He turned to the tribe in the red buffs, where the third man with dark curly hair was laughing at something he saw off the side of the boat. Nick’s curiosity was answered a moment later when three dolphins breached the surface, jumping high into the air and showing off some incredible aerobatics. 

Most of the other people on the boat oohed and aahed at the display, but the auburn haired man sitting next to the laughing man was too busy admiring the laughing man. Nick studied the fair skinned man. He knew that face from somewhere, but wasn’t certain where.

On the other side of the laughing man was one of two blonde women on that tribe. This one had shorter hair, and a determined set to her shoulders. There was also something in her eyes that made Nick think she’d had a rough life.

The Latina woman between her and the other blonde woman also looked like she’d been forged by her past, with steel in her spine and a resting bitch face that could drop a water buffalo at fifty paces. The other blonde woman seemed to not have a care in the world as she danced to music only she heard. 

The last member of that team was an abnormally tall man who seemed just a little clueless as to why he was there.

Nick’s attention was drawn to the PA who stood at the bow of the ship and called for them to listen up.

“We’ll begin filming in just a few minutes, but first we need to go over what is about to happen when Jeff gives the signal. There are basic supplies located all over this level of the ship. Most of these items are first come, first served, but there are four items that are one per tribe, and will be marked with your tribe colors. The four items are a machete, a cooking pot, a twenty gallon water jug that is currently one fourth full of fresh drinkable water, which should be enough to get you through the first night, and a small tool kit with a few items that will help with constructing a shelter. Make sure someone on your team has grabbed all four of these items.

“Once we’ve filmed the opening and introductions, Jeff will speak to you, explain where each tribe will be heading once they leave this ship, and go over some generalities. Once he gives the signal, you will have exactly five minutes to gather what supplies you can onto your escape raft, and abandon ship. Anyone not off the ship after five minutes is up will incur a penalty at the first immunity challenge, so get what you can as fast as you can and get off the ship!” 

The PA glanced around to make certain everyone had gotten the message. “Now, the ship will be moving in a little closer to land as we begin filming, but you will still each have about half to two thirds of a mile to swim or paddle to reach your respective beaches.”

He then went on to remind them of the rules and various safety issues to be aware of. He was about to wrap up his safety talk when the guy on the purple tribe finally hurled as the vessel began to move again. Fortunately he’d managed to turn and throw up over the side of the boat. One of the medics on hand checked him out and gave him some Dramamine, and then the cameras began rolling

There was no sign of their host, Jeff, just yet, but they were instructed to act casual as they were filmed for the opening. They could hear a helicopter taking aerial footage as well, but had been told not to look up at it for any reason.

Finally, the man himself, Jeff Probst appeared on deck.

...

“In just a few minutes, these three tribes will be scrambling to take what they can from this ship to try and make it through the next thirty nine days. This season there are some new twists, and new challenges!

“The first twist? Each tribe represents a different country. The Truham Tribe consists of six contestants from across the United Kingdom. They are; professional Rugby player, Nick. Newspaper commentator, Harry. Elle, a fashion consultant. Tao, a film critic. Imogen, a motivational speaker. And studio musician, Charlie.

“Representing Sweden, Tribe Hillerska consists of; Felice, a college student. Alexander, a banking exec. Singer and musician, Simon. Malin, retired army soldier and currently employed as private security. Madison, a self described free spirit. And Wille, an independent businessman.

“And from the US, the McKinley Tribe brings us Blaine, a songwriter and composer. Quinn, a single mother. Finn, a high school football coach. Cheerleader, Santana. Fashion designer, Kurt. And model and dancer, Brittany.

“Eighteen contestants will try to outwit, outplay, and outlast, but only one can win the million dollar prize. Who will be the ultimate Survivor? Find out this season on Survivor: World Domination!”

He turned to face the tribes. “When I give the signal, you will have five minutes to salvage what you can and abandon ship. Each tribe will be heading to their own private beach, located on these maps.” He handed one scroll to each tribe. “What you do once you get to your locations is up to you. Good luck. Survivors ready? Go!”

… 

Nick jumped to his feet, bee-lining for the back of the boat where he knew the larger items would be. He grabbed their tribe’s water jug and machete, as well as a large bunch of bananas, and passed them off to Tao, who was passing things down to their raft. Nick raced back to grab their tool kit, and also snagged two tarps and a large crate containing three chickens and a rooster. He ran those back to Tao, and searched for their team’s pot, but saw that the curly haired Charlie had already grabbed it and was filling it with various vegetables. 

“Need a hand?” Nick offered.

“I’ve got this, if you want to grab the bag of potatoes?”

Nick hoisted the bag onto his shoulder and followed Charlie back towards Tao, but paused to grab a small bag of rice as well. Under the bag Nick spotted something yellow, with the survivor logo on it. He grabbed it up and slipped it into his back pocket for now.

Nick, 24. Whitstable, Kent, England

“I came on Survivor as a way to clear my head, I guess you could say. I was beginning to realize that I wasn’t really being true to myself, hiding who I am from everyone around me. I needed time away from Rugby and certain people to figure out what I really want out of life, to find my true voice.

“I think my biggest fear is disappointing people when they learn the truth. They all see me as this strong, confident Rugby player, but the truth is, I’m not really that strong, or confident. It’s all been an act, because that is what everyone expects of me.”

“Thirty seconds!” Jeff called out. 

Nick took a quick inventory of what their tribe had accumulated as Elle handed Tao a couple coils of rope. They had fruit, vegetables, the chickens, potatoes, rice, and a canister of flour, along with the tarps, a couple of lanterns, and other necessities. He glanced around him once more to see if there was anything else he could grab quickly, and scooped up another tarp and a couple more rope coils that had fallen under a bench before jumping overboard.

As he swam towards the raft, he noticed Imogen struggling a little in the water. “Get on the raft with the supplies,” he said, helping her to climb aboard. She seemed tired from the brief struggle. “Charlie, you have the map, right? Why don’t you get on the raft too and steer. I’ll push from behind with Elle.”

Charlie nodded, and carefully climbed onto the raft, unfurling the map and studying it for a moment. “Looks like our beach is straight ahead. We should reach it quickly enough.” He rolled the scroll back up and grabbed a paddle. Nick and Elle pushed the raft from behind, while Harry and Tao swam alongside to keep it on course as Charlie alternately used the oar to push them forward and as a rudder to make small course corrections.

…

Simon bit back his angry retort as Alexander nearly scalped him with the oar once again. The other man had been practically useless during the scramble for supplies, and had dumped an entire bag of potatoes into the sea. Thankfully Malin was able to grab the crate of chickens before the poor creatures were sent to a watery death when Alexander tossed them over the railing as well.

“Alexander!” Wilhelm had shouted. “You can’t just throw everything over! You need to make sure it gets on the raft!”

The man had the grace to at least look sheepish. “Sorry!”

“Why don’t you get on the raft and collect the stuff as Felice hands it down to you. And make sure everything is secured?”

That had settled their initial problem, but once the supplies had been gathered, it quickly became apparent that Alexander had no idea how to use an oar, or how to read a map. Fortunately Malin was able to read the map and point them in the right direction, and she and Madison steered the raft from behind while Simon, Wille, and Felice swam alongside, only to be menaced by Alexander and his flying oar.

It was sheer luck that they had been assigned the closest beach, but even then Felice was struggling a bit by the time they reached the shore. She staggered as she tried to help Simon and Wilhelm pull the raft higher up the beach.

“Here,” Simon said, handing her the lighter of the two tarps they had grabbed. “Carry this up to that fallen log and rest for a few minutes, okay? Don’t want you to exhaust yourself too much so soon.”

She smiled at him gratefully, and grabbed a couple of other lighter items before heading to the treeline. Malin finished helping them secure the raft, and they all began unloading their supplies. They took a well deserved five minute break then as they discussed what their priorities were.

“The map shows a clearing not too far back into these trees that we can build our shelter in,” Malin suggested. “We can carry the supplies there, and then start looking for building materials and firewood.”

“I can help with trying to make a fire,” Madison said. “I’ve done it before. I lived on a Native American reservation for a summer, and learned many of their traditional survival techniques, as well as traditional healing.”

Malin nodded. “Good. I suggest we rest for no more than another five minutes, then head out.”

“Are you feeling better now?’ Wilhelm asked Felice as he offered her some water.

“Yes, thank you. Your name is Wilhelm?”

He nodded. “Most people just call me Wille.”

She smiled again. “Wille. I’m okay now. Just wore out from the swim.

They gathered up what supplies they could, and moved deeper into the trees until they found the clearing. It was definitely a good spot for building a shelter.

“Simon and I can go back for the rest of the supplies, if you want to start planning out the shelter and working on the fire?” Wille offered.

Malin nodded. “ Tack, that is a good idea.”

Simon nodded and followed Wille back to the beach.

“So, you are a singer?” Wille asked casually. “Have I heard you on the radio?”

Simon smiled. “Maybe. I released my first album last year, and one of my singles has been doing well lately.” He mentioned the name of the single.

Wille’s eyes went wide. “Wait, that’s you? But that guy’s name is different!”

Simon shrugged. “It’s my middle name. I use it as a stage name. Keeps rabid fans from harassing my mom and sister.”

“Oh,” Wille replied. “I guess that makes sense. I love your music by the way. I bought the album on iTunes when it came out.”

Simon blushed. “Thanks, but please don't tell anyone else who I am.”

They didn’t say anything else as they gathered up the rest of the supplies and carried them back to the clearing. In the short time they were gone, Malin and Felice had traced an outline of where they were going to build the shelter on the ground, while Madison showed Alexander how the Native Americans started a fire by using a drill stick and a slightly curved piece of wood.

The issue they were having was that Alexander wasn’t keeping the rhythm of twirling consistent. Once Simon realized what Madison was trying to do, he stepped in and traded places with Alexander, while vocalizing a tempo to keep them in rhythm. Madison smiled at him in gratitude, and after about five minutes of twirling the drill stick, they had a spark that caught the dried coconut husks she had piled around the drill stick.

As they continued to drill, Wille knelt beside them and began to gently blow on the ember as he added small sticks to the pile. Soon they had a small fire going, and they transferred the base to the center of the ring of rocks and added more small sticks, and then larger ones, and finally some small branches and a couple of logs. They cheered and hugged each other as the fire grew high enough to boil water and cook some food on.

Malin smiled in approval as she and Felice returned with some small trees in tow. “Wonderful! Now, which would you prefer, gathering more trees and branches for the shelter while I go try and catch us some fish for dinner, or would you rather Felice and I continue working on the shelter with Madison and Alexander while you find something for our dinner?”

Simon glanced at Wille first, then at Madison and Alexander. “What do you guys think?”

Alexander shrugged. “Malin seems to know what she is doing with the shelter, so I’m okay with you two finding some food.”

Madison put a little more thought into it before she answered. “I trust you two to bring back some food. I’ll help with the shelter as best as I can, if it turns out I’m no help with that, then I will go find the well and fill the water jug.”

Wille shrugged. “We’ll do our best. I actually saw a few giant clams as we were swimming to shore. We have a snorkel.  Maybe I can try and get a couple of those.”

Simon nodded. “And if I could borrow the machete for a minute, I can sharpen a spear to try and get some fish or whatever. It isn’t as good as a Hawaiian sling, but it could work.”

A few minutes later, the two men made their way down to the beach with the spear and the snorkel.

“Do you want me to try for the clams first?” Wille asked. 

Simon considered for a moment. “Let’s see what is out there first. Maybe we can get some fish and the clams, so we have something for breakfast, too?”

Wille nodded and handed him the snorkel and a small mesh bag. He watched as Simon pulled off his already wet shirt, dropping it on the sand along with his shoes. Wille’s mouth went dry as the bronzed man shimmied out of his jean shorts, revealing the swim trunks hidden underneath, before wading out into the water.

…

Quinn was thankful for her ironman training as they reached the beach. She was used to long swims, and understood currents. She wasn’t too terribly exhausted as they made landfall. She managed to help Finn and Blaine drag the raft all the way up the beach with the supplies still on it.

Quinn, 26. Bar Harbor, Maine, US

“I’ve always been an independent person, especially after getting pregnant in high school. My parents threw me out. I could have spiraled into depression, dyed my hair pink, and pierced my nose, but instead I worked hard to keep my grades up. After my daughter was born, I worked part time to support her, and still graduated at the top of my class. 

“Going to college was harder with a child, but fortunately by then, my mother had decided to come back into my life, and helped me raise Beth so I could get my law degree. I also spent time training for an ironman competition, in which I placed third in the women’s division. Why did I do it? To remind myself that life is tough, but if you work hard, you can make it through.”

Kurt, Santana, and Brittany were currently scouting the island using the map they had been given, searching for a good location for their shelter, as well as the water source.

“Should we try and start a fire?” Finn asked.

Blaine shrugged, shaking his head. “No point building a fire here on the beach if we’re just going to have to try again later when we set up our shelter.”

Finn frowned. “But what about food?”

“We have fruit and vegetables for now. Once we get the shelter started and can get a fire going, we can try catching some fish.”

The prospect of having fish cheered Finn up a little, just as Kurt and the other two women returned.

“Good news,” Kurt said. “There is a good place for a shelter not too far from the beach. There is a sheer rock wall on one side to help protect from wind. We can build the shelter right up against that. And there are two guava trees and a coconut tree right there, all full of fruit! And I think I spotted a fig tree, too.”

“That’s great!” Blaine said. “Let’s get the supplies moved and get started on the shelter and try and get the fire going.”

“And then we can have some food!” Finn exclaimed, suddenly full of energy, picking up all the supplies he could carry. Quinn just rolled her eyes and gathered up what she could carry and followed Kurt to the location.

It did seem perfect for their needs, but she worried that during a rainstorm, water might run down the cliff. She voiced the concern to Kurt.

“I thought of that,” he said.  “If we build the shelter here, where it slopes inward somewhat, we can wedge the tarp in and allow the water to run off the side of the tarp.”

She envisioned what he was describing. “That could work. Good job. We might still get some dripping on this side, but the majority should go the other way, you’re right. And if we angle it just right, we might be able to collect the rainwater in the water jug, saving us a trip to the well.”

Kurt smiled. “I hadn’t thought of that, but that is a good point, too. We should start by getting a couple small trees that are tall enough to wedge under the curve, then get a couple slightly shorter ones to tie the other end of the tarp to create the roof of the shelter.” 

“I’ll help with building the shelter,” Quinn offered. “We’ll need someone to try and get the fire going, and at least one person to fill the water jug. The others can try to forage for food, or if you feel up to trying to fish, that would be good too.”

“I can try and get the fire started,” Blaine replied. “I was an eagle scout.”

“And I can get the water, if someone tells me where to get it,” Finn volunteered.

“Brittany can show you,” Santana suggested. “I’ll take a stab at catching us a fish.”

Kurt nodded. “Sounds like we all have our tasks set out. Everyone stay safe! Don’t get lost!”

Quinn picked up the machete, and the two of them began to search the trees nearby for two of about equal height that would be tall enough for their needs.

“This one looks tall enough,” Kurt pointed to one tree that was about three inches in diameter, and about fifteen feet tall. Quinn nodded, handing him the machete as she continued looking.

It took a while to find another tree that was about the same height. Kurt had chopped the first one down easily, but this one was on a slope with slippery sand that made it a little hard to get to.

“What if I stand here and hold your off hand while you chop?” Kurt suggested. “It will mean your swings won’t have as much force, but at least you won’t have to worry about falling on your butt.”

Quinn laughed. “I’d be more worried about falling on my face. Let’s give it a try.”

It quickly became apparent after only two swings that this technique would take hours to make any progress. Kurt pulled her back up. 

“Okay, new plan. Lets try and find the two shorter trees, get them back to camp, then grab some rope and a couple more people to get this one.”

Quinn agreed, and they quickly found two smaller trees and cut them down. They dragged the three trees back to the clearing to find the others celebrating the fact that Blaine had managed to get the fire going, and Santana had returned with two rather large crabs and a pot full of mussels.

“Good job, everyone!” Kurt said smiling. “Finn, could you give Quinn and I a hand getting the other tree for the shelter? We had a bit of trouble reaching it.”

“Sure,” Finn replied.

“Need another hand?” Blaine offered.

Quinn smiled. “Actually, if you want to take my place, I can gather some wild herbs I spotted and get a seafood stew started, with Santana and Brittany’s help. We could also gather some branches and fronds to cushion the shelter a bit until we can build a platform to sleep on.”

“I like that idea,” Blaine laughed.

By the time the three guys returned with the fourth tree, the stew was simmering, and the girls had accumulated a stack of branches and fronds as tall as Quinn’s shoulder.

“Damn, you girls work fast,” Finn said.

Brittany giggled. “Who run the world?”

By sunset, they had a rudimentary shelter large enough for all of them to sleep under. They used a second tarp over the top of the spread out branches and fronds to make their sleeping area less prickly, and settled in for the night.

…

Elle pushed the raft up further onto the beach as Nick pulled from the front. It had taken them almost half an hour to swim to the beach, and her legs were feeling like jelly, but she didn’t flop down on the beach like Harry had. Instead, she, Tao, and Charlie had immediately started unloading the supplies and carried them up into the treeline for some protection. Imogen tried helping as well, but she didn’t seem very stable after her watery scare.

Nick dragged the now empty raft further up on the beach and secured it to make certain it wouldn’t float away when the tide came in. Only once the important things were taken care of did she allow herself to stop for a few minutes and take a breather.

“Give me five minutes, and I’ll be ready to scout the area for a good place to build a shelter and find the water,” she said.

Nick smiled at her. “No problem. You deserve a break. You’re a strong swimmer, but that was really a test of stamina out there!”

Elle, 25. Woking, Surrey, England

“I swam competitively for years, but once I transitioned, transphobic idiots decided I suddenly had an unfair advantage, and refused to let me compete as a woman. 

“I wasn’t a distance swimmer, my specialty was the 4 by 400 butterfly. I could have competed in the Olympics if it weren’t for small minded people. Swimming to the island today reminded me of my competitive days, and I have to admit, I was determined to show people that trans doesn’t mean more or less, it means human.”

“I can scout if you want,” Charlie suggested. “You guys did most of the hard work. I have the map of the island, and I’m not as exhausted as you all are.”

“Are you sure?” Elle asked.

“I’ll go with him,” Imogen offered. “I think I’ve recovered now, and I don’t want you all to think I am weak and pathetic.”

Charlie smiled at her. “You’re okay. You just got stuck in an undertow. You’re lucky Nick noticed before you went under and pulled you free. It’s not the first time something like that has happened.”

She blushed. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Charlie just shrugged. “Come on. According to the map there is a cliff with an overhang not too far from here. Depending on the condition of the area surrounding it, it might be a good place to make camp. And the water supply isn’t too far past it.”

“Stay safe!” Tao called out.

Charlie waved to let them know he’d heard them, and disappeared deeper into the trees just as Harry finally made his way up from the beach.

“Where are they going?” he demanded. “Don’t you know you shouldn’t let people wander off by themselves? That is when people start plotting!”

“Relax, mate,” Nick replied. “Charlie and Imogen are just checking out a location for us to possibly set up camp. He decided that Tao, Elle and I had already done most of the hard work, we deserved a few minutes to relax.”

Harry frowned. “What about me? I worked hard too!”

Elle glared at him. “You grabbed two lanterns and jumped ship. Then after we landed, you dropped down on the beach for a nap while the rest of us moved the supplies to a safe location and secured the raft!”

“What about Tao? He didn’t grab anything when we abandoned ship!”

Nick shook his head. “Tao put himself in position to make certain the supplies actually got onto the raft securely, so that nothing was lost or damaged. And don’t think for a moment that passing the supplies down from the boat wasn’t hard work! And before you even think about saying anything about Imogen or Charlie, they both contributed to our collection of supplies, and unloading the raft. And now they are scouting out a good place for us to build a shelter so that we can be comfortable and as protected from the elements as possible.”

Elle was so over the conversation at the moment and dragged herself back up to her feet. “I’m going to give the chickens some feed, and then search for edible plants.”

Tao stood as well. “I’ll follow you. I’m familiar with edible funguses and mushrooms. Maybe if we get a fire going tonight, I can make a stew.”

She smiled at him. “That sounds good. Hopefully we can find some wild garlic to go with it.

…

Nick had almost forgotten about the small envelope he had found on the ship until later that evening when he excused himself to use the bathroom. They had managed to get a good start on their shelter, which mostly consisted of the spacious area provided by the overhang, with two of the three tarps to block the wind. 

Elle had managed to use her glasses to ignite a fire outside of the shelter, and they were able to successfully move it inside. Imogen had accidentally caught an octopus to go with their mushroom stew when she had stepped on it while rinsing out their pot. It had gripped her leg, and she had simply walked back to shore with it clinging to her. Nick had been impressed that she hadn’t freaked out more than a little scream when it first grabbed her.

Now they’d finished dinner, and the sun was just getting ready to set, and Nick really needed to go. They had marked off an area they were dubbing ‘The Throne Room,’ or the toilets. It was away from the shelter and the well, and there weren’t any edible plants in that area, and most importantly, no poison ivy or oak.

Nick finished his business, then fished the envelope from his pocket. In the fading sunlight he read what it said.

“Well, fuck me!” he exclaimed.

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #1

Day 2:

Wille sat on the beach, watching the sunrise on their first full day on the island as he munched on the toasted coconut and chopped up clams left over from the previous night’s dinner. He had attended many fancy dinners before, but nothing he had eaten at them had ever tasted this good. He wondered if that was because he had participated in its creation by providing the clams.

Wille, 24.  Drottningholm, Stockholm län, Sweden

“I’ve lived a pretty sheltered life, my parents being very over protective. I was never allowed to really experience life outside of home until I entered high school, but that didn’t last long. After I got into a fight, my parents pulled me out of the public school and sent me to a private boarding school.

“I suppose I had it a little better than my older brother. His entire life was planned out the moment he was born. My life at least hasn’t been that controlled.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents, but when your life is lived in the public eye, it can feel like you are being smothered. That’s why I tried out for this show. I want to show people that I’m not just some pampered rich kid who can’t do anything for himself. I want to prove to myself that I’m not just some pampered rich kid.”

“God morgon ,” Simon greeted as he joined him on the beach. “You’re up early.”

Wille shrugged. “Couldn’t get back to sleep after Alexander managed to kick me in the back when he rolled over in the shelter.”

Simon couldn’t hold back a giggle. “Sorry, that just sounded funny.”

Wille just smiled. “Yeah, well, at least it meant I was awake early enough to watch this sunrise. It’s beautiful.”

“It is.” They sat in silence for a few minutes watching the sky brighten, and munching on the coconut clams. Once the sun was fully up, they stood and headed back to the shelter, where everyone but Alexander was now awake.

“God morgon ,” they greeted, and Wille turned to Malin. “Are you planning on doing more on the shelter today?”

She nodded. “I was going to grab a bite of leftovers, then start collecting more logs for a sleeping platform. Do you want to join me?”

“Sure. I've already eaten, if you want me to start now. Just tell me what to look for.”

Malin studied him for a moment. “Look for trees that are about twice your height, and as thick around as your thigh.”

Wille nodded and grabbed the machete. 

“I’ll go with him and try to get some guavas and dates to bring back,” Simon offered, grabbing the mesh bag.

Malin nodded and scooped up some of the leftover coconut clams. Felice and Madison had gone down to the beach to collect mussels and sea snails for lunch. Malin glanced back at the shelter as she ate her handful of coconut clams, frowning at Alexander, who still had not gotten up yet.

Malin, 35. Helsingborg, Scania, Sweden

“I’ve never been able to understand how some people can sleep when there is so much work to do. In the army, we were up by dawn most days, and by breakfast had already done a full workout and cleaned the barracks. 

“Alexander seems to be totally clueless how to do just about anything. I don’t see him lasting out here long. He was completely useless with building the shelter, almost cutting his own leg off with the machete. If Madison hadn’t grabbed his arm and stopped him, he probably would have.”

Shaking her head, she finished her breakfast, and went to find Wille and Simon.

…

Santana was not a morning person, especially after sleeping on a lumpy bed of branches and palm fronds covered by a tarp, and no blanket or pillows. She managed not to growl or snap at anyone by going for a walk along the beach and hiding out in solitude until she had woken up enough not to be a bigger bitch than usual.

Once she felt she could return to camp without snapping or using her hair to strangle someone, she decided to be nice and gather some coffee cherries she had found growing wild. She had once worked as a barista at a very fancy coffee shop, and they had required all their employees to take a class in how coffee is made, from fruit to drip. Of course the process would take a few days, but she thought the promise of fresh brewed coffee in the near future would make up for the others having to deal with Auntie Snixx for a couple of days.

She took as many of the cherries as she could carry in her shirt, and headed back to camp, and found the others had started working on the sleeping platform of the shelter. She dumped the cherries into a basket Brittany had woven the night before.

“What are those?” Kurt asked.

“Coffee cherries. I found two trees of them. I’m going to process them so we can have coffee in a few days.”

“Coffee?” Kurt practically pounced on her and hugged her. “If I weren’t gay I’d kiss you!”

“Easy!” Santana said, hiding her pleased smile. “I’m a lesbian, so don’t even think about it!”

“Do you know how to process coffee?” Blaine asked.

“Well, duh, I just said I was going to process it, didn’t I, Sherlock? Granted, for full flavor, it would normally take sixty days, but there is a way to speed it up, so it can be ready to brew in about three to four days, if the weather cooperates. Since we don’t have time to let the beans dry naturally, I’m going to smoke them for a couple of days, after they ferment for a day.”

She had spotted a couple of giant clam shells on the beach the evening before while harvesting mussels, and had brought them back to camp to use as bowls and cooking vessels. She began using a stone to pound the cherries to loosen the beans, which she then pinched into one of the clamshells. Once she had gotten most of the fruit off, she scraped the fruit into the other half of the clamshell for later. She then carried the beans down to the beach to rinse them, and then covered them as best as possible with fresh water. She then set the shell in a safe, elevated spot on some rocks, and covered it with her spare shirt to protect it from birds and other animals.

She then cut open a couple of coconuts and poured the water from them over the pulp from the cherries and set it into a part of the fire that was mostly ash and cinder to simmer for later.

“I’ll collect more cherries later, but this should be enough for a few days worth of coffee. Do you guys want me to help with the shelter, or should I figure something out for lunch?”

“I vote for lunch!” Finn said. All they had eaten for breakfast was one banana and some toasted coconut each.

Kurt shrugged. “I think when it comes to building the shelter, it’s a case of too many cooks ruining the soup. We’d just be getting in each other’s way at this point. Unless someone else wants to find lunch and you stay and help with the shelter?”

They all exchanged a look. “I’ll go with Santana and work on lunch,” Brittany volunteered.

Santana was very pleased with that arrangement, but didn’t let it show. Brittany was beautiful and kind, and had the most whimsical stories to tell.

Santana, 23. Kansas City, MO, US

“I haven’t really had a lot of luck in my love life. Part of that was because for the longest time I denied who I really was. I didn’t want to be labeled, which is all fine and dandy when you actually understand what that means to you, but for me it meant that I could still be straight if I wanted to be, even though that was killing me inside.

“I think another part of my problem was I kept falling for bisexual girls, but I was so insecure that I was always afraid they’d leave me for a guy, and I would get bitchy and scare them away. And then I met Dani, another lesbian, who made me understand that it was okay to call myself that, and to be confident in who I am. I guess she was the first girlfriend I had that didn’t make me feel dirty or ashamed. We’re still friends, but our lives just went in different directions. 

“Brittany brings out those feelings in me as well.”

Before leaving the camp, Santana grabbed a couple more of the baskets Brittany had woven, their snorkel, and a sharpened stick Blaine had made for spearing fish. They stripped down to their bikinis, and waded in. Brittany had been singing Last Friday Night as they made the walk, and skipping and dancing along, and even now she wasn’t completely still. Santana worried she would scare all the fish away.

“Hey Britt,” she said gently. “Why don’t you take one of the baskets and collect some mussels and snails from those rocks over there, while I try and catch some fish?”

“Okay!” The blonde woman said, smiling. “I like mussels, but we shouldn’t get too mussel-ly! That wouldn’t look very good.”

Santana smiled and shook her head. “Those are a different kind of muscles, sweetie.”

“Oh, okay, then I guess we can eat more of them.”

Santana just watched her walk over to the rocks where the tide pools captured all kinds of creatures. With a sigh, the Latina put the snorkel on, and slipped underwater.

…

Charlie stifled a yawn as he held one side of their third tarp up. The other side was being secured in place by Nick. They were in the process of building a pantry of sorts. They had used the machete to dig four post holes to the back of the overhang, where it was cooler and dryer, and had sunk four tree trunks into the holes to secure them. Now they were stringing the tarp between the four posts, about four feet off the ground. 

They would put their dry goods on top of the tarp to protect them from insects and moisture. They would tie the tarp at the halfway notch, so the other half could be folded over the food to protect it further, and they would build a cairn under the tarp for any extra shellfish or fish they caught. They also planned to string the rest of the bananas up and hang it from one of the posts.

“Lunch is ready,” Imogen called out. “We should hurry up and eat. We need to be ready to go to the challenge in about an hour, according to the tree mail.”

“We’ll be there in a minute,” Nick called back. “I just have one more corner to secure. Something smells really good, though.”

Imogen brought over two coconut shells filled with what looked like rice with gravy. 

“I mixed the leftover stew from last night with a little flour to thicken it, and added some chopped coconut and rice, and some clams.”

Nick finished tying the last section of tarp up and accepted one of the coconut bowls, and mussel shell spoons, but passed them to Charlie before taking the other for himself.

“Thanks,” Charlie said. He took a tentative bite of the mixture, sighing in relief when it wasn’t over seasoned, but had a creamy, earthy taste. “This is good!”

Charlie, 23. Douglas, Isle of Man, UK

“Food and I have always had a love/hate relationship. I was bullied pretty badly in school, and my life spiraled into a living hell, and my mental health took a massive blow. I’m a recovering anorexic, and I still struggle with eating. My mum didn’t want me to come on the show, afraid the lack of food would trigger me again. But I talked it over with my doctor and my counselor, and they agreed it  would be fine, as long as I didn’t deliberately avoid eating.

“My sister Tori, and my friend Darcy and her girlfriend Tara have all been really supportive of me, and encouraged me to try out, to prove that this is something I can overcome, with determination, and the love and support of my friends and family.”

“Thanks,” Imogen smiled. “I just built off of Elle and Tao’s soup. Which reminds me, I need to ask Tao what kind of mushrooms those were. I don’t think I’ve ever had them before, but they were so good!”

“Golden Trumpets,” the man in question said, joining them, along with Elle. “And wood ear. Most regular grocery stores won’t carry them, but you can get them at a really good Asian market.”

They ate in silence for a minute. 

“Where’s Harry?” “Charlie asked. 

“Probably avoiding doing any work,” Elle replied, quietly. “I swear, if we lose the first challenge, I already know the name I will be writing down at Tribal Council. Has he done anything since we abandoned ship?”

“He tripped over the water jug and almost doused the fire,” Tao replied, causing the others to all snicker. “Life must be really hard when your only personality trait is rich bell-end.”

The snickers turned into full blown laughter. They were still giggling when Harry finally appeared a moment later. “What’s so funny?” he asked, helping himself to a much larger portion of food than the others had gotten.

“Nothing,” Charlie managed to say with a barely concealed snort. “Just getting to know each other.”

“That’s right,” Nick said. “So, Charlie, what do you do for a living?”

Charlie blushed at the attractive man’s attention, but managed to answer without stammering. “I’m a studio musician. I play drums, mostly for up and coming artists who can’t afford a band of their own yet, but I’ve played for a few big artists, too. Last month I worked with Mercedes Jones on her new album, and when I get back I’ll be working with Omar.”

“Wow!” Elle said. “His last single is climbing the charts! I mean, I know he was already pretty big in his home country, but now the world is starting to notice him. And Mercedes Jones is amazing! I saw her in concert last year at the O2.”

Charlie smiled. “She was super sweet, too. She found out it was my little brother’s birthday, and recorded herself singing Happy Birthday for him. I don’t know much about Omar other than he is multilingual, has an amazing voice, and was once in a boy band.”

They talked about music and movies for a bit as they ate, and then it was time to get ready for the first Immunity challenge.

They were led by a PA along the beach  and on to a boat, which took them to a larger island with a much larger beach. From there they were told to follow the beach around a curve to where the challenge was set up. They were the second tribe to arrive, after Hillerska. McKinley followed them a moment later.

“Come on in, guys!” Jeff said, waving the final tribe over. “Welcome. I trust you’ve all had a chance to get settled into your tribe environments. Who already has at least the beginnings of a shelter?”

They all raised their hands.

“Good. How are things going at camp so far? Charlie?”

He was a bit startled to be called on first. “It’s been pretty good. We had some good luck with our location, there seems to be plenty of edible vegetation, and we actually had octopus for dinner last night, thanks to Imogen.”

“You caught an octopus?” Jeff asked, sounding awed.

“It was more like it caught me,” she replied, blushing. “I didn’t see it, and I accidentally stepped on it, and it grabbed onto my leg.”

Jeff laughed. “Anyone else catch something for dinner last night?”

“Santana caught two really big crabs,” Blaine said.

“Nice,” Jeff nodded. “What about Hillerska?”

“I don’t know if caught is the right term,” Felice said, “But Wille and Simon harvested a couple of large clams. They were huge, and we had enough left over for breakfast.”

“So it sounds like you all are off to a good start. I assume this means you all managed to get a fire started, too?” There was a chorus of yeses. “That’s good, but right now we are at that point where the honeymoon is over, and one tribe will have to say goodbye to one of their own. Would you like to see what you are playing for?”

After another round of yeses, Jeff removed the cloth that covered a staff that was stabbed into the ground next to him. It looked like a carved wooden spear and a small wooden shield. “The first place tribe will take the spear, the second tribe will take the shield. Third place will join me tonight at Tribal Council.”

“Um, Jeff?” Charlie was startled to hear Nick’s voice coming from right next to him. Usually the contestants stay quiet while Jeff explains the challenge. The red haired man took a step forward.

“I found something during the abandon ship yesterday.” He held up the small yellow envelope.

Jeff nodded and held out a hand, and Nick walked forward to hand it to him, before moving back to stand beside Charlie.

“If you’ll recall, I mentioned yesterday that there would be some new twists this season. Nick, would you like to explain to the others what this is?”

Charlie could see Nick swallow thickly before answering. “It’s an advantage, to be used in this challenge only, that almost guarantees that my tribe will get Immunity this week.”

“That’s right,” Jeff continued as several of the contestants were startled into speaking. “But the advantage comes with a catch, doesn’t it?”

Nick nodded. “If I choose to take the advantage, I will go to Tribal Council tonight with the losing tribe, and I could be at risk of being voted out.”

“And are you going to claim the advantage?” Jeff asked.

“No!” Charlie and Imogen both whispered at the same time. 

“You don’t have to do this,” Elle said.

“We can win this without the advantage!” Tao pleaded.

“I say use it,” Harry said. “At least the rest of us will be safe this week.”

Nick straightened his shoulders. “I would rather use it and make sure Charlie and Imogen and the others were safe.”

“So, just to be clear,” Jeff asked. “You are taking the advantage?”

“Don't do it,” Charlie said.

Nick swallowed again. “Yeah. Yes, we’ll take the advantage.”

“Very well then. I will tell you what your advantage is in a moment. Let me explain the challenge to you all. This challenge will have three parts. As you can see behind you there are three boats in your tribe’s colors anchored about fifty yards from shore. There are three bags of puzzle pieces onboard. Two tribe members will have to swim out to the boat. Once both swimmers have a hand on it, one of them will dive below and release it.

“Once you’ve released the boat, you and your tribemate will drag it back to shore and pull it up the beach to the line. You will then carry the bags of puzzle pieces to your tribe’s mat. Once all three bags and both tribe members are on the mat, the next two tribe members will begin digging inside a marked circle of sand for two more bags of puzzle pieces.

“This is where Truham’s advantage comes into play. Because Nick played the advantage, you will only have to dig up one bag of pieces. Your second bag will be in the center of the ring. Once the tribes have both bags, they will carry them to the mat.

“When all five bags are on the mat, the last two tribemates will solve the puzzle. The first two teams to complete the puzzle win Immunity. Any questions?” No one replied. “Good. I’ll give you all a minute to decide who is doing what.”

…

Simon stretched in anticipation as he waited on the mat. He had volunteered to start the challenge along with Alexander, who claimed he sucked at puzzles, but could swim. He knew they needed a strong lead to overcome the other tribe’s advantage.

“Okay, let’s see,” Jeff began, “for Truham, we have Elle and Harry swimming, Nick and Tao digging, and Charlie and Imogen solving the puzzle. Hillerska has Simon and Alexander swimming, Wille and Malin digging, and Felice and Madison doing the puzzle. And finally, McKinley will have Quinn and Santana retrieving the boat, Blaine and Finn digging, and Kurt and Brittany on the puzzle. Now remember, both tribe members must be touching the boat before you can release it. Survivors ready?”

Simon took a deep breath, concentrating on the purple prow of the outrigger out in the water.

“Go!” Jeff shouted.

Simon ran full out into the surf, and threw himself forward into the inbound wave, and began to swim as hard as he could. He blocked out everything but the boat. He was starting to tire by the time he reached it and grabbed ahold of the prow. Only then did he allow himself to look around. 

Elle and Quinn had both only been a few strokes behind him getting to the boat. Santana was closing in, and Harry was about a yard behind her. He turned to search for Alexander, and swore in a combination of Spanish and Swedish. The other man was only about halfway to the boat.

“Come on, man! Swim harder!” he shouted. He had not just exhausted himself to give their tribe a lead, only for Alexander to blow it. Was the idiot dog paddling? “Alexander, swim, damn it!”

He could hear his tribemates screaming at the man as well. He swore again as Quinn and Santana released their boat and began swimming towards shore.

“Simon was the first to the boats for Hillerska, but Alexander still hasn’t reached it yet,” Jeff narrated. “Meanwhile, McKinley has taken a slight lead, and are heading back with their boat. Harry has now reached the boat for Truham, now they just have to release it. Hillerska needs to step it up if they don’t want to go to Tribal Council.”

Simon was seething. Why the hell had Alexander said he could swim if he couldn’t? “Swim like there was a shark chasing you!” he heard Madison shout. Screw a shark. If the pathetic man didn’t get it in gear, Simon was going to drag him by the hair to get him to the boat if he had to.

“Truham has their boat released now,” Jeff shouted. “Hillerska is falling further behind, despite having the early lead!”

Alexander finally reached him by the time Truham was about a quarter of the way back to shore.

“Just touch the fucking boat so we can get out of here!” Simon yelled. The second Alexander did so, Simon dove under the water, spotting the rope tied to a concrete block. He managed to free it fairly easily, and resurfaced between the boat and the float, with the crossbar in front of him. He grabbed onto the bar and began kicking with all his strength, trying to catch up.

“McKinley has reached shore, they just need to pull the boat up the beach and unload their puzzle pieces! Truham isn’t far behind. And now Hillerska is headed back.” 

At this point Simon was so furious, he didn’t care if Alexander drowned. Although judging by the drag he was feeling, the idiot was holding on to the float and letting Simon do all the work to get them back to shore. He just put his head down and pulled on a reserve of strength he’d never tapped into before. This was so much worse than the swim the day before had been. He was going to strangle Alexander when they got back to camp.

“McKinley has found their first bag, but are struggling to pull it out,” Jeff reported. “Truham now has their bags on the mat and can grab their first bag and start digging for their second. Hillerska is finally back on land and just need to get their boat across the line and get their puzzle pieces to the mat!”

Simon’s arms and legs were burning as he dragged the boat up the shoreline, with Alexander occasionally giving it a feeble push. They crossed the line, and Simon grabbed two of the bags of pieces. They felt like they weighed fifty pounds each, but he knew they weren’t actually that heavy, he was just exhausted. He dropped them on the mat, and turned to see Alexander struggling to pull the last bag across the sand. Grunting in anger, he stomped back and grabbed the bag and carried it himself.

“Just get on the mat!” he ordered. Once the next pair was cleared to start digging, Simon collapsed on his back, covering his face with his arm as he tried to relearn how to breathe.

“Truham takes the lead as they pull their second bag from the sand, with McKinley now digging out their second bag. Malin finds Hillerska’s first bag, but still needs to dig it out more. And she’s got it! Hillerska is making a comeback as Wille thinks he’s found their second bag. Good job guys, but McKinley now has their second bag free and joins Truham at the puzzle board!

“Wille pulls the second bag free with brute force and Hillerska is back in this!”

Simon felt the double thumps as Wille and Malin dropped the bags on the mat beside him, but was in too much pain to move.

“Are you okay?” Wille asked softly, and Simon managed to uncover one eye to look over at him.

“I’ll live, but I am so pissed off right now!”

Wille patted his shoulder. “Rest, you deserve it. You were amazing, by the way. You were the first one to reach the boat by almost two body lengths!”

Simon smiled weakly at that. “What can I say? Twinks have the perfect body for swimming.”

He heard Wille almost choke as he stammered out, “Twinks?”

Simon was encouraged by the fact that Wille didn’t pull away, although that little tremble in his voice made Simon hesitate.

“Truham wins Immunity!” Jeff shouted. “It’s down to McKinley and Hillerska now! McKinley has a slight lead, but seem to be having trouble with their last five pieces. Hillerska now only has eight pieces remaining to place, and it looks like Felice thinks she knows where they go! Kurt managed to place a piece, but Hillerska now is down to six pieces. Now Kurt seems to know what he is doing too. He places another piece. Felice and Madison are going as fast as they can, but can they catch up! No! McKinley puts an end to the comeback with the final piece sliding into place just seconds before Felice can pick up the last piece for Hillerska!”

“I’m sorry, guys,” Felice said as she collapsed on Simon’s other side. “I tried my best.”

“Me too,” Madison added. “I should have noticed the pattern faster. I knew it was a map, but I didn’t connect the fact that it was a world map and not just a map of the islands.”

Simon shook his head, reaching out to squeeze Felice’s hand. “You did the best you could do, don’t worry about it. It wasn’t your fault.” No one mentioned Alexander’s piss poor performance.

After a few minutes, they stood on the mat again, facing Jeff.

“Congratulations, Truham! You got yourselves Immunity, except for Nick, who I will see tonight at Tribal Council.” He pulled the Immunity idol from the sand, separating the spear and shield. He held the spear out to the tribe from the UK, and Charlie, Elle, and Tao pushed Nick forward to accept it in their honor.

“McKinley, you are also safe for another day.” He handed the shield to Quinn.

“Hillerska, I will see you and Nick tonight at Tribal Council. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #1

Day 2 cont.:

They were told they would be paddling back to their beach in their outriggers, and Simon groaned. His arms and legs were still sore from the grueling swim. Wille smiled at him and offered him his water bottle. 

“Just take it easy,” he assured Simon. “I was on the rowing team in school, and I’ve actually paddled one of these before as well. I’ll get us back to camp.”

Simon smiled gratefully, accepting the bottle and taking a long sip.

They were nearly back to the island when Alexander brought up the subject they had mutually silently been avoiding.

“So, we’re voting Nick out, right?” he asked.

No one replied right away, while behind him Malin, and Felice exchanged a look. 

“It would be the strategic move,” Felice said, noncommittedly. “Vote off the strongest member of our rivals.”

“True,” Malin agreed. “It would greatly improve our odds.”

Wille and Simon just made agreeable noises, while Madison just remained silent.

“Okay then,” Alexander said, as if everyone had enthusiastically endorsed his idea. “That’s settled. I’m hungry. What should we make for dinner?”

…

Nick solemnly packed his few items in his bag as Charlie, Imogen, Elle and Tao walked on eggshells around him. 

Before they had left for the challenge, Imogen had fed and checked on the chickens, and had found four eggs in the cage. She had gathered them carefully and stored them in their ‘pantry,’ to keep them cool, and safe. She now mixed two of them with some flour and coconut water to make a dough that she fried on a flat rock in the fire. She also made a compote of fruits they had harvested from the trees and bushes around their camp and a banana. Only Harry seemed interested in eating, though.

“Maybe they won’t vote you off,” Charlie said, finally breaking the long silence.

“If they’re smart they will,” Tao said, sounding glum.

Nick just shrugged. “If it’s my time to go, then it’s my time to go. Just promise me you guys will keep kicking ass like you did today. Especially you, Elle. Without me here, you’re most likely the strongest and smartest person this tribe has. Try and keep the rest of them together, okay?”

Elle smiled. “I’ll definitely do my best.”

“Good,” Nick replied. 

“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Tao said, teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. He self deprecatingly tried to make a muscle bulge on his bicep, which was as skinny as a twig. “I’m a very muscular individual!”

That actually made everyone laugh.

“Yeah, but Nick has strong Rugby arms!” Charlie replied, his face going red when he realized he said it out loud.

Nick grinned. “You like my arms?”

The rest of their meal was a little more relaxed as they teased each other. When it was time for Nick to leave, Tao stood to shake his hand and wish him good luck, and Imogen and Elle hugged him. Charlie approached him awkwardly.

“Don’t lose hope,” he said.

Nick smiled, and pulled him into a hug.

…

Simon sighed, and glanced back over his shoulder at the shelter they had built. It had been less than forty eight hours, but he had already determined this would be his home for the next thirty odd days. He wasn’t too worried about not returning tonight, he was almost certain he was safe, but you never know in this game.

He turned to face forward again as they walked single file out of the clearing and followed the marked path towards Tribal Council. It was a long, silent walk, and they knew they were being filmed by drones.

Malin led the line, while Simon had opted to take the rear, with Wille directly in front of him. As they rounded a curve in the path, a lone figure awaited them, and fell in behind Simon. Nick had his head down as they continued to walk a little further. They could see Tribal Council now, looming closer with each step. 

Simon slowed down, until he was almost even with Nick. In a soft voice that didn’t carry, he spoke six words. “Don’t ask questions. Vote for Alexander.”

He saw Nick’s head pop up, glancing at him as if he hadn’t heard what Simon had said. Simon merely placed a finger to his own lips in a shushing motion, and smiled.

…

Jeff waited for the seven survivors to file in, taking in each of their expressions.

“Behind each of you is a torch. Grab it and dip it into the fire. In this game, fire represents your life. When it’s gone, so are you. Have a seat.”

He took a seat on his usual stump and waited for the contestants to get comfortable. “I know none of you really want to be here tonight, but I have to ask, Nick, why did you choose to use the advantage if you knew you would end up here?”

“Well, our tribes are our teams, and just like in Rugby, teams protect each other, even if it means getting hurt, or eliminated. It’s just how I’ve always thought. If I hadn’t used the advantage, and we had lost, I would have felt guilty that I hadn’t protected my team.”

Jeff noticed a couple Hillerska tribe members nodding in agreement.

“Simon, do you agree with that?”

“Absolutely. I’ve never played a team sport, but one of my best friends is on the Swedish National Women’s Football team, and she’s always said that a team is like a family, you look out for each other. I would have done the exact same thing as Nick if the roles were reversed.”

Jeff nodded. “But let me play devil’s advocate for a moment and argue that allowing yourself to be in a position where you could potentially be eliminated could also hurt your tribe, especially if you are one of their strongest players.”

“There’s no integrity in battling an opponent that is weaker than you, though,” Felice said. “Yes, it would give us an advantage in future competitions to eliminate a strong competitor, but sometimes it is more strategic to cut away the weakness in your own tribe. That way the tribe grows stronger because they don’t have to drag around someone who isn’t contributing. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”

“Wilhelm, which argument do you agree with, eliminate the strong competitor, or eliminate the weakness in your tribe?”

“Both arguments have pros and cons, Jeff. If we eliminate our weakest member based solely on today’s challenge, without first learning what their strengths are, we may be shooting ourselves in the foot in a future challenge where that person might have excelled. 

“Conversely, that person may never show any strengths, and constantly pitting them against a stronger competitor would be like banging our heads against the wall, so perhaps eliminating the strong competitor would be the better argument. Either way, it will have both positive and negative effects on the tribe.”

Jeff nodded again, and turned back to Nick. “So, as the outsider here tonight, would you like to argue why Hillerska shouldn’t vote you out?”

Nick took a moment to collect his thoughts. “Right now, we are three separate tribes, but as anyone who has ever watched the show knows, things could change. We could have a tribe switch at some point between now and the merge, and I may end up on a tribe with some of you. If that happens, wouldn’t you appreciate someone who will do his best to protect you and push you all to excel?”

“Madison, do you have a response to that?”

“Well, he is right, we are three separate tribes right now, and we need to consider what is best for our tribe at this time, or we may not make it to a tribe switch.”

“And have you all decided what would be best for Hillerska tonight? Alexander?”

“I’m fairly confident that we all know what needs to be done.”

“Well, we’ll find out. It’s time to vote. Malin, you’re up first.”

The blonde woman nodded and stood, making her way to the booth to cast her ballot. She showed her vote to the camera, and then folded it before placing it into the ballot box.

“No hard feelings. It’s just what is best for our tribe.”

One by one, they entered the booth to cast their ballot. Nick was the last to do so. 

“I really hope I am reading Simon correctly. I have to trust that I am not going home tonight.”

Once Nick sat down, Jeff stood. “I’ll go tally the votes.”

A few minutes later, he returned with the ballots. “Once the votes have been read, the results will be final, and the person will be asked to leave immediately. I’ll read the votes. First vote, Nick.”

He noticed the smug look on Alexander’s face as he reached for the next parchment piece.

“Next vote, Alexander. That’s one vote Nick, one vote Alexander.”

He noticed the smug look slip slightly, but not disappear completely. He drew the third slip of paper.

“Alexander. That’s one vote Nick, two votes Alexander.”

Alexander’s face went from a smug grin to a confused frown.

“Alexander. That’s one vote Nick, three votes Alexander.”

The man was looking at his tribemates now, dumbfounded.

“The first person voted off of Survivor: World Domination, Alexander. That’s four votes, that’s enough. You need to bring me your torch.”

Alexander rose, shaking his head at his former tribemates. “You’ll regret this,” he muttered as he grabbed his bag and torch.

“Alexander, the tribe has spoken.” Jeff snuffed the flame as Alexander threw one last angry scowl at the others, who refused to look at him.

“Well, it seems Hillerska is a very decisive tribe. Six votes to one. I hope your decision doesn’t come back to haunt you. Grab your torches and head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #1

Day 2 cont.:

Nick couldn’t believe he was still in the game. As they exited Tribal Council, he turned to Simon. “Thank you. You guys didn’t need to save me, but you did.” He held out his hand for the Latino to shake.

Simon smiled and gripped his hand. “You could sort of claim it was self preservation. I didn’t want to go to prison for strangling that guy. If we had let him stay, he would have destroyed our camp, and held us back in every challenge.”

Nick grinned. “I know the feeling. While Harry isn’t clumsy or anything, he’s the laziest guy I know. First chance we get, we’ll probably vote him out.”

Simon glanced up ahead where the rest of his tribe was out of hearing range. “You made a good argument earlier, about a tribe switch. I think if you, Wille and I end up on the same tribe at some point, it might be beneficial for us to form an alliance. And you could bring one or two people from your tribe with you if you want.”

Nick was surprised. “Are you sure Wille would be okay with that?”

Simon shrugged. “I’ll talk to him about it.”

Nick nodded just before they reached the point where Nick would turn off to head back to Truham camp, and shook the smaller man’s hand again. “Good luck.

“Vaya con dios!”`

Nick waved goodbye, and headed back to camp. It was a long, lonely walk. He knew there were PAs and camera people around him, but it wasn’t the same as having his tribe beside him. He’d never realized how fast a group of people could bond.

He had no idea what time it was when he finally reached the camp, but he was surprised to see Charlie, Imogen, Elle and Tao waiting around the fire. Charlie was the first to spot him, and a huge smile broke across his face.

“Hi!”

Nick couldn’t help smiling back. “Hi.”

And then he was engulfed in a group hug.

Nick, 24. Professional Rugby Player

"I can’t describe the sense of relief walking back into that camp gave me. To see these people waiting for me, clinging to hope that I would return was touching beyond belief. To know you’d formed that kind of bond with someone so fast, I don’t know what to say. I was fighting back tears."

“They didn’t vote you off?” Imogen said, putting a hand on his arm, as if to prove he was really there.

“No. They decided to get rid of some dead weight instead.”

“Well thank god for that!” Elle said, hugging him again. “Come on, you’re shivering! Warm up by the fire.”

Nick smiled gratefully and allowed her to lead him to a log by the fire that they had been using as a bench. Imogen brought him the last of the dinner they had prepared. They sat in silence as he finished eating, and then banked the fire before going to bed.

…

Day 3:

At some point during the night, it began to rain. Kurt’s design for the shelter proved to be perfect, with only a few drops dripping down the wall side of the shelter. They had finished building the sleeping platform the previous afternoon, eliminating the need for branches for cushioning. They kept the palm fronds, and used the second tarp as a giant sleeping bag for all of them, allowing them to sleep in relative comfort and warmth.

Unfortunately, the rain had extinguished their fire, and most of the wood was too damp to try and build a new one. This meant that breakfast was cold fruits. They spent the morning making minor adjustments and additions to the shelter, waiting for the morning chill to be replaced by the warmth of midday.

Brittany, 25. Los Angeles, California, US

"I like the rain, it makes puddles to dance in, and when it goes away it leaves behind a rainbow. I don’t really like being cold, though, but it was nice to have Santana to cuddle against to keep me warm. She smells nice, too. I want to dance with her in the puddles!"

Once it did warm up and the wood began to dry out, they were able to get the fire going once more. Santana built a small structure next to the fire pit, and used it to smoke the coffee beans. She then took the fruit pulp, which she had cooked down until it turned into a powder, and made a tea out of it, which she served with their lunch, which consisted of coconut rice and clams.

“Santana, this tea is delicious!” Blaine said, smiling. “It tastes like hibiscus!”

“I didn’t even know you could eat the fruit from a coffee plant,” Kurt said.

Santana shrugged. “There really isn’t a lot of flesh on the cherries to make it worth the effort of eating them raw, but when you harvest the beans, there is enough of the fruit to cook with or make a tea powder like this. You can even use the powder to sweeten things with.”

The rest of the day was spent fishing and collecting more of the coffee cherries, as well as other food items. Quinn and Blaine managed to catch a small shark for their dinner that night, which they  cooked over the fire, and ate with the leftover rice from lunch.

…

While the night’s rain had been merely an inconvenience to McKinley, it had been a bit more of a disaster at Hillerska. Their shelter was more out in the open, and only had two tarp walls. They had also managed to make a sleeping platform, but with the rain pouring in on two sides, no one got any sleep, and they were all huddled together for warmth.

To make matters worse, once the rain had ended just before dawn, they discovered that some of their food supplies had been either washed away or destroyed by the rain, and their fire pit was one giant mud puddle at the moment.

Simon was used to a rough life and sometimes going hungry. He simply picked up the machete and began to dig a channel to drain the water from the fire pit, as Malin salvaged what food she could.

Simon, 23. Bjarstad, Ostergotland, Sweden.

"My family was poor growing up. My father was an alcoholic and an addict. After my mom divorced him, it was just my mom, my sister and me. My sister is almost two years older than I am, but she has Asperger's, so it was kind of difficult for her in school, and even though I was younger, I had to act like the big brother most of the time.

My mom worked to provide for us, so I took on most of the responsibilities around the house by the time I was ten; cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Sara when things got too overwhelming for her. I guess you could say I’ve been preparing for this show my entire life."

“Hey!” Felice said cheerfully. “The chickens laid eggs!” She carefully collected the three eggs, offering a glimmer of hope on what had started out as a dreary day. Wille had taken one look at their meager food supply, and had immediately headed for the beach with the snorkel and spear to try and get some fish for lunch, while Madison harvested guavas and mangoes.

When the wood dried out enough, they managed to get their fire relit, just in time, as Wille came back with three lobsters and two decent sized fish. After their much more filling lunch, they set about repairing the damage to the camp, and making additions to their shelter, like a third wall made of woven palm fronds. They also built a small structure to store the rest of the dry goods they had managed to salvage. 

For dinner, they all went down to the tidepools to collect shrimp, mussels, clams, sea snails, and even a couple of abalone. They made seafood stew with rice and vegetables.

…

Tao had never considered himself much of an outdoors type of person. He had only applied for the show on a dare from his friend Isaac. He’d been surprised when he got called for an interview with Jeff Probst himself. He was even more surprised when he was informed that he had been accepted for the new season.

He had completely expected to be out of his depth once he got here, which he had been, but he had adapted quickly. Maybe it was because they had a great shelter that had protected them and their supplies from the storm the night before, but being in this situation wasn’t nearly as bad as he had imagined.

One corner of their shelter had filled with rain water, but fortunately it was the corner furthest from their sleeping platform, and their pantry. The water was about a foot deep at most, and had collected in a rock basin near the entrance to the overhang. It was a convenient location to wash their pot. They made a quick breakfast of rice with fruit. 

They didn’t have much to do that day other than gathering firewood and food, and spent most of the afternoon finding ways of making their shelter more comfortable and homey. They wove palm fronds into mats to cushion their sleeping platform a little better, as well as a larger one to use as a blanket of sorts. They wove baskets to collect fruit and cashews in, having spotted a tree full of the nuts while exploring their island a little more.

They had found cattails growing along a stream, as well. It was early enough in the season that the heads were just perfect for eating corn-on-the-cob style, and they collected several of the roots to turn into flour. They now had five eggs, thanks to the chickens, who seemed happy and content in the new coop Tao had helped build for them.

Harry had contributed very little all day, as usual. He had offered to fish, but had done a half assed job of it, coming back with three small fish that would amount to one bite each. Fortunately, Tao and Nick had much better luck, bringing back three giant clams, two decent sized crabs, and a basket full of mussels and shrimp.

Tao had expected not to like Nick, who had, at first glance, seemed like every bro, dude jock Tao had ever encountered. But Nick had surprised him. He worked hard, was nice, never acted bossy or superior. The guy had literally put his life in the game on the line to make certain the rest of them would be safe from elimination.

Tao, 24. Kensington and Chelsea, London, England

“I’m pretty sure that if we had lost and gone to Tribal council last night, Harry would have been the one to be voted out, but that’s not a guarantee. Maybe the others would decide it would be smarter to vote off someone not as strong, such as myself or Charlie. 

“Nick putting himself in the line of fire so we could all breathe a little easier for a few more days shows what kind of guy he is. He’s a decent chap, and I’m sure he's going to go far in this game. If we’re lucky, he’ll take some of us with him.”

By the time they were ready to go to bed, they were very happy with the progress they had made.

…

Day 4:

“We’ve got Tree Mail!” Kurt called out the next morning as he returned with the newly filled water jug. He held up what appeared to be a piece of parchment wrapped around a bundle of small twigs and some coconut husks.

“What’s it say?” Finn asked.

Kurt untied the twine that held everything together and unrolled the scroll. “You’ve all done it the hard way already, but this time you will do it for reward!”

“Hey, there is a flint in this bundle!” Blaine exclaimed, after examining the twigs and husks.

Quinn reread the note over Kurt’s shoulder. “I think this means our challenge today will involve starting a fire. Maybe with flint?”

Kurt smiled at her. “I think you may be correct! Has anyone here used a flint before? Other than eagle scout Blaine, that is?”

“I have,” Finn said. “My mom and I used to go camping at least once a summer when I was a kid.”

“Good,” Santana said, joining the conversation. “One or both of you can be in charge of getting the fire started.”

“But the challenge won’t be before breakfast, will it?” Finn asked.

Quinn rolled her eyes. “No Finn. It will most likely be after lunch.”

“I’ll make breakfast in a few minutes,” Kurt said. “I found three more eggs in the Chicken cage this morning, so there are enough now to make scrambled eggs, and Quinn made biscuit dough with some of Santana’s coffee cherry powder.”

“Well, technically,” Quinn said, “it’s not biscuit dough since there is no butter or lard in it. It’s more of a flatbread dough.”

“Good to know,” Kurt acknowledged. “So what is on the agenda for this morning, before lunch?”

Santana shrugged. “Mostly maintenance and food storage. I want to see if I can find something to make the sleeping platform more comfortable, and we need to figure out where to keep the rest of our dry goods and fruit so no insects or moisture gets to them. And I need to check the coffee beans, see if they need turning yet.”

“Sounds like a plan, then,” Kurt said. “Blaine, Finn and I can figure out the food storage, while you Quinn, and Brittany figure out the bedding.”

It was Blaine’s suggestion to make a hanging shelf by securing rope from a tree that grew in an alcove several feet above their shelter, and then using some long, thick, flat pieces of bark they had found on the beach. The shelves would rest against the cliff wall, so if they weighted the bottoms of the rope with stones to keep them tight, the shelves would be relatively stable.

The hard part was securing the ropes to the tree, which was inaccessible from the top of the cliff, and too high up from the bottom, even for Finn.

Kurt studied the tree for a moment. “Maybe if Blaine stood on your shoulders, Finn? It would still be a little bit of a stretch, but I think he could manage. Just be extremely careful!”

Finn shrugged and squatted down, as Blaine slipped off his shoes. Kurt handed the shorter man the ropes, and he climbed onto Finn’s shoulder. When the tall man stood up, Blaine’s head and shoulders were level with the alcove. 

Leaning against the cliff face for stability, Blaine managed to wrap the two lengths of rope around the base of the tree, which was thicker than he had first thought. He pulled the short end of the ropes out more, until there were equal lengths on both sides.

As Blaine secured the ropes, Kurt couldn’t help staring at the shorter man. The polo shirt he was wearing had ridden up in the back exposing about an inch of flesh just above the waistband of his pants, which were slung low on his hips. And damn, the man had a fine ass!

Kurt, 29. New York, New York, US

“I have this bad habit of falling for straight guys, and the last time it happened, I made a vow that I wasn’t going to fall for a guy who didn’t flirt with me first. Blaine is good looking, but with my luck, he’s the straightest of straight.

“Besides, I didn’t come on Survivor to meet men. I came because I made a promise to my dad after he survived his second major heart attack, AFTER going through a full round of chemo for prostate cancer. He made me swear that I would do something daring, something to take me out of my comfort zone, and really push me to my limits. He’s actually the one who submitted my application. Without him, I wouldn’t be here now. Thanks dad! You're the best father I could ever have!”

Blaine carefully climbed off Finn’s shoulders, and stretched the ropes out as far as they could go, until the ends were even.

“Okay, how are you going to make the shelves?” Finn asked.

Blaine just smiled. Kurt thought Blaine’s smile was the cutest thing ever, and he never seemed to not be smiling.

“First, I need that straight piece of wood, over there, the small branch,” Blaine said as he carefully coiled the four ends of the rope so they wouldn’t tangle as he worked with them.

Kurt picked up the thick stick Blaine indicated. It was about four feet long, and almost perfectly straight. Kurt watched as Blaine carefully wound each rope around the stick, about six inches from each end. He wound one rope clockwise, and the other counterclockwise on each end. The stick was now held in place by the ropes, about two feet over Blaine’s head. Kurt thought he would put a knot on each side then, but he didn’t.

“Now comes the tricky part. I need you two to hold the first board at about level with my shoulders. Try and keep it as level as possible while I secure it.”

Kurt and Finn picked up the piece of petrified bark, which was a lot heavier than it looked. They’d found two of them on the beach. This one was about six feet long, and the other one was about a foot longer than that. Once the two men had the board positioned just where Blaine wanted, Blaine once again began wrapping the rope around the planks, about six inches from the end on each side, one clockwise, the other counterclockwise, making certain the ropes were pulled taut. 

“Okay, you can release it now and bring the next board over.”

They let go cautiously. The board remained in place. They repeated the process with the second board, held just below Blaine’s belly button. He then gathered all four rope ends taut, about a foot below the bottom board, and tied them in a secure knot. He then gathered three of the larger palm mats they had woven, and used some of the twine from their tool kit to ‘sew’ one of the mats to the back rope from top to bottom.

He then sewed a second mat up the sloped ropes to the smaller piece of wood, then folded it over the bar, and sewed it down the front, stopping about six inches from the top shelf.

“I’ll have to wait until we get back from the challenge to weave the sides and the rest of the roof,” he said as he sewed the final mat to the bottom of the beginning of the roof, then rolled it up and tied it with twine so they could access the shelves. “Right now we need several heavy rocks to anchor the bottom ropes.”

The three of them searched for the rocks. By the time they finished placing them, the girls had found an area of tall, fluffy grass, and had harvested arm loads of it. They had begun weaving two very large palm mats. Their plan was to stuff the grass between the mats and make a kind of thin mattress to sleep on.

“Is it lunchtime yet?” Finn asked, as Kurt and Blaine began loading things onto their shelves. There was plenty of room to store their makeshift dishes and utensils too.

“You’re a genius, Blaine,” Quinn said, smiling sweetly at him. “And Finn, lunch will be ready in a few minutes. I put a stew on about an hour ago with potatoes and some leftover clams. I just wish we had some cream and butter to add to make it a true clam chowder.”

Blaine smiled back at her, making Kurt’s stomach dip. He was certain Blaine was straight by the way he looked at Quinn. “I'm sure it will be delicious anyway,” Blaine replied. “After all, I'm certain you made it with love.”

Quinn blushed, and turned to stir the soup. Kurt sighed, and finished putting the last of their dry goods and fruit in their pantry.

…

Imogen fussed with the midday meal. She wanted to make sure she contributed to camp life in any way she could, considering she knew she was most likely one of the weakest players, physically. Her poor showing during the abandon ship also had her worried about how the others saw her, despite Charlie pointing out that it hadn’t been her fault.

Besides, she really wanted to impress Nick with her domestic skills. He really seemed to like her cooking. She always felt a little tongue tied around the handsome Rugby player, and he was always smiling at her, but then again, he always smiled at everyone. She wished she had the confidence to flirt with him openly. Well, they did say that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

She served up the potato pancakes she made, along with the leftover seafood stew. As usual, she handed Nick the first serving, but he always seemed to pass it on to Charlie before taking a serving for himself. She thought that was kind of strange, but maybe it was just something he was used to doing at family dinners or something. Her Nan was like that, always telling her to pass the plate down to her younger sister, before giving Imogen a plate.

Imogen, 24. Horsforth, Leeds, England

“Nick is so kind, and caring. He sees what needs to be done, and jumps in to get it done. Plus, he’s so smart, too! He’s perfect. I just wish I didn’t get so flabbergasted around him. He’s just so handsome! And those muscles drive me nuts!

“Maybe during the reward challenge today, I can accidentally trip and fall into his arms!”

“Thank you, Imogen, this looks really good!” Nick said, causing her to give a nervous little laugh.

“I try my best!” She went to serve the others, and Nick sat down with Charlie. She heard the two of them laughing about something, and wondered about the two of them. They seem to have become close friends rather quickly, despite being almost complete opposites of each other.

Charlie was skinny and shy, Nick was big and outgoing. Charlie was average height, and Nick was tall. Charlie ate like a mouse, Nick ate like a horse. She glanced back at the two men, and saw that while Nick was scooping up large bites of the soup, alternately taking bites of the potato cakes, Charlie nibbled at the potato cake, and only sipped at the soup. It was no wonder Charlie was so thin, if that was how he ate all the time.

After lunch, they waited to be escorted to the challenge, and she noticed how Nick was always playfully bumping shoulders with Charlie, and cajoling him to laugh, and Imogen couldn’t help wondering what they were talking about.

Finally, they were called for the challenge. This time they were taken to a different beach than the previous challenge. They were the first to arrive, followed by Hillerska, and finally, McKinley. Imogen had been surprised by who the Swedish tribe had voted out, as Nick hadn’t informed them. The McKinley tribe seemed even more surprised to see Nick still there.

“Come on in, McKinley! Getting your first look at the new Hillerska tribe. Alexander voted off in the last Tribal Council. Surprised?”

“Well yeah,” Santana piped up. “I mean, I can understand getting rid of Alexander. The guy pretty much threw the challenge for them last time, but Nick is probably the strongest player this season. Getting rid of him would have been a very strategic move. No offense, Nick. Sorry, not sorry.”

“No worries,” Nick replied, laughing.

“True, it might have been a strategic move on our part,” Malin said, “but allowing Alexander to stay would not only have been morally questionable, it would have given tribe morale a hit we may not have been able to recover from.”

Jeff nodded. “Well, perhaps today will be the morale boost everyone needs. Each tribe received a flint in their tree mail today. Since each tribe has already successfully started a fire, or two, you get to keep those flints.”

There were some cheers and applause from the tribes,

“Now for today’s challenge, as you may have guessed, it is a fire building challenge. This will be a relay. There are four stations at various locations just off the beach here. Each station will have some kind of kindling to help you build the fire. The stations are; coconut husks, small twigs, large twigs, and small wood. 

“One at a time, a tribe member will run along the marked path to one of the four stations and grab as much of the kindling there as they can carry, then race back to their mat to drop that off. It does not matter the order in which you go to each station, but your tribe must visit each station at least once. The fifth member of the team may go to any of the four stations they choose. 

“Once you’ve collected all the kindling you think you will need, the fifth person will begin to build the fire in their tribe’s pit, where you will find several large pieces of wood to help build a large bonfire. Your goal is to build a fire high enough to catch the fuse hanging over your fire pit on fire, to light the signal fire in your tribe’s tower.

“Want to see what you are playing for?”

“Yeah!”

Jeff uncovered the first of two stands. “For the first place tribe, we have a full fire making kit, plus pots, pans, a knife block with all the essential knives, serving utensils, a campfire grill, and a full spice rack for seasoning your food.”

“Oh my good, yes!” a couple people shouted. 

Jeff then uncovered the second stand. “Second place gets a slightly less elaborate fire kit, a couple of knives, an extra pot, and a spice rack!”

There were more murmurs of approval, although slightly less enthusiastic.

“Third place gets nothing, as usual. McKinley and Truham, you each have an extra member, you’ll have to sit someone out, keeping in mind that you may not sit out the same person in back to back challenges. I’ll give you a moment to decide who is sitting out, and the order you will be running for your tribe.”

“I’ll sit out,” Tao volunteered. “I can’t run to save my life.”

“Are you sure?” Nick asked.

“He said he’d sit out, let him!” Harry griped. “Let’s just decide who is running in what order. I say we put our fastest person first, and our best fire maker last! Obviously, that means I’m first.”

“Um, actually, I think Charlie is the fastest,” Elle said.

“Wot? Of course he’s not! He’s got pencil legs! They’ll snap if he runs too fast!”

“I think Elle is right. Charlie will go first,” Nick replied. “You can go second, then Elle, Imogen, and then me. Everyone agree?”

Harry rolled his eyes as everyone else nodded. “Fine, but I think you are making a mistake.”

“Duly noted,” Nick said, then turned back to Jeff.

“Truham, have you decided who is sitting out?”

“I am,” Tao said, stepping forward.

“What about McKinley?”

“Me,” Finn replied, also stepping forward.

“Okay, you two take a seat on the bench over there, the rest of you get on your marks.”

They lined up on their mats and waited for the signal.

“On the Hillerska Tribe, we have Simon running first, Wille second, Madison third, Felice fourth, and Malin at the back of the pack. On McKinley, Santana is first in line, followed by Quinn, Brittany, Kurt and finally, Blaine. And for Truham, it’s Charlie, Harry, Elle, Imogen, and Nick. Survivors ready? Go!”

Charlie took off as if he’d been shot out of a cannon, and immediately ran full out towards the furthest station, while the other two tribes went for the one closest to them. He wound his way along the marked path until he found several piles of large sticks. He gathered up seven bundles, four under one arm and three under the other, and raced back to the beach. He was the first to reach their tribe’s mat, despite having run the furthest. 

He dropped the bundles, and Harry took off, entering the closest path just as the other two tribe’s runners were returning. “Great job, Charlie!” Nick said, laughing and hugging him.

“Truham takes an impressive lead,” Jeff called, “Hillerska isn’t too far behind, while Santana stumbles with her load of coconut husks for McKinley. If you don’t pick them up before you cross the mat, they are out of play!”

“Leave them, Santana!” Kurt called out. “Blaine can get more, just get back to the mat!”

The Latina grabbed up one more bundle and raced to the mat, leaving three behind.

“Harry is heading back from station one now for Truham, while Wille is heading into path three, followed a few steps behind by Quinn for McKinley! Harry drops his bundles on the mat, and now Elle is heading for path three for Truham! They’ve increased their lead by almost an entire leg!

“Here comes Wille, putting on a burst of speed, and Hillerska makes up ground as Madison shoots towards path four! Elle is now back for Truham, followed by Quinn for McKinley, and now Imogen and Brittany are off! Brittany goes for path four, while Imogen enters path two! Madison now back for Hillerska, and Felice heads into path two. Both Truham and Hillerska on their penultimate leg, with McKinley one leg behind!”

“Come on Imogen!” Nick and Charlie shouted, clapping and cheering the smaller woman on as she staggered back towards them, arms laden with three big bundles of smaller pieces of wood.

Nick had noticed that Harry had only brought back a few of the coconut husk bundles, and as soon as Imogen dropped her burden, Nick went directly back to path one, just as Felice reached Hillerska’s mat, and Malin sprinted towards the second path, where the smaller twigs were. Kurt was heading to path two when Nick returned with a huge armful of the coconut husk bundles.

“Truham now starting to build their fire, and here comes Malin for Hillerska, and now they too start on their fire!”

Nick gaged the height of the fuse at about four feet above the raised fire pit. He needed to build carefully to get the fire to reach that high. He put most of the coconut husks in the center of the pit, then began adding the smaller twigs, attempting to shape them into a teepee, leaving an opening close to him so he could reach the husks. Once he had a generous layer of the smaller twigs, he began adding the larger twigs.

Once he had a good base, minus the cut wood, he grabbed the flint, and struck it. He saw a spark, but it fell just short of the kindling. He leaned in closer and struck again. This time the spark hit the husks, but didn’t catch. A third strike, and he saw a tiny puff of smoke as the ember landed on a tightly coiled bundle of husks. He blew gently, and a tiny flame sprang to life. He carefully nudged some of the other bundles closer, not wanting to smother the baby flame, but trying to encourage it to spread and grow before it fizzled out, blowing occasionally to give it the air it needed.

“McKinley back with their last bundles and Blaine is now working on getting their fire started, but he needs to work fast. Nick already has a small fire for Truham, while Malin just got a spark for Hillerska!”

Nick saw a couple of the smaller twigs catch, and he started adding some of the smaller cut pieces of wood. A minute later the larger twigs were burning, and a couple of the pieces of cut wood had flames licking around the edges. Nick added more of the cut pieces, and some more of the larger twigs for structure, and finally started adding the larger cut pieces, being as careful as he could not to knock the whole thing down.

“Truham has a good fire blazing now, and Hillerska’s is slowly starting to catch up. Blaine now has a flame, can he keep it alive?”

Nick could only sit back and wait for the fire to climb higher now. He still had several larger pieces of cut wood he could add, but he needed to let the fire catch what he had already placed first. Once they did, he took the two longest pieces, and propped them up on each other, just inches from the fuse. He used up the last of his kindling encouraging the two long pieces to catch. 

It was almost painfully silent as he and his tribemates waited for the flames to reach the peak, and everyone held their breaths as the flame licked at but didn’t ignite the fuse.

“Truham might have it! The flame is so close! Hillerska is starting to catch up, though! And McKinley is back in this as Blaine continues to stack the wood!”

A sudden whooshing sound startled everyone as Truham’s fuse ignited, and began climbing twenty feet to the top of the tower.

“Truham wins reward! Congratulations on your second first place victory in a row!”

Nick was suddenly dog piled by Charlie, Elle, Imogen, and Tao. Even Harry had congratulated him. Their celebration was interrupted by a second whooshing sound, as Hillerska’s fuse caught. Ten seconds later, McKinley’s was burning as well.

“Hillerska takes second place! Congratulations!”

Once the tribes were gathered back on their mats, Jeff smiled at them.

“You all did excellent jobs! McKinley you were so close, but this just wasn’t your day.” He turned to Hillerska. “You just barely beat them out, which proves that when it comes to Survivor, seconds count. Come collect your reward!”

Simon and Malin walked forward to collect their items.

“Truham, you continue your lucky streak for another day! Come get your items!”

It took all of them to carry their reward. 

“Enjoy your rewards, stay warm with your fires, and I’ll see you at the Immunity challenge. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #2

Day 4 cont.:

Felice sighed in relief when they got back to their camp. Maybe they weren’t first, and they didn’t get the cooking gear, but they weren’t last, either. And the large crate that contained their fire kit would be a good place to store kindling and small pieces of wood to keep them dry in case it rained again. She didn’t think she could go through not having a fire again.

She wasn’t sure why she had decided to try out for the show. Maybe it was because her last boyfriend had called her a pampered princess on a pedestal. It hadn’t been a compliment. He had snarled it at her after she refused to have sex with him. She had shouted back that he had only wanted to date her because her family was one of the richest in all of Sweden, with more money than the Royal family, even.

It infuriated her when people thought she was nothing but a spoiled little rich girl without a care in the world, who has never had a bad day in her life. None of them really knew her. What right did they have to judge?

She had applied for the show two days after breaking up with her ex, mostly because she wanted to prove that she wasn’t a princess on a pedestal. But who was she really trying to prove it to?

Felice, 24, Uppsala, Uppsala län, Sweden

“If people realized how difficult life actually was for me, living in my mother’s shadow, always having to look and act in a certain way, always having to be perfect, and lose weight… I practically starved myself in high school trying to be thin to make her happy, but it was never enough. 

“She was a champion show jumper, so I had to take riding lessons to win her approval, even though I’m afraid of horses, and they hate me. She was Lucia at school, so I had to be Lucia, even if I didn't want to be, and I was supposed to wear her old Lucia dress, even though she knew it was too tight! I almost passed out, I couldn’t breath in the damn thing!

“Now, she keeps introducing me to guys she thinks I should marry, but so far every single last one of them have been more interested in my money than me or my feelings. She even suggested I try and seduce the Crown Prince when she found out he was making a visit to my university. The freaking kronprins! Well, at least his younger brother is attractive. 

“Actually, it’s kind of funny, Wille does kind of look like Prins Wilhelm, and they do have the same name, but there is no way Prins Wilhelm would be allowed to be on a show like this.”

She put the spice rack in the structure they had built to protect their dry goods. Felice referred to it as the Bird House, because it resembled an over-large, crudely made bird house on a pole, or in this case, a tree stump.

“I’ll make dinner tonight, if no one else minds?” Simon offered. “I think we have all the ingredients to make one of my favorite dishes, I just need to harvest a few ingredients, but it means using one of the chickens.”

Felice frowned. She had grown fond of the birds, but she knew that food was food. No one else objected, and Felice didn’t want to rock the boat. “Fine, but I am going for a walk on the beach when you do it. I don’t think I can watch.”

“Me either,” Madison added.

Simon nodded. “Malin, will you help me? I’ll hold it, if you want to…”

“Of course. I can also pluck it while you gather the rest of your ingredients.”

Felice picked up one of the woven baskets they had made, and she and Maddie headed down to the beach. She and the younger woman had grown close in such a short time, mostly due to the fact that Maddie didn’t care about Felice’s money or her family’s titles.

“Are you ever going to tell me why you only speak English? I mean, I know you understand when we speak in Swedish, so it’s not that you don’t know it.”

Maddie sighed. “You know I have dual citizenship. My mom is Swedish, but my dad is from New York. When they divorced, they agreed that I would live with my dad until I got to high school, then my mom would enroll me at her old boarding school. I did grow up speaking both languages, but when I started school in Sweden, the kids always made fun of my ‘thug’ accent, so I stopped talking in Swedish.”

Felice frowned. “That was harsh. I wish I had known you when I was in high school. I wouldn’t have teased you about it, and I would have beaten up anyone who did.”

Maddie laughed. “Why do I believe you really would have?”

Felice grinned. “Oh, definitely! No one picks on my friends!”

They settled on one of the large, smooth rocks above the tidepools. “So, what do you think about Wille?” Felice asked.

“Why? Do you have a crush on him or something?”

“No!” Felice protested. “Maybe. He is really cute, don’t you think?”

“He’s not my type, really. Although he does seem very familiar.”

“So I’m not the only one who sees the resemblance?” Felice asked, sounding relieved. “I mean, they even have the same name!”

Maddie frowned. “Who are you talking about?”

Now Felice frowned. “Wille looks just like Prins Wilhelm! The hair is darker, maybe, and longer than it was in the last newspaper picture I saw of him, and the eyes are a different color, I think, but that could be contacts, maybe.”

“Wait, are you saying you think Wille is Prince Wilhelm, second in line to the Swedish throne?” Maddie laughed. “I mean yeah, he does kind of look like him, and that is a really weird coincidence about the name, but if there was an actual prince on this show, don’t you think the place would be crawling with security people and bodyguards? And do you actually think the Royal family would allow something like that?”

Felice sighed in defeat. “You’re right. I know, it was a ridiculous thought. But it is really uncanny how much they look alike.”

…

Blaine hummed as they returned to camp. Yes, they had lost, but they were still doing okay. Their shelter was holding up nicely, and they weren’t hurting too much for food yet, although he had to admit he was getting a little tired of mussels and clams already. At least it was protein, though.

“Why are you always so chipper?” Santana asked.

Blaine just laughed. “I can’t help it,” he said. “I just like to look on the brightside, I guess.”

“And what’s the bright side of losing the reward challenge?” Kurt asked.

“At least it wasn’t the Immunity Challenge,” Blaine replied immediately. “Besides, it’s a beautiful day, we have plenty of food, we have a great shelter, and look, our fire didn’t go out while we were gone. I’m going to work on finishing the roof and sides of our pantry shelves. Want to help me?” Blaine turned his most charming smile on Kurt.

Kurt looked flummoxed for a moment, but then shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

“Great,” Quinn replied. “I’m going to gather more firewood. Any requests for dinner?”

“Something other than shellfish?” Santana said. “I’ll try and catch us a fish big enough for all of us, and maybe stuff it and roast it. If not, I can make a vegetable stew.”

“Okay,” Quinn nodded. “That sounds good, actually.”

“I’ll finish making the mattress,” Brittany said.

“And I’m going to try and find something more comfortable for us to sit on,” Finn decided. They all nodded and broke off to do their own tasks.

Blaine gathered an arm full of palm fronds and led Kurt over to their hanging pantry shelves.

“So, how do we make it so water doesn’t get in?” Kurt asked.

“We start from the bottom,” Blaine answered. “We’ll overlap the fronds, so when it rains, the water just runs off. I’ll show you how, and then you can work on the other side.”

“Okay,” Kurt replied.

Once Kurt got the hang of what Blaine intended, they worked in silence for a few minutes, before Blaine spoke. “So, Kurt, you’re a fashion designer? Were you always interested in fashion?”

The other man shrugged. “Apparently I asked for a pair of sensible heels when I was three, so I guess that is a yes. But I didn’t always want to be a designer.”

“Oh?” Blaine said, his fingers working quickly and deftly as he talked. Kurt’s weren’t as deft as Blaine’s with the unfamiliar task, but he was managing well enough.

“I wanted to be on Broadway,” Kurt said with a self deprecating laugh. “I even got into NYADA.”

“Wow, that’s impressive. I take it Madame Tibideaux saw some potential in you?”

“You know Madame Tibideaux?”

Blaine grinned. “I got into NYADA too, but I didn’t really last long there.” Blaine gave him a smirk. “I was a bit of a rebel back then, and was asked to leave.”

“Ouch!” Kurt said. “My departure wasn’t that drastic. I got an internship at Vogue dot com, and realized that fashion really was my true passion.”

“That’s great. I’m glad you found something you love to do.”

“What about you?” Kurt asked. “You got into NYADA, so you must be very talented. You’re about the same age as me. I wonder why I don’t recall ever seeing you there.”

“I was only there for one year, and I think you might have been a year ahead of me, so we wouldn’t have really had any of the same classes.”

Kurt shrugged. “Well, it’s a small world. It’s a shame we never met.”

Blaine, 28. Ann Arbor, Michigan, US

“The truth is, I did know Kurt at NYADA, but he was dating another guy at the time. I had a serious crush on him back then. It was a bit of torture watching him from afar and knowing he was with that Adam guy, who ended up being a jerk and broke Kurt’s heart. Unfortunately that was about the time I was asked to leave the school.

“I ended up switching to NYU, where I got a degree in composition and music theory. I’ve since written songs for several major recording artists, including Katy Perry, and most recently Mercedes Jones, who will be recording one of my songs on her upcoming album.”

They finished the sides of the structure, and then Blaine showed him how to do the roof, which was similar to the technique for the sides, but slightly more complex. Once they were finished, they had a mostly waterproof storage cabinet.

Santana returned to camp a short time later with a couple of fish, which Finn helped her gut and clean, and then she stuffed them with wild garlic and a few other herbs they had found, as well as cattail heads and cooked rice. She then cooked them over the fire.

“Damn, who needs a spice rack,” Blaine said when he took his first bite. “This is so good, Santana!”

The others all agreed.

“Well, tomorrow the coffee beans should be dried enough to roast, and then I can grind them with a rough stone, and we can have coffee before the Immunity challenge.”

“Are you just bribing us with coffee so that we won’t vote you off if we go to Tribal Council?” Kurt teased.

“Maybe.”

…

“So, what should we cook with our new cookware?” Nick asked. “Fish? Clams? Mussels? Shrimp?”

“We have potatoes and parsnips left,” Imogen said, “and Tao found some different types of mushrooms, and I think there were some wild carrots growing along the path we took to the challenge today. I could do a vegetable stew for tonight, take a break from seafood, maybe? I can make those fried breads again. There is a tiny bottle of olive oil in that spice rack, and rosemary too. I can flavor the bread with those.”

“Sounds perfect!” Elle said. “Do you need any help?”

“Sure, you can help me clean and peel the veggies. And if Tao wouldn’t mind getting a few more mushrooms for us?”

“Then Charlie and I will gather more firewood,” Nick offered.

He picked up the machete and smiled at Charlie as they headed out of camp. Charlie seemed a little distracted, though.

“What’s wrong?” Nick asked.

“Nothing,” Charlie said, pulling a few small fallen branches free of some brush.

Nick could tell something was bothering the younger man, though. “Charlie, you’re frowning. What’s wrong?”

The curly haired man sighed and turned to Nick. “You know I could get the firewood on my own, if you want. You don’t have to hang out with me all the time. You could spend time with the others, too. I think Imogen would really like that.”

Now Nick was frowning. “Do you not want to hang out?”

“No! That’s not what I meant!” Charlie said, almost sounding panicked by the thought. “It’s just, why me? I would think you would have more in common with someone like Harry rather than me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nick asked. 

“Well, he’s more athletic, and his newspaper column is popular all across the UK, and -”

“And he’s a prick!” Nick finished. “And yeah, Imogen is nice, sweet even. And I like Tao and Elle, but I just like hanging out with you more.”

Charlie, 23. Studio Musician.

"I’m not used to straight guys wanting to hang out with me. Usually the fact that I’m gay makes things awkward, and they just tend to ignore me. Not even in a rude or homophobic way, but more like they just don’t know how to act around me, so they forget I’m there. The fact that Nick not only notices me, but wants to hang out with me makes me wonder if this is some kind of joke for him."

“But why?”

Nick smiled. “Charlie, you’re smart, witty, and talented. You think it is easy to play the drums? I’ve tried to learn, but I have no musical talent whatsoever! And you said you taught yourself how to play! That’s impressive, Charlie. And you are athletic. You run and swim really well.”

Charlie was blushing now. “Stop! Now you’re exaggerating!” But at least he was smiling now.

“You’re really easy to talk to, too.” Nick said, biting his lip as he thought things over. “Do you want to know why I came on Survivor?”

Charlie looked concerned. “Why?”

They began walking again as Nick organized his thoughts. “Everyone has this impression of me as being this big, strong Rugby player, fearless and emotionless. I’m not supposed to admit when I’m hurting or scared, because it’s a sign of weakness. I feel like I have to hide myself behind this persona so that I don’t let people down.”

Charlie nodded. “I can understand that. That’s why I didn’t want to come out in school. I didn’t want people to see me as weak, a target. And I was right to try and keep it secret. It got out that I was gay, and instantly every bully at the school decided I was easy prey.”

They had gathered several more branches, and Nick had picked up a large piece of driftwood, and they were heading back to camp as they continued their conversation.

“So, who is the real Nick, then?” Charlie asked.

Nick shrugged. “I’m not really sure anymore. I’ve played the part for so long. I mean, I do know some things. It took me a long time to figure some of it out, and when I did, I was afraid to admit it out loud. I still haven’t said some of it out loud.”

Charlie paused. “That bad?” He said it with a teasing tilt to his mouth, laugh lines framing his eyes. “What, are you some kind of horror movie serial killer?”

Nick couldn’t help smiling in return. “Not that bad!” His smile faded a little as he took a deep breath. It was time to say it out loud. “Charlie, I’m b -”

Whatever Nick was going to say was drowned out by the sound of Harry shouting.

“WHAT THE HELL? You freak!”

Nick and Charlie dropped the wood they were carrying and rushed back towards camp.

“What’s going on?” Nick demanded.

Harry looked at Nick, pointing an accusing finger at Elle. “‘She’ has a dick!”

“What?” Nick asked, looking at Elle, who was being consoled by Tao and Imogen. “She’s trans, you idiot! She probably just hasn’t fully transitioned yet.”

“It’s a freak!” Harry insisted. “Unnatural! That’s disgusting!”

Charlie stood straighter. “And just what were you doing looking at her, anyway?”

Harry sneered at him. “I had to take a piss, and it was there, pissing like a man!”

“Don’t call her ‘it!’” Tao snarled. “SHE is a human being! And you are a transphobic arse!”

Nick walked over to the upset woman. “Are you okay?” he asked gently.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. I just didn’t know he was there. I usually go before everyone else gets up, or when you all are busy, so no one would be uncomfortable. One of the reasons I came on the show is to try and win the money so I can have my final surgeries.”

Nick reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“Ugh! How can you even touch it! It’s gross!” Harry said.

Nick looked at him over his shoulder. “You know, if I wouldn’t get kicked off for doing it, I’d punch you in your ugly face right now! Actually, I don’t care if I get kicked off, I really want to punch you! Why don’t you just piss off!”

“Fine! I don’t want to be around freaks like that anyway! I’ll sleep on the beach tonight!”

“Good!” No one moved until after Harry had stormed out of camp, and then they were all surrounding Elle, making certain she was okay.

“You know it’s okay, Elle, you don’t have to worry about us. If you have to go, just go. We won’t mind,” Imogen said.

“Are you sure?” 

The shorter woman smiled at her. “Of course! Not everyone is a narrow minded bigot.”

Elle smiled. “Thank you all. You don’t know how much I appreciate your support.”

Nick just smiled and patted her shoulder again, and Charlie hugged her.

…

Day 5:

Wille was once again the first one up the next morning, although Simon wasn’t too far behind. They knew Malin would be up shortly as well. The two men silently grabbed the machete and the water jug and set out for the well, and to gather firewood.

By the time they returned to camp, Malin was indeed awake, and had kindled the fire and began warming up the leftover rice Simon had made to go with the chicken for their dinner the night before. She added some bits of coconut, as well as the water from it, and a banana that had gotten over ripe, plus a little cinnamon sugar from their new spice rack.

Felice and Madison woke just as the food finished cooking.

“ God morgon ,” Wille said, handing each of them a coconut bowl and shell spoon.

“ God morgon ,” Felice replied with a smile. “Has anyone checked tree mail yet?”

“Not yet,” Simon said. “I figured we could check after breakfast.”

“I’ll go, if you want?” Madison said, having already eaten half her breakfast.

“And I’ll go with her,” Felice added. “You guys have already done all the work around camp so far today.”

They finished their meal quickly, and then set about their various tasks about camp. While Felice and Madison went to check for tree mail, Malin began tidying up around camp, and Wille and Simon washed the pot to boil the water in. 

Wille decided to wash his shirt as well, then decided that he might as well wash himself while he was at it. He waded out waist deep in the water and dipped down, grabbing a handful of sand and used it to scrub his legs, and then his arms and chest. He tried to scrub his back as well, but had trouble reaching it. He wasn’t used to sleeping on a hard pallet, and was a little stiff still.

“Need a hand?” Simon offered, and Wille turned to see the other man had waded in as well.

“Could you get the middle of my back? It’s itchy and I can’t reach it,” Wille said. “I could return the favor if you like.”

Simon smiled, and Wille’s stomach did that little flip he was starting to associate with the dark haired man. “Sure,” the Latino replied.

Wille tried not to flinch when Simon’s hands touched him, as he scrubbed with the sand. He bit his tongue to keep himself from making any embarrassing sounds. Simon wasn’t doing anything other than scrubbing his back. He wasn’t touching anywhere that might be considered intimate, but it definitely felt intimate to Wille. He was disappointed when it ended all too quickly.

“There, all done.”

‘Yeah. Uh, go ahead and turn around and I’ll do your back now.”

“You don’t have to, really.”

“I said I would.”

“Are you sure?”

Wille just nodded. Simon shrugged and turned his back to Wille, who bent down to scoop up more sand, and began subbing it over Simon’s back and the top of his shoulders, trying to be clinical about it, but he was fascinated by the way Simon’s muscles moved in his back as he worked the sand over the skin.

He realized he had been scrubbing Simon’s back for longer than necessary, and reluctantly stepped away, but not before he swore he felt Simon shiver.

“We should hurry up and get back to camp,” Wille said, clearing his throat as he quickly rinsed off any leftover sand on his own body. “I’m sure Felice and Madison are back by now.”

When he turned back around, Simon had ducked under the water to rinse off, and came up shaking his head to shake the water from his hair. Wille forgot how to breathe for a moment.

“Hey,” Felice called out from shore. “Are you two going to splash around like kids all morning, or do you want to hear what our tree mail says?” Wille ducked under water once again to hide the heat gathering on his face, not wanting anyone to realize he’d been staring at Simon.

Once back at camp, Madison read the tree mail, which was tied with what looked like a blindfold. “Listen closely, and speak concisely, Immunity goes to the tribes who choose wisely.”

“I think at least some of us will be blindfolded,” Simon said, holding the strip of cloth up to his face.

“I think it will probably be one of those challenges where one person has to tell the others where to go while they are blindfolded,” Felice added. “In which case, we have an advantage. Instead of saying ‘left’ or ‘right,’ we can speak in Swedish, so we won’t get confused by the other teams calling out instructions.”

“Brilliant!” Wille said, smiling at her. She seemed pleased by his praise. “We should maybe practice, see which of us would be the best at giving instruction.”

…

The McKinley tribe arrived at the challenge first, followed by Truham and Hillerska. Jeff greeted them with a smile, although he noticed some tension on the Truham tribe. Harry was standing apart from the group, and Elle was frowning. He made a mental note to check on that situation later.

“Well, you’ve had five days now at your camp and with your tribes. How are your shelters coming along?”

“Good,” several voices said.

“We’ve managed to build a shelter and some water proof storage for our food,” Finn said.

“Same,” Madison and Tao said.

“That’s great! But now we have some business to take care of. Truham, McKinley, I need to take back your Immunity idols.”

He retrieved the two halves of the idol, stabbing the spear into the sand, and hanging the shield from it. “Immunity is once again up for grabs. In this challenge, one player will guide their tribe through an obstacle course using only their voice. The other tribe members will not only be blindfolded, but will be bound to each other in two groups of two with a length of rope between them.

“The first two tribes to get all four of their members through the course and across the finish line will win Immunity. Truham, McKinley, you each have an extra person, so someone will have to sit out. Who is it going to be?”

Imogen raised her hand for Truham, and Brittany for McKinley,

“Okay, take a seat on the mat over there, the rest of you, I’ll give you a few minutes to strategize, and then we’ll draw lots for positions.”

Once everyone was in position and Jeff double checked everyone’s blindfolds and ropes, he took his mark.

“Looks like everyone is ready to go. On McKinley, we have Kurt calling instructions, with Blaine and Finn and Santana and Quinn bound together. On Truham, we have Elle calling the shots, Nick and Tao and Charlie and Harry tethered. And finally, Hillerska has Felice giving orders, while Malin and Madison and Simon and Wille are bound at the waist. Survivors ready? Go!”

“Santana and Quinn move forward six steps! Blaine and Finn, take two steps to your left! No Finn, your other left!” Kurt said in a steady tone, not shouting, but projecting his voice as if they were in a theater. 

“Nick and Tao, each of you take a half step to your left, then five steps forward!” Elle called out.

“Wille, Simon, framsida fem steg! ”

“Quinn, take a half step to your right! Stop, now both Santana and Quinn take a step up, but be careful, you are stepping onto a balance beam that is about three inches wide!” Kurt tried to block out the other voices, focusing on his own tribe and what they were doing. He didn’t care about anyone else’s progress. “Now Finn and Blaine, take six steps forward!”

“Malin, Ett halvt steg vänster! Nu framåt, both of you! Bra! Stoppa!”

“Harry, turn to your right! No, I didn’t tell you to walk, I said turn!” Elle shouted in frustration. “Why do you keep doing the opposite of what I tell you! Charlie isn’t having any problems!”

“Looks like McKinley has a little bit of a lead with Quinn and Santana already on the first obstacle! Hillerska is progressing as well, but Truham seems to be having some communication issues,” Jeff called out.

“Good job, Santana, just stay there for a moment. Quinn, I need you to turn about a quarter turn to your left, then take one step forward. Good, now step down.” 

Kurt continued to give as clear of instructions as possible, and encouragement as well. They were half way through the first of five obstacles. The balance beams had been a chore, because they weren’t exactly parallel. One would zig right while the other zagged left, and you had to be clear on the instructions or one person would pull the other off the beam if they moved too quickly.

“Finn, take one step forward, and Blaine take two steps forward!” That was another issue Kurt was having. With their height difference, Finn took larger steps than Blaine did, making it a little difficult to judge distance.

“McKinley only a few steps from having both groups finished with the first obstacle. Hillerska has one through, and the second making it through the first turn of the balance beam. Truham, you need to figure out your communication problem, you still only have one person on a beam!”

“Elle!” Tao called out, “At least get Nick and I across and come back to Harry after!”

“The bugger is messing up on purpose, I swear!” Nick muttered under his breath. “He’s going to get Charlie injured by making him fall off the beam I bet!”

And just as he said that, he heard Charlie’s startled cry and the sound of someone hitting the ground. Elle let out a frustrated growl. “Harry, don’t you move a muscle! Charlie, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he winced. “Nothing serious.”

“Okay, Just stay where you are, but move your feet so I can get Nick and Tao on the beam!”

“Madison, vänd till höger! And stig ner! Well done!”

“Quinn, I need you to reach out in front of you for the log directly in front of you about six inches!” Kurt instructed as they began their second obstacle. “You are going to have to climb over it. Santana, just wait where you are. Finn, take one step forward, and step down. Blaine, half turn to your left and two steps forward, and step down.”

“McKinley increasing their lead slightly, but Hillerska still holding steady. Truham finally has a group on the balance beam, but Tao loses his balance and has to go back, taking Nick with him.

“Santana, now that Quinn is over, I need you to walk forward three steps! Quinn, you only need to take two steps and wait. Santana, there is a log directly in front of you now. You need to climb over it.”

“How high?” She called back as she reached out to try and find the log. 

“Down about two inches from your right hand!” Kurt replied. “Once you are over it, you each need to take about five steps forward and crawl under another log that is about a foot off the ground.”

“McKinley now has both groups on the second obstacle, but Hillerska is starting to catch up. Truham still only has one group on the course. Charlie and Harry need to get in sync and get moving!”

“Are you deliberately trying to lose the challenge?” Charlie demanded.

“So what if I am? I ain’t taking orders from some freak!”

“Fine, but you do realize that if we lose, we go to Tribal Council, and you will be voted out?”

“You can’t vote me out!” Harry said. “You need me for challenges!”

Charlie turned towards the sound of his voice, incredulous. “Are you that stupid? You do realize there are five of us, and only one of you?”

“Nick and Imogen will see I’m right! They need me for challenges if they want to win!”

Charlie would have glared at the other man if the blindfold had permitted it. “If you didn’t want to participate, why didn’t you sit out?”

Harry didn’t respond.

“McKinley now has its first group on the third obstacle, the teeter totters, and their second group is almost through the second obstacle, but Hillerska has caught up and both of their groups are almost through the second obstacle as well! Nick and Tao are just starting the second obstacle for Truham, but their second group still hasn't started the first! What’s going on, guys?”

“Harry is refusing to cooperate!” Charlie called out. “He’s deliberately throwing the challenge!”

Jeff frowned. “What? Okay! Everyone stop! McKinley, Hillerska, stay exactly where you are.” The host walked over to where Harry and Charlie were, Harry sat on the ground like a petulant child, while Charlie stood as far away from him as the rope would allow.

“What is going on, Harry?”

“I’m not taking orders from that thing!” He waved in the general direction of Elle.

“Thing?” Jeff asked in confusion.

“That freak! It’s not right! If you are born a guy, then you are a guy! Stop pretending to be a woman!”

“So, you decide that instead of doing the challenge, you are just going to sit here and let the other two tribes take immunity?” Jeff asked, sounding disgusted.

“I’d rather take my chances at Tribal Council. I’m a strong competitor, and my Tribe will need me for future challenges. They’d be stupid to vote me out.”

“So, we really don’t need to continue the challenge, do we? Should I declare McKinley and Hillerska the winners, and we head to Tribal Council right now?”

“Harry, you are a complete dumbass! This isn’t necessary!” Nick shouted.

“I’m not doing the challenge!” Harry said.

Jeff looked pissed now. “Fine, Challenge over! McKinley, since you had a slight lead, you take first place, and Immunity. Hillerska, you are second. Come get your Immunity idols!” He handed out the spear and shield, then turned back to the third tribe. “Truham, I will see you at Tribal Council, now!”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #2

Day 5 cont.:

Jeff was still angry when Truham filled into Tribal Council half an hour later.

“Nick, you already have your torch, but behind the rest of you is a torch. Grab it and dip it into the fire, because in this game, fire represents your life. When it is gone, so are you.”

He waited until they each had their torch lit and in the stand, and were seated before he took his seat. “So Nick, I know this must be rough coming back here so soon, and under these circumstances. What happened at camp between then and now?”

“Well, things were fine until yesterday, and then Harry found out that Elle is trans, and he turned into a transphobic arsehole.”

“So this is because of transphobia?”

“I’m not a transphobe!” Harry argued. “Phobia implies fear, and I am not afraid of that thing! I’m disgusted by it!”

“Well at least he understands that much,” Charlie muttered.

Jeff actually had to pause and count to ten before he could speak again. “I am going to ask you for the sake of production to refrain from referring to Elle as ‘it’ or ‘thing’ or any other dehumanizing term. If you refuse to say ‘her,’ at least try and use the term ‘they.’ She is still a human being.”

Harry looked like he wanted to argue, but the look Jeff gave him was enough to quell the urge. “Fine. They are an abomination! God created them as a man, but they went and destroyed what God made!”

“Just because that is your belief, doesn’t make it true,” Elle replied. “Maybe my God says that my body is mine to do with as I please!”

“Yeah,” Charlie said. “And maybe some people don’t believe in god at all. It’s not right for you to project your beliefs onto others. That’s why this world has had so many wars!”

“You don’t want me to flaunt my beliefs around, but expect me to be quiet when you flaunt your beliefs in my face!” Harry argued back. “See that is the problem. With you people it’s always ‘do as I say, not as I do,’ and ‘you can’t say that about me’ while you all sit back and call us homophobes and bigots!”

“Okay, let’s all calm down,” Jeff interjected. “Personal beliefs aside, what was camp like before the events of yesterday? Imogen?”

“Well, for the most part, everyone has been doing what has been necessary to keep camp life comfortable. We’ve been taking turns getting the water and firewood, and maintaining the fire. At least most of us have contributed to the food situation in some way.”

Jeff noticed the emphasis on ‘most.’ “Has someone not contributed as much as others?”

Imogen seemed a little hesitant to point fingers at first. “Well, Nick definitely contributed the most during the abandon ship and getting camp set up. And Charlie and Tao have contributed to the meals and during the challenges. Elle, too. I might only mostly do the cooking and keeping the camp area tidy, but I like to think that is contributing, and I have done everything I can do in challenges to help the team.”

“And what about Harry?” Jeff asked.

“I contribute! I caught fish the other day, and I ran hard to keep our lead in the reward challenge yesterday! And I also contributed to the abandon ship!”

“Hardly,” Tao said with a scoff. “Charlie got us the lead by using his incredible speed to run the farthest. Harry went to the closest station and only brought back what, four bundles? Elle went to the second furthest station, and Imogen brought back three large bundles of heavy wood. As for the so-called fish Harry caught, there was hardly enough meat on them to make them worth the effort!”

“So, it sounds as if Harry has always been on the outskirts of the tribe,” Jeff replied.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Nick said with a shrug.

“Yet Harry, you seem confident that you won’t be the one being voted out today?”

“They need me, and they know it. Without me, they won’t make it through the challenges.”

“Well, we certainly didn’t male it through this challenge with you,” Elle argued, “If neither you or I are voted off today, are you going to continue to throw the challenges just to try and get rid of me?”

“You don’t belong here! People like you shouldn’t be allowed here!”

“Wow. That is the exact argument they used to get me banned from competitive swimming. My question is, if a trans man tried to compete, would that be acceptable, since they were born biologically female, and therefore weaker?” She shook her head in disgust. “Just because I was born male, doesn’t mean I am more or less than other women. 

“Before I began my transition, I actually competed against men and women, and there were some women out there who were naturally better than me. Gender has nothing to do with it! It is strength and talent. And I never once begrudged any of the women who beat me. I appreciated their dedication and training. And it always encouraged me to try harder.”

Jeff smiled at her. “So, are we ready to vote?”

They all nodded.

“Okay, Charlie, you are up first.”

Charlie nodded and stood, walking with purpose towards the voting booth. There was no hesitation as he wrote down his vote and showed it to the camera. “If you are a transphobe, then you are probably also a homophobe. The world has outgrown you people.”

He placed his vote in the urn and returned to his seat. Harry went to the booth next. Again there was no hesitation as he began to write. “Freaks like you should crawl into a cave and stay away from normal people!”

Tao, Nick, and Imogen all cast their votes. Finally it was Elle’s turn. She showed the camera her vote. “You might think I’m the freak, but at least I’m not stupid enough to throw a challenge.”

She returned to her seat, and Jeff nodded. “I’ll go tally the votes.”

When he returned a few minutes later, his face was unreadable as always. “Once the votes have been read, the results will be final. The person voted out will be asked to leave immediately. I’ll count the votes.”

He opened the urn and pulled out the first slip of paper. “Harry.”

He showed them all the paper, then set it aside and reached for the next one. People who had watched the show with any regularity would have noticed the muscle in Jeff’s jaw tighten as he opened the folded slip of paper and turned it to show the castaways and the camera. Next to the name, the word ‘Freak’ had been underlined three times.

“Elle. In the future, please refrain from adding anything other than the person’s preferred name,” Jeff glared at Harry. “That is one vote Harry, one vote Elle.”

He set aside the parchment and took a third. “Harry. That’s two votes Harry, one vote Elle.”

Jeff read the fourth parchment. “Three votes Harry, one vote Elle.”

“Oh come on,” Harry whined. “You are going to kick me off and weaken yourselves in challenges?”

“You threw the challenge, remember?” Charlie whispered back, as Jeff selected the next parchment.

“Second person voted out of Survivor: World Domination, Harry. That’s enough votes. You need to bring me your torch.”

“You all are a lot of idiots!” Harry shouted as he grabbed his torch. “You’ll see, you won’t make it without me! You need me to compete against those other tribes!”

“Harry, the tribe has spoken,” Jeff began, but Harry wasn’t finished ranting.

“The tribe is worthless, and I don’t need them anyway! They're ignorant fools!”

“Nevertheless,” Jeff continued. “You have been voted out.” He snuffed the torch, and watched the blonde man stomp off, still shouting about what a pathetic group of losers the tribe was.

He turned back to the others. “As the song says, silence like a cancer grows, and remaining silent in the face of ignorance allows it to grow exponentially. I am proud of the way that you all as a tribe refused to be silent over this issue, and that you removed the cancer before it could spread further. Well done. Now head back to camp.”

…

The walk back to camp was mostly quiet. Yes, they felt vindicated in their vote, but the fact that it happened the way it did didn’t sit well on most of their shoulders. How could someone like Harry still be so ignorant in this day and age. Most people their age had learned tolerance at least and acceptance at best. That kind of behavior would have been more expected from the older generations. 

Not that they would have tolerated it from anyone, regardless of age. They would have voted out anyone who had pulled that kind of attitude. Elle doubted an older person would have thrown the challenge just because they believed they would get their way.

As they entered their camp, Tao slid an arm around her shoulder. “How are you?”

She smiled up at him. She had told him the truth about her the moment she realized he seemed to be interested in her. To her delight, he hadn’t seemed upset about it. 

“I’m fine. Another transphobe bites the dust.”

Tao laughed. “At least we don’t have to worry about him throwing another challenge.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about him trying to starve us with tiny goldfish,” Charlie said, drawing a laugh from Nick.

“At least we don’t have to deal with an idiot any more!” Imogen added, and they all laughed, breaking the tension.

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #2

Day 6:

The next morning the castaways woke up to a steady drizzle. Finn stared dejectedly at their damp coals, knowing it would be awhile before they could restart the fire. He hadn’t really considered the lack of food when he had applied for the show. His fiance, Rachel, had been the one to push him to audition.

Finn, 29. Ottumwa, Iowa, US

“Rachel says I’m not ambitious enough. She was on Broadway, in a revival of a show called Funny Girl, or something like that, but her ambition got the better of her and she ended up getting dropped from the show because she left the state to audition for a TV show without letting the producers know.

“I like being a high school football coach, though. I like working with teens. And next semester I’ll also be taking over the Glee club when the current coach retires. So I do have ambition, just not the kind of ambition Rachel thinks I should have.”

He settled on a banana and some coconut they had toasted the night before for breakfast, and waited out the rain. It was their down day, no challenges. They would probably work on something to improve camp after the rain ended, but for now they were all huddled in their shelter.

“Maybe we should figure out a way to protect the fire from the rain,” he muttered as the rain slowed to a steady sprinkle.

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Kurt said. “What if we sewed together a couple of large leaf mats and used them as a sort of roof over the fire, held up by two tall polls in the center, and four slightly shorter ones in the corners?”

‘It wouldn’t keep all the rain off, but it should keep the fire from going out,” Blaine said. “And we can make a frame to lean against the cliff to go over the fire food to keep it dry, too.”

“Sounds like a plan, once the rain stops,” Quinn said.

Brittany smiled. “I like weaving mats and baskets. It’s like braiding someone’s hair.” As she spoke, she was braiding Santana’s hair.

“You’re very good at weaving,” Blaine complimented her. “Those baskets you made are great for carrying back fruit and shellfish. They hold a lot, too!”

Brittany seemed pleased by his praise.

After about another hour, the rain finally stopped, and they set about trying to build the structure to protect the fire, while Brittany wove the frame to cover the firewood. 

It was mid afternoon by the time they got the fire going again. Santana immediately brewed a pot of coffee, which cheered everyone up a little. Blaine and Kurt went down to the beach to try and catch some fish for their dinner, but they had to settle for giant clams again.

Quinn used some flour and a couple of the eggs to make pancake batter, to which she added the clams, and grilled them on a flat rock.

…

Hillerska had a slightly better day. After their first rain/fire disaster, they had built a kind of a-frame over their fire, facing the shelter so that the heat was kicked back towards them as they slept. They had also elevated the base of their fire to avoid flooding again, and begun storing extra firewood under their sleeping palette to keep it dry. 

Despite the rain, Simon had gone fishing that morning, and had brought back four decent sized fish for lunch. Madison had spent part of the morning foraging, and had found a berry plant past the water well where they hadn’t yet explored. Malin had harvested some cattail roots and made flour out of them, which was good, since they were almost out of regular flour. She had also saved the heads to eat, and had found some wild carrots as well.

Wille and Felice were collecting driftwood for the fire. In truth, Wille was avoiding Simon. He was confused by his reaction to the curly haired man. He had found guys attractive before, but none of them had ever caused a physical reaction the way Simon did. 

Wille, 24. Independent Businessman.

"I’ve never reacted to a guy the way I react to Simon. Yeah, I’ve found men attractive before, but in the same way I find a piece of art attractive, you know? Have I ever questioned my sexuality? I think we’d all be lying if we said no to that. Everyone questions it sooner or later, whether they realize it or not. 

“There is just something about Simon, I can’t put my finger on it. He’s different from anyone I’ve ever met, and it scares me a little. Not because I think there is anything wrong with that, but because it’s so intense, so much more than I’ve ever felt for anyone else, ever.”

He didn’t want to think about it right now, and decided to focus on getting to know Felice better.

“So, what are you studying in university?” he asked.

She shrugged. “My mother wanted me to study business and finance, but I really wanted to study art, so I compromised. I’m getting my masters in business, and a bachelors in fine arts.”

“Do you always do what your mother tells you?”

Felice sighed. “She makes it hard to tell her no.”

Wille nodded. “My mom is the same way.”

They were silent for a moment, and then Felice turned to him with a serious expression on her face. “Can I ask you something?”

He smiled. “Sure.”

“Do I know you from somewhere? I mean, you look very familiar to me.” She couldn’t hold back her teasing grin. “At first, I was convinced you were Prins Wilhelm, because you look so much like him and have the same name, but you can’t be him.”

“Why not?” Wille asked, dodging the question.

“Well, for one, if you were Prins Wilhelm, there would be bodyguards crawling all over the place, wouldn’t there?”

“Um, actually I think only Kronprins Erik has a bunch of bodyguards. Prins Wilhelm doesn’t usually have bodyguards, unless he is at a state function with his brother or mother.”

“Really?” Felice, asked, frowning. “How do you know that?”

Wille concentrated on pulling the large piece of firewood he was collecting free from some rocks. “You’re Felice Ehrencrona, right?”

“Yeah,” Felice said, now on the defensive.

“I think your mother tried to introduce us once, at my mother’s request. I think they thought we might hit it off, but I kind of blew it off.”

“Wait, when was this?” Felice asked.

“Your high school graduation party, I think. I wasn’t actually invited, but your mother hinted that I should come around and meet you.”

“And you blew it off?” Felice asked, surprised. Guys usually wanted to meet her because of her wealth.

Wille shrugged. “Promise you won’t get mad when I tell you why?”

“Why?”

“My mom wanted me to meet you, which means she wanted me to marry you, and anyone she wants me to marry must be someone I would never want to marry.”

Felice just stood there in shock for a moment, and then burst into laughter. “I think I like you, Wille! I probably would have skipped out on meeting you too, for the same reason!”

Wille laughed as well. They made their way back to camp with their load of wood, talking about people they knew in common, trash talking Felice’s ex, and laughing at silly stories. As Wille dropped the load of wood next to the shelter to be broken down, he noticed Simon looking at the two of them, an unreadable expression on his face, before the curly haired man turned and walked away.

…

Elle sat on the beach, watching the sunset as she nibbled on a guava. She was thankful to her tribemates for standing by her at Tribal Council, but wished it hadn’t been necessary. She knew there would always be haters out there, but this was the first time one had been right in her face. She was used to dealing with internet trolls, but up till now she had been fortunate not to have encountered a troll in the wild.

Elle, 25. Fashion consultant.

“When I first came out, my parents didn’t understand, but they at least supported my decision, and agreed to treat me as a girl and call me by my chosen name. When I was old enough to begin gender affirming care, they stood beside me, and when I had my top surgery at sixteen, they threw a rechristening party for me. Now they act like I was always a girl, and don’t think twice about it. 

“Most people when they learn I’m trans at least have the courtesy of not making a big deal about it, even when I can tell they don’t really agree with it. I know not everyone accepts it, and that is fine, as long as they can be civil about it at least.

“Tao is one of the special ones, I think. The ones who don’t think there is anything wrong with it, and that as long as I’m happy, he is happy for me. He makes me laugh, and doesn’t treat me any differently, and I could easily fall for him just for that.”

Charlie sat down beside her. “How are you doing?”

She smiled at him. “I’m okay. It’s not the first time someone has learned the truth about me, though granted, it was definitely the most dramatic.”

Charlie nodded. “You shouldn’t have to tell anyone if you don’t want to. It’s none of their business. And if you do decide to tell people, it should be on your terms, not because someone threw a fit like that.”

Elle shrugged. “In a perfect world,” she replied. “I suppose it could have been worse.” She studied him for a moment in the dying light. “What about you?”

Charlie shrugged. “I didn’t get the chance to come out myself. Well, I told one person, but they accidentally outed me by talking too loud at school. All the bullies descended on me like vultures on roadkill.”

“I’m sorry,” Elle said, putting an arm around his shoulder and hugging him.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“No, but as you said, you shouldn’t have to tell anyone if you don’t want to. You should have been able to tell the ones you wanted to tell, and everyone else could mind their own business.”

“In a perfect world,” Charlie echoed back to her with a smile. “Imogen made some kind of rice dessert if you want some. It smells pretty good.”

Elle smiled back. “I’ll eat some if you do. You didn’t eat much dinner.”

Charlie hesitated. “I’m a recovering anorexic,” he admitted.

“Because of the bullying?” Elle asked. Charlie just nodded. She patted his arm. “I won’t make you eat it, but you should try and eat a few bites. You don’t want to have a relapse.”

He sighed but nodded. “I’ll eat some.”

She stood and helped him to his feet. “Does your family help you with your mental health issues at home?” she asked.

Charlie shrugged again. “My mum tries, she really does, but she just doesn’t always know how. My dad is a bit better, but it’s my sister Tori who has been my rock, really. She knows when to push and when to back off. She helps me do my grocery shopping and meal planning, and reminds me about my appointments with the therapist.

“My friend Darcy and her girlfriend Tara are also great help. When holidays with the family are too much for me to deal with, they invite me to theirs, and know what I can and can’t handle.”

“I’m glad you have people who look after you.”

“What about your family?” Charlie asked. “Do they support you?”

She grinned. “My family is awesome. They don’t always understand, but they just want me to be happy, so they do everything they can to support me.”

“I’m glad,” Charlie said, smiling. “I don’t know what would have happened if my family hadn’t been so supportive. Don’t tell anyone, but I doubt I would still be alive today if they hadn’t accepted me.”

She patted his arm. “I’d like to think there would have been someone who would have stepped in to save you, but I know that isn’t true for everyone. I’m glad you are alive.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you are alive too.”

…

Day 7:

Blaine woke up early and stoked the fire. He was about to grab the water jug to fill it when Kurt emerged from the shelter.

“Good morning, Kurt,” Blaine greeted softly so not to disturb the others. “Did you sleep well?”

Kurt yawned, but nodded his head. “Did Finn’s snoring wake you up, too?”

“No,” Blaine said. “I was already awake. For some reason my mind kept telling me that we had to get up early for the reward challenge today, and would not let me go back to sleep no matter how many times I told it that the challenge isn’t until this afternoon.”

Kurt couldn’t help smiling. “I bet you were one of those people who hated test days in school and would fret and not sleep the night before.”

“Guilty as charged,” Blaine replied, laughing himself. “Although I should note that I had a perfect GPA, was class president, and lead soloist of my Glee club.”

“Nerd,” Kurt teased, smiling to show he didn’t mean it. “I would have had a better than perfect GPA if any of my teachers had been competent enough to actually grade my work properly. I should have been a soloist in my Glee club, but my coach was intimidated by my talent, and constantly gave the solos to this short little brat who threw a tantrum if she didn’t get her way. She also ruined my chance of becoming class president by stuffing the ballot box and making it look like I cheated.”

“Ouch! Where did you go to school, a reformatory?”

“It might as well have been. No one appreciated me, and being openly gay made me a constant target for bullies. The teachers wouldn’t do anything about them, either. Said it was my fault for being gay.”

“Oh geez! I’m sorry Kurt!”

Kurt just shrugged as they heard noise from the shelter, and realized the others were starting to wake up. “If you are going to refill the water jug, I’ll scrounge up something for breakfast. Maybe coconut rice with the last of the bananas and some of Santana’s coffee cherry powder.”

“Sounds good,” Quinn said as she joined them. Blaine grabbed the jug and went to get the water as the rest of the tribe woke up one by one, Finn being the last.

After they ate, Santana checked on the second batch of coffee beans she was smoking. She decided to give them a couple extra days to dry, to make them slightly less bitter this time. There was enough of the first batch left to last them two more days, if they each only had a cup a day.

“I wonder what the challenge will be today?” Finn asked. “Should we check tree mail?”

…

Simon didn’t know why it bothered him that Wille was suddenly spending so much time with Felice. It just seemed like the blonde man had been into Simon a little. Maybe that had just been wishful thinking on Simon’s part. 

But hadn’t he seen the interest in Wille’s eyes during the first Immunity challenge when Simon had called himself a twink? And hadn’t he felt Wille tremble when he washed his back the other day? Had Wille gotten spooked by what he was feeling? Was that why he was now spending so much time with Felice?

Simon sighed. He didn’t have time for these thoughts. It was almost time to get ready for the reward challenge. He needed to be thinking clearly.

“Can you read the tree mail once more?” he asked Malin.

She nodded and read the scroll again. It had come with three balls and a flat circular disk. “Balance and teamwork are the key to success. Don’t drop the ball if you want to win.”

“I have no idea what it could mean,” Madison said. “Are we supposed to bounce the balls on the disk and not let them drop, or what?”

“Maybe we only have to keep them from rolling off the disk?” Felice theorized, trying to balance the three balls on the disk. One of them immediately rolled off.

“I guess we’ll learn soon enough,” Wille said.

They headed into the challenge, and were the second to arrive, behind McKinley. A moment later, Truham arrived. No one was surprised to see who they had voted out.

“Come on in, guys! Getting your first look at the new Truham tribe, Harry voted out in a unanimous vote. Anyone surprised?”

There was a chorus of nos.

“We here on Survivor have always tried to be inclusive, and we want our players to feel safe. Intolerance of any sort will not be accepted. This will be the last time we speak of the matter.”

The rest of the castaways nodded and some even clapped.

“Who is ready for today’s challenge? Alright, let me explain it to you. This is a test of both endurance and teamwork. As you can see there is a large, five foot diameter disk with handholds. When I say go, tribes will lift the disk, and release five balls onto it. The challenge is to keep the five balls from falling off. Once you lose all five balls, you are out of the challenge. For the first thirty minutes, you will use both hands to hold the disk up, but after thirty minutes, you will have to drop one hand, understood?”

There was an affirmative answer from each tribe.

“Want to see what you are playing for?”

He uncovered the first display. “Fishing gear! For first place, there is a Hawaiian sling, two snorkels, fishing nets, shrimp and crab pots, fishing lines and hooks, as well as a filleting knife.”

He moved to the second display. “Second place is a little less fancy. You get fishing lines and hooks, and one each shrimp and crab pots, and fileting knife. These will make fishing a whole lot easier, don’t you think? McKinley, you have an extra player. Who are you sitting out?”

“Me,” Finn said, raising his hand.

“Okay, take a seat on the bench over there, and we’ll draw lots for positions.”

They jockeyed into position, and were given a moment to test out the weight of the disk, which was heavier than it looked.

“Survivors ready?” Jeff called out as they prepared for the challenge. “Go!”

Malin counted to three, and they lifted the disk in sync, and each quickly released their ball into the center. The disk wobbled a little as they each got into a comfortable hold position, but they managed to keep the balls mostly centered. They heard Kurt swear from their left.

“McKinley already down a ball as Kurt fumbles with his grip after releasing his ball,” Jeff narrated. “Truham and Hillerska both holding steady for now.”

“I’m sorry,” Kurt said to his tribe.

Simon was determined not to let his tribe down, and tried to focus his concentration, but Wille was standing directly across from him, and he couldn’t stop himself from studying the other man. Wille was just Simon’s type; dark blonde hair, soft brown eyes, tall and lean. Now as they strained to keep the disk balanced between them, Simon could see how deceptively muscled Wille was, too.

A cry from Imogen on their right broke into Simon’s thoughts, bringing him back to the reality at hand.

“Imogen loses her grip briefly, and just like that Truham is down two balls. McKinley has four, and Hillerska still has all five balls. You have twenty minutes left until you must release one hand.”

“My hand is slipping,” Madison whispered. “It’s so sweaty.”

“We have it,” Felice said. “Wipe your hand real quick.”

Simon braced himself as Madison, who was on his left, quickly let go with one hand and wiped her hand on her shorts, then grabbed the handhold again. The balls had tilted towards them, and it took a minute to right them and get them all back to the center of the disk, but they managed.

“Hillerska has a close call but manages to pull it back without losing a ball. Nice job guys. Ten minutes left until we go down to one hand.”

When Simon looked up again, Wille was looking at him, and there was no mistaking the look in his eyes, which left Simon feeling very confused. The man was definitely sending some mixed signals.

“One minute now! Get ready to let go with one hand. Keep in mind that you can switch hands if you need to, but every time you do you risk losing a ball!”

Simon felt Malin shift on his right as she prepared to let go. Simon adjusted his position as Jeff began to count down from ten.

“Three…two…one! Release one hand!”

Everyone let go with one hand, and the disk suddenly plunged several inches, pulling Felice off balance. One of their balls bounced off the edge, and a second came perilously close to following it, but thanks to Wille’s quick reflexes, they managed to save it. They heard groans and shouts from the other two tribes.

“Truham drops another two balls, and are down to one. McKinley also loses two balls, but still have two left, while Hillerska has four!”

“Damn it!” Charlie cried out a minute later.

“And Truham is out of it as Charlie loses his grip and falls on his butt! It’s down to McKinley and Hillerska now. The only question remaining is who will get the big fishing package, and who will get the smaller one!”

“Britt! Be careful!” Santana called out as the blonde woman tried to switch hands.

“And McKinley is down to their last ball! Can they hold out against Hillerska, who have been rock steady throughout the challenge?”

Simon didn’t know how much more time passed after that. All he knew was that his arm was beginning to ache so bad. He was deliberating if he should switch or not when Madison spoke up.

“I need to switch hands.”

“Me too,” Simon said in relief. “Should we switch on three?” he asked.

“I’ll count it down, and everyone who needs to switch can do so,” Malin suggested. Everyone nodded. “One…two…” 

She never got to three, as a cry of defeat came from the other tribe.

“Brittany drops the disk and McKinley loses their last ball! Hillerska wins reward!”

Groaning in relief, they set their disk down and hugged each other.

“Great job everyone,” Jeff said, smiling. “Hillerska, you pulled it out, and your communication skills definitely helped. Come collect your reward!”

Simon grinned as he, Malin and Wille collected the fishing gear.

“McKinley, you did your best, but in the end you just fell short. You still took second place. Come collect your lines and hooks.”

Blaine stepped forward to collect the smaller bundle.

‘Truham, I’m sorry, I have nothing for you. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #3

Day 7 cont.:

"I'm sorry, guys," Charlie said. "I just got a little dizzy. I should have drank more water before we started."

Imogen hugged him. "It’s just as much my fault," she said. "I was the one who caused us to lose the first two balls."

"It’s nobody's fault," Elle said. "We all did our best. But are you sure you are alright, Charlie?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll be okay, really. I just need to remember to drink more water before the Immunity challenge tomorrow. I think the sun just got to me a little, too."

"Why don’t you rest in the shelter for a bit and we'll handle dinner?" Nick suggested.

Charlie shook his head. "I'm fine, I promise. But maybe I will stay in the shade for now. I could open some coconuts and chop up the meat to add to the rice for dinner."

Nick nodded. "I'll get more firewood and see about catching some fish. Or do we want to use one of the chickens?"

"I vote for chicken, personally,” Elle said. “I’m sorry, but I am getting a little sick of clams and mussels and whatnot.”

“Agreed,” Imogen and Tao echoed.

“Okay. Who wants to help me dispatch it?”

Tao looked a little green around the gills, but volunteered to hold it for Nick.

“I can make ash dumplings to go with it,” Charlie volunteered. “I researched a few simple recipes when I found out I made the show, and one of them said you can use wood ash instead of bicarb to make dumplings. I can use the cattail flour, too. We can have that instead of the rice, which we are getting low on. I can still chop up the coconut and we can toast it to snack on later.”

Charlie, 23. Studio Musician.

“That was one of the things my therapist suggested, researching the edible vegetation in this region, and learning what I could eat and how to prepare it while I am on the island. Geoff even helped me find different resources. So far the only issues I’ve had is with too much wild garlic.

“It was actually really interesting learning all the stuff you can forage and how to use it. I started doing it at home just before I came here, and I discovered a lot of the stuff I foraged was easier to eat than most processed stuff.”

“Okay,” Nick said. He and Tao selected one of the chickens and headed into the woods away from camp.

Imogen gathered one of the woven baskets they had made and set out to harvest a few things, leaving Charlie and Elle in the shelter alone.

“Okay, talk to me, Charlie,” Elle said. “Are you sure you are okay?” I know you ate breakfast, but you didn’t eat much for lunch. Was it just a lack of water that made you get dizzy?”

Charlie sighed. “I’m positive it was just the lack of water. And as for lunch, there was just too much wild garlic in it. It upset my stomach a little. I promise I will eat dinner.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“You remind me of Tori. She knows when to ask the important questions without being pushy.”

Elle smiled. “Well, looks like you now have two big sisters. It’s funny, I always wanted a little brother.”

Charlie laughed. “Thanks.”

She bumped shoulders with him. “So, Nick seemed awfully worried about you when you collapsed earlier. He seems to be very protective of you.”

Charlie shrugged. “He probably just sees me as a little brother, same as you. I mean, he’s not gay, I’m sure.”

“I don’t know,” Elle said. “It seemed like more than just brotherly concern to me.”

Charlie couldn’t answer as Nick and Tao returned with the now deceased chicken, Tao immediately went to the puddle of rain runoff that gathered in the corner of the entry to the overhang and washed his hands thoroughly, as Nick began to pluck the chicken.

Charlie watched the larger man as he began mixing the dumpling dough. He couldn’t help admiring the way Nick’s muscles flexed as he cleaned the chicken. Charlie swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and he reached for his water bottle to quench his thirst.

…

“I’m sorry we didn’t get the bigger reward, Sanny,” Brittany said as she helped the dark haired woman set the shrimp and crab pots, and bait the hooks for the line she was using to try and catch some fish.

“It’s okay, Britt. You did your best, that’s all we can ask for,” Santana said.

“I think the others are mad at me, though.”

“They aren’t mad at you, sweetie. They’re just upset that we didn’t get first. They don’t blame you, I promise.”

“She’s right, Britt,” Blaine said, joining them to scrub their pot and overhearing the last of their conversation. “No one is mad at you. I think Quinn and Kurt may be a little frustrated that we keep coming in second, except at the last immunity challenge, and the only reason we came in first then was by default.”

“What does that mean?” the blonde woman asked.

“Default?” Blaine clarified. “It means we didn’t finish the challenge because the other team quit, and we only took first place because we had a small lead at that point.”

“Oh, okay. I’m glad no one is mad.”

Blaine smiled at her and finished cleaning the pot. “Do you need any help with the fishing, or should I head back up to camp and start boiling water to fill the bottles?”

“You can head back up to camp, Hobbit. I used to go fishing with my uncle all the time when I was a kid. I actually enjoy it. Don’t tell any of the others though, or I may have to use the razor blades I keep hidden in my hair on you.”

Blaine laughed. “Your secret is safe with me!”

“Good, just so we’re clear.”

Once the hooks were secured and baited, Santana waded out into the surf, thankful it was currently low tide. She moved out to where a small outcropping of rocks was just visible above the surface of the water, and settled in with the line. 

It took about ten minutes to get the first nibble, but it didn’t take the bait. Santana wasn’t always a patient person, but she remembered those fishing trips with her Tio Angel, and how he taught her that sometimes patience could be its own reward.

Santana, 25. NFL Cheerleader.

“I’ve always been the kind of person who wants what I want and wants it now. Growing up was sometimes difficult as my dad worked to pay off his student loan debts. But every summer, Tio Angel and his wife would take me down to the Gulf of Mexico for a week and we would go fishing everyday. 

“At first I hated it, it was boring, and there was nothing else I could do on the boat. But then I caught my first fish, a huge tuna. Tio helped me reel it in, and told me that we could sell it at market, and that I could keep most of the money for myself. That was when I realized that sometimes being still and not rushing into things could be a blessing.”

It took almost half an hour before she got any real prospects, but she finally felt the tug of something large pulling on the line. She began reeling the line in by wrapping it around the large flat piece of wood it had come with. There was some resistance, but she managed it, and soon had not one but two large groupers, and a small flounder as well.

Smiling in triumph, she waded back to shore with her catch. Brittany laughed and clapped at Santana’s success, and Santana certainly felt proud of herself.

…

As soon as they returned to camp, Simon, Malin, and Wille headed to the beach with their new gear. They might be getting tired of shellfish, but fish was good protein. As Simon claimed the Hawaiian sling and one snorkel, Malin and Wille took the two new snorkels and the net to see what they could catch.

Forty minutes later they reconvened on the beach. Wille and Malin managed to catch a decent sized bonnethead shark and a couple cuttlefish, while Simon had gotten two eels and a small bass.

“Wow,” Wille said. “I think this is enough for a couple of days at least.”

“Too bad we don’t have any limes,” Simon said. “I could make ceviche with the cuttlefish if we did.”

“We could put the cuttlefish back for now,” Malin suggested. Wille and Simon both shrugged. Between the eels, the bass, and the shark they had enough meat for all of them.

They returned to the shelter where Felice and Madison were boiling water to fill their water bottles. The two women had also gathered a large pile of firewood. Malin took charge of breaking down the shark while Simon gutted the fish and eels. Wille helped Felice move the water off the fire so it could cool down.

Out of nowhere, Madison began to sing a song that made Simon stop in his tracks. He was pretty sure only Wille knew who he was. His music had been playing on the radio for a year now, but not everyone knew his face. But the fact that Madison had started singing one of his songs was still a shock. He tried not to cringe at how badly out of tune she was, or how she mangled the Spanish lyrics.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wille fighting not to laugh.

After dinner, Simon left the shelter to relieve himself. On the way back, he spotted Wille headed down to the beach. He changed directions and followed the blonde man. He found him just settling on a large, partially buried piece of driftwood.

“ Hej ,” Simon said as he approached. The sun was just beginning to set.

“ Hej,” Wille said, surprised to see him there.

“Mind if I sit with you?”

Wille just shrugged his shoulders. Simon sat on the log, keeping a few inches between them. For several minutes they just sat in silence, watching the sun slowly drop below the horizon.

“Did I say or do something to upset you?” Simon asked after a while.

“What? Why?” Wille sounded genuinely surprised by the question, which left Simon feeling even more confused.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, it just seems you’ve been avoiding me the last couple of days.”

Wille sighed. “I have, but not because of anything you said or did.”

Simon turned to face him more fully. “I don’t understand. You’ve been giving out some very mixed signals, Wille. One minute you’re being all coy, the next you’re walking away with Felice.”

Wille stared out at the setting sun once more. “I’m not out, to anyone. I don’t even know what my sexuality is, really. I’ve only ever been with women, because that is what my family expects of me, and it’s not that I’m not into them or anything. I like them just fine. But I’ve also found several men attractive as well, although none of them really appealed to me enough to want to see what could happen. Until now.”

Simon was stunned into silence for a moment. “And now?”

Wille didn’t answer right away, as the sun fully disappeared, and the first stars began to appear. That’s when he turned to look at Simon more fully, studying his face in the limited light. A soft breeze blew one of Simon’s curls onto his face. Wille reached out and gently pushed it back over Simon’s ear, leaning in closer, until they were inches apart, but he hesitated there as uncertainty kicked in.

It was Simon who closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together in a slow, gliding kiss. He heard Wille’s in drawn breath, and then the older man was kissing him again, harder. Simon parted his lips and Wille’s tongue slid inside, drawing a moan from him.

They continued to kiss until they heard Malin calling out to them. They didn’t pull apart in fear, but slowly, knowing she couldn’t see them in the dark. They just stared at each other in wonder for a moment, and then Simon smiled softly. 

“We should get back to camp before she comes looking for us.”

Wille smiled back. “Yeah.” 

They walked back slowly, their shoulders bumping each other, but otherwise not touching each other.

“There you are,” Malin said. “It’s getting cold out. I think there is another storm coming in, I thought I saw lightning in the distance to the east.”

By the time they got back to the shelter, there was a distinctive chill in the air. They quickly stowed away any extra food, making certain the dry goods were secured, banked the fire, and settled in for the night. The women all pulled on more clothes, but Simon used his purple hoodie more as a blanket over his arms.

The storm hit just before midnight. Their shelter was much better fortified from the rain now, but the cold seeped in around them, and they huddled close under the woven palm frond blanket they had made.

Wille was all too aware of Simon’s back pressed against his chest, and the knowledge that the hoodie had fallen away at some point, leaving his arms bare. He couldn’t resist the urge to slowly caress the smaller man’s arm, awed at the thousands of goosebumps that he felt rise at his touch. He heard Simon sigh softly, and felt him roll over to face him.

“You should try and sleep,” Simon said, groggily.

Wille shrugged. “The storm is too loud.” He reached over Simon to retrieve the hoodie and wrapped it over Simon once more as he shivered.

Simon smiled sleepily, and leaned in to place a soft kiss on Wille’s forehead. “Sleep. Close your eyes.”

Wille studied his face for a moment longer, and then did as instructed. He felt Simon burrow into his chest for warmth. He let out a soft sigh, and slowly fell asleep.

…

Day 8:

Charlie was the first to rise the next morning, and after relieving himself and having a quick wash at a small waterfall that had formed overnight near their shelter, he quickly stoked the fire and got the rice started cooking with the last of the water in the jug.

He was about to go fill the jug when Imogen got up as well.

“Oh,” she said, startled to see him awake already. “I didn’t realize you were up. I was just going to put breakfast on.”

Charlie shrugged. “I already started the rice. I was about to go refill the water jug.”

“I’ll come with you,” she offered.

Charlie raised an eyebrow in surprise, but just shrugged. “Okay.”

They headed out in silence until they were far enough away from the shelter not to disturb the others.

“So,” Imogen said eventually. “You and Nick are awfully chummy. You two are always talking and doing stuff together.”

“Oh, yeah. Nick is nice. He’s easy to talk to, and he seems to like everyone. Well, except Harry.”

“So what do you guys talk about?”

Charlie shrugged. “Music. Video games. The challenges. Sometimes we talk about Rugby, or other sports.”

“Does he ever talk about me?” she asked, more blunt now.

“Oh, well, uh…” Charlie stammered, not sure how to answer that. 

“I mean, he’s so sweet, and good looking, and I really like him, and I just wondered if maybe he might like me as well?”

Charlie felt his stomach twist. “He said you’re sweet, and he likes your cooking.”

“Really?” Imogen said, sounding excited. “Do you think maybe I should try flirting with him? Or should I play it nonchalant?”

Charlie didn’t really listen after that, just kept his eyes on the ground in front of him as they approached the well. Of course Nick would be more interested in Imogen. She was perfect for him. She was pretty, and smart, and could cook, and didn’t come with baggage. Plus she was a girl.

Imogen nattered on as they filled the water jug, and all the way back to camp. Charlie only made noncommittal sounds now and then. When they got back to their camp, they found Nick, Tao, and Elle all up and about now. Charlie held back a little, setting the jug down out of the way, as Imogen boldly greeted Nick, smiling at him and asking if he slept okay.

He heard Nick reply, his soft voice filling their shelter as he spoke to the woman. Charlie couldn’t look at them, and busied himself by tidying up the sleeping area, and clearing away some branches that had broken off just outside the entrance during the storm the night before.

He was surprised a few minutes later when Nick approached him. 

"Hey, how are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm okay," Charlie replied with a shrug, not really looking at Nick. "I've been drinking plenty of water, so you don't have to worry I'll collapse at the challenge today."

Nick frowned, and tried to say something else, but Imogen called out that the rice was ready.

"Go on," Charlie said. "I'm just going to clear away the debris, and then I'll eat."

Nick just looked at him for a moment, then nodded and walked back to the fire. A few minutes later Elle came out and handed him a portion of the rice in a coconut shell.

"Why does Nick look like someone just kicked his puppy?"

Charlie just shrugged. "I don't know. He should be happy, Imogen has been all over him since we got back with the water. She really likes him, and they make the perfect couple."

"Something tells me Nick disagrees. Imogen just keeps talking, and Nick has zoned out. He keeps glancing at the entrance, waiting for you to come in."

Charlie shrugged again. "He's just worried I'll collapse at the challenge and we’ll have to go to Tribal Council again."

“Charlie, he’s worried about you , not failing the challenge. I think he really cares about you.”

“Can we please just talk about something else? My stomach is starting to cramp.”

Elle sighed, but nodded. “Fine, but you better eat that rice. I made sure it wasn’t overly seasoned for you.”

He smiled gratefully. “Thanks.” He ate a few bites as they stood there. “So what is going on between you and Tao?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean that you two seem like more than just friends.”

Elle ducked her head. “I like him, and he seems to like me, but that’s it right now. There is no romance involved.”

Charlie grinned at the unspoken ‘yet.’

Elle smacked his shoulder. “Finish eating and let’s go check tree mail.”

…

Quinn held up the metal pail she had found in their tree mail basket. “We’ve got a clue to the next challenge!”

“What does it say?” Blaine asked.

“Be quick or Immunity will slip through your fingers, success is in your grasp.”

Kurt studied the bucket, and noticed that there were randomly placed holes in it. “We’re going to have to carry water in buckets that are leaking,” he said, pointing out the holes to the others. They took turns to see who could cover the most holes with their fingers. Finn had the largest hands, and managed to cover all but one of the holes. Both Kurt and Blaine had trouble covering enough of the holes to keep more than the minimum amount of water in the bucket.

They talked strategy over lunch, and then got ready for the challenge. As they were about to leave, Kurt noticed Blaine talking to Quinn, and they both laughed at something that had Quinn slapping his arm playfully.

Kurt sighed and looked away, to find Santana watching him. 

“They’d make a cute couple,” she observed.

Kurt just shrugged. “I guess.”

“Yeah, it’s just a shame he’s gay.”

“What?” Kurt’s head snapped up and his voice rose an octave.

“Yeah,” Santana said. “Didn’t he tell you?”

Kurt shook his head no.

She shrugged. “He mentioned the other day that he and his dad had a rough time after he came out. I thought you knew.”

“No, I didn’t.” Kurt’s mind was preoccupied as they made their way to the challenge beach. Why hadn’t Blaine mentioned anything to Kurt? Did he think Kurt already knew? He had to force the thoughts from his mind as they lined up on their mat.

Jeff smiled at them. “So, Hillerska, McKinley, how’s fishing?”

“Good,” they replied.

“We actually had to let a couple cuttlefish go, we had too much,” Simon remarked.

“Wow. Truham, how about you guys? Any regrets?”

Nick shook his head. “Can’t change the past, Jeff. No use getting upset over it. Besides, we aren’t hurting for food yet. Maybe a little tired of eating the same things all the time, but at least we are eating.”

“Well said,” Jeff replied. “Now it’s time to take back Immunity. McKinley, Hillerska, give it up!”

Malin and Santana carried their tribes’ halves of the idol over and handed them to Jeff.

“Okay, Immunity is back up for grabs. In this challenge, tribes will line up along the beach, one tribe member every thirty feet. Each person will have a bucket, and starting with the person closest to the water, they will fill their bucket, run to the next person in line, pour the water in their bucket into the next person's bucket, who will relay the water to the next person, and so on, until the fifth person’s bucket receives what water is left by then. They will then run fifty feet and pour the water into the large tub attached to a counter weight.

“The goal is to fill the tub with enough water to lift the counter weights and raise your tribe’s flag. The catch is, each progressive bucket will have more holes. The first bucket won’t have any holes, the second one will have two holes, the third will have four holes, the fourth has eight holes, and the fifth and final bucket has sixteen. You need to try and cover as many of the leaks as possible to retain as much water as you can. You may not hold the bucket against your body, you must hold it in two hands only. Understood?”

After a chorus of yeses, Jeff continued. “McKinley, you have an extra person, who are you sitting out? Keep in mind you cannot sit out the same person in back to back challenges.”

Kurt raised his hand. “That would be me.”

“Okay Kurt, have a seat on the bench, the rest of you, I’ll give you a minute to strategize and we’ll draw lots for positions”

A few minutes later they were lined up along the beach.

“Alright, for Truham we have Tao at the starting line, followed by Imogen, Elle, Charlie, and Nick on anchor. McKinley has Blaine starting out, followed by Quinn, Brittany, Santana, and Finn. And lastly, Hillerska has Felice at the waterline, followed by Madison, Wille, Simon, and Malin. Survivors ready? Go!”

Kurt sat on the sideline, cheering his tribe on. “Let’s go Blaine! Try not to spill any!”

“Things are pretty even at the start, all three tribes make their first pass off with little difficulty. Imogen, Quinn and Madison all doing their best to keep seepage to a minimum as they race to the next pass off. Madison stumbles just shy of reaching Wille and splashes some of her water out, but otherwise the tribes are still in a virtual tie!”

“Good job Britt!” Kurt called out encouragingly. “Nice and steady! Way to hustle!”

“The third pass off goes smoothly for all three tribes, but it is getting harder to stop the leaks. Simon takes a slight lead for Hillerska, but he’s losing a lot of water. Finn taking his time, but those big hands of his are doing their job, covering most of the holes in his bucket. The tribes have reset their positions and are working their second buckets of water through the lines.”

“Good job McKinley, let’s keep this pace up!” Kurt cheered, clapping for his tribemates. They made several trips back and forth, working to fill their tubs.

“Still fairly even, although it looks like McKinley’s tub is starting to lower a little. Truham’s giving them a run for their money, but Hillerska is starting to falter as they tire. Felice and Madison each stumbling and splashing more water out of their buckets with each progressive trip, all the running back and forth getting to them. Finn pours another bucket for McKinley and now their flag starting to rise just a little.”

“Yes! Let’s go McKinley! Just one or two more buckets should do it!” Kurt screamed, jumping up and down.

“Madison trips and spills an entire bucket of water for Hillerska! Truham’s tub starting to dip now as well! And there goes McKinley’s flag! McKinley takes first place and Immunity! Hillerska slipping further behind as even Wille and Simon start to slow down from the exhaustion!”

Kurt was too busy screaming and hugging his own tribe to pay attention to the other tribes, just grateful to have a legitimate first place finish.

“Charlie passes another to Nick as Wille makes an impressive recovery from his last stumble and managed to recapture the water he splashed before it could spill completely. Nick is at the tub for Truham. Will it be enough? Yes! Truham wins immunity!”

Kurt did feel sorry for the Swedish tribe, but it was a competition, and those were the rules. They gathered up on their tribe mates once more.

“Great job, McKinley, come get your Immunity.”

Finn was pushed forward to accept the spear.

“Truham, you guys did awesome as well! Come get your Immunity.”

Charlie smiled shyly as he stepped forward to accept the shield.

“Hillerska, I’m sorry, you just fell short. I’ll see you guys tonight at Tribal Council. For now, head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #3

Day 8 cont.:

The mood was very somber as they returned to camp. Voting out Alexander had been an easy decision, but tonight was a different matter. 

“I’m sorry guys,” Madison said. “I know I stumbled more than any of you all, and I dropped that bucket of water. If you vote me out because of that, I’ll understand.”

“No, sweetie, it’s fine,” Felice replied, hugging the younger woman. “We all struggled with that challenge.”

Wille nodded, patting her back. “We all did our best. You can’t win every challenge.”

“I know, but it wouldn’t be fair to vote anyone else out. You all deserve to still be here.”

“You deserve to be here just as much,” Felice said. “It just sucks that we have to vote someone out tonight. Each of us has done everything we could to provide for the tribe, and we’ve given our all at every single challenge. Tonight’s vote is going to be cruel, no matter who ends up going home.”

Simon brought over some of the leftover shark that he had cooked, and served Madison and Felice first. No one noticed how he brushed Wille’s hand as he served the blonde man, but Wille smiled at him. Malin joined them then as well, and they ate their dinner in silence.

Wille had no idea who to vote for that night. He still hadn’t decided as they made their way to Tribal Council. He did know who he wasn’t voting for. Now that he’d admitted to himself that he might have feelings for Simon, he wasn’t ready to give that up.

One thought had wormed its way into Wille’s thoughts as they took their seats around the fire at Tribal Council. Something Felice had said a few days ago was beginning to bother Wille. Something that could affect his vote tonight. He let the thought simmer as Jeff greeted them.

“Well, here you are once again at Tribal Council. I’m sure none of you expected this to happen again. Last time it seemed you all had your mind set on who needed to go. Is the same true tonight?” They all shook their heads no. “Malin, what is different tonight?”

The blonde woman shrugged. “Alexander needed to go. He contributed very little to camp life, and he failed miserably at the task he said he could perform in the challenge. No one here tonight has done anything that would deserve being voted out. Everyone has contributed to the best of their abilities, and everyone gave a hundred percent in the challenges.”

Jeff nodded. “So how do you decide who to vote for tonight? Simon?”

The dark haired man thought for a moment. “What is the English phrase? Eenie, meenie, mienie moe?” That got a laugh from Jeff. “No, seriously, I think tonight the vote will come down to ‘someone who isn’t me,’ because no one is at fault. Felice said earlier that no matter who ends up going home tonight, this vote is going to be cruel, because no one deserves it.”

“That’s not true,” Madison said. “I faltered and stumbled and cost us the challenge. If someone else goes home tonight, I will feel guilty about that.”

“So you are saying you want them to vote you out?” Jeff asked.

“I don’t want it, no. I want to be here, I want to keep playing. But if someone has to go based on today’s challenge, then it should be me. I was the weakest link. If there is no other criteria to go on, then the only logical vote for them to make is for me to go.”

Felice shook her head. “By that logic, we all deserve to go. We all messed up some.”

“It sounds like you are all ready to fall on your blade so to speak,” Jeff observed. “Would it be easier to ask who you aren’t voting for tonight?”

“I think Simon and Malin are probably the safest,” Felice acknowledged. “I don’t really see anyone voting for Wille, either.”

“How does that make you feel, Simon?”

“It’s nice to hear, but I still won’t feel safe until we’re back at camp. I do think Wille and Malin are safe, though.”

“Malin, two people are saying they believe you are safe. What do you say to that?”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence, but as Simon said, I’ll believe it when I return to camp tonight.”

“Wille, what are your thoughts? Do you know who you are voting for?”

He shook his head no. “I don’t want to vote for anyone. I’m sitting here, trying to come up with any kind of justification for voting someone out, but it feels like it comes down to petty nitpicking, and I don’t want to base a vote on that.”

“What kind of nitpicking?”

Wille snorted. “That's the problem, I can’t even think of any little things that would justify a vote. No one has any annoying habits, unless you count Madison singing offkey, but that’s no reason to vote her out.”

Madison turned to him, laughing. “Thanks a lot!”

Wille laughed at her. “I can’t sing to save my life, so don’t worry about it!”

“Seeing you all laugh in this situation tells me just how close you’ve all gotten so quickly. What do you think made you all bond so fast?”

“Alexander,” Simon joked, but Malin and Wille nodded their heads.

Felice shrugged. “Having to take up the slack caused by Alexander, and working together to get food and shelter, not to mention giving everything we have in the challenges, you have to be close to work so cohesively.”

“Do you expect a unanimous vote tonight, not counting the fact that the person voted out can’t vote for themselves?”

“Probably not,” Felice replied. “I’d be surprised if it was unanimous. I’m sure I will probably get at least one vote.”

“Who do you think would vote for you?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know, but I did just as poorly at the challenge today as anyone. I’m sure someone has considered voting for me.”

“Well, it’s time to find out if you are correct. It’s time to vote,” Jeff said, “Felice, you are up first.”

She rose elegantly and made her way to the voting booth. It took her a few minutes before she sighed and wrote a name down. “Simon was right, it has to come down to ‘someone other than me.’ I’m so sorry. Please forgive me for this.” She showed the vote to the camera.

Malin and Simon voted next. Then it was Madison’s turn. She also hesitated before she began to write, but only for a moment. “I can’t vote for myself, and I won’t vote for Felice. There’s no real reason for this vote, I just wrote down the first name that popped in my head. I’m sorry.”

Finally it was Wille’s turn to vote. He took longer than anyone else to make his choice, pacing inside the tiny booth for several minutes, clutching his hair and staring at the blank parchment. Felice’s words from a few days ago wouldn’t leave him alone, and finally, he wrote down a name.

“I know this won’t make any sense, and I can’t really explain it right now, but my gut is telling me this is the right decision.”

He placed the parchment in the urn, sighing before turning and walking back to his seat. Simon reached out to rub his back in sympathy as Jeff stood.

“I’ll go tally the votes.” No one spoke a word as they waited for Jeff to return. When he did, he set the urn on the stand beside him. “Once the votes are read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave Tribal Council immediately. I'll read the votes.”

He opened the urn and retrieved the first slip of parchment. “First vote, Madison.”

The younger woman reached out to rub Felice’s arm, letting her know it was okay, she had accepted she would probably be the one going. Jeff drew the second slip of paper.

“Second vote, Wille. That’s one vote Madison, one vote Wille.”

Wille just shrugged. He knew whoever got voted off would have to vote for someone. Maybe the vote would come back to bite him later, but for now it was what it was.

“Madison,” Jeff said, reading the third vote. “Two votes Madison, one vote Wille, two votes left.”

“It’s okay, guys,” Madison whispered as Felice hugged her, and Simon reached out to squeeze her hand.

Jeff pulled the fourth slip of paper out, and turned it to face the castaways before saying the name out loud. “Malin. That’s two votes Madison, one vote Wille, one vote Malin, one vote left.”

Simon glanced at Wille out of the corner of his eye. He knew it had to have been him who had voted for Malin, but why?

“Last vote,” Jeff said, pulling the final ballot. “Third person voted out of Survivor: World Domination, Madison. That’s three votes, that’s enough. You need to bring me your torch.”

They all rose to hug the younger woman and say goodbye. Most of them had tears in their eyes. 

“It was great while it lasted. I’ll see you all on the outside!” Madison said as she placed her torch before Jeff.

“Madison, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed her torch.

“I can’t leave without doing one last thing!” Madison said, and then placed a big kiss on the host’s cheek, startling the older man into laughter. “Bye guys! One of you better win the big prize!” She blew them each a kiss before finally exiting the building.

“Well,” Jeff smiled. “Sometimes saying goodbye is hard, but at least there were no hard feelings. Grab your stuff and head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #3

Day 8 cont.:

Felice went straight to bed when they returned to camp, claiming emotional exhaustion. Simon didn’t blame her. That Tribal Council had been brutal, despite no one getting angry. Voting for Madison felt like voting for his own sister.

Simon, 23. Singer and Musician.

"I feel like I betrayed Madison tonight. Voting her out feels so wrong. In some ways, Madison does remind me of my sister, Sara. I’ll miss Madison, and I know the game is just going to get harder from here."

“I’m going to go set some shrimp pots tonight so we have something to use as bait for tomorrow,” he said as Malin tended the fire. She merely nodded at him.

“I’ll come with you,” Wille said. Simon nodded, and gathered the items they would need. They were silent as they walked down to the beach, and Simon spoke softly as he instructed Wille on how to set the pots. They used some fish bones with bits of flesh and skin still on them as bait.

When they had set a few pots, Simon sat on the same log they had sat on the other night, pulling the hood of his hoodie up against the mild breeze. Wille sat beside him, and took his hand, rubbing it between his own to warm it up.

“So, was there a reason you voted for Malin?” Simon asked after a few minutes. He felt Wille stiffen beside him.

“Why do you think it was me?”

“Well, I know I didn’t vote for her, and she couldn’t vote for herself. I know Madison was the one who voted for you because I don’t see Felice putting your name down.”

“Felice could have been the one to vote for Malin,” Wille argued, but Simon shook his head. 

“Felice kept apologizing to her while you were in the booth.”

Wille let out a sigh. “I just didn’t want Madison to think we were all ganging up on her. And I knew she was probably going to put my name down, which means if there was ever a tie in the future, I could be eliminated. I decided it would be better if at least one other person had a vote against them as well. And I wasn’t going to put your name down.”

Simon studied his face for a moment, and then smiled, leaning forward to kiss him. “I didn’t think you would.”

Wille smiled back, kissing him again. “I didn’t think you would, either.”

…

Day 9:

Tao had a lot on his mind as he carried the water jug back from the well the next morning. He had always been kind of an unusual kid in school, with really only one friend who indulged his love of movies. He had never really dated anyone, had never really had a crush on anyone. Which is why he was confused about his feelings for Elle.

She was funny, and smart, and really seemed to get him. He thought that the idea that she was still at least in part physically male would have made him second guess getting close to her, but he didn’t even seem to care about that. It wasn’t that she was trans that had him confused. It was the fact that he liked her in more than a friend way that confused him. 

For a while he had wondered if maybe he was asexual, like Isaac. He had never really been physically attracted to anyone before. But Elle made him feel comfortable and accepted.

Tao, 24. Online Film Critic.

“I’ve never really considered my sexuality before. It’s always just been sort of a non issue. I mean, yeah, I’ve found people attractive before, but I’ve never really thought of anything beyond appearance. There’s never been anything physical about it. I’ve never looked at anyone and thought, ‘oh, gee, I want to sleep with them.’ I’m not even sure that is what I am feeling for Elle, either. I just know that there is something between us that is more than just friendship, and I want to find out what that is.”

As he walked into camp, he encountered the other issue that was on his mind. Imogen was being overly bubbly around Nick, and Charlie moved around the shelter like a robot with no emotions. And Nick, well, Nick looked like he didn’t know up from down. Even Tao, who admittedly knew very little about relationships could see that Imogen was barking up the wrong tree. Nick obviously wasn’t into her, but Charlie was definitely into Nick. The question remained to be seen if Nick felt the same way about Charlie.

Tao decided to rescue the Rugby player, if only to grill him about his feelings towards Charlie. Elle was very fond of the lad, and she was upset that he was upset, and Tao didn’t like the thought of Elle being upset for any reason.

“Nick, should we try and catch some fish after breakfast?” he asked.

If Imogen didn’t see the look of relief on Nick’s face at Tao’s question, then she was blind. Nick obviously couldn’t think of a polite way of telling Imogen to bugger off.

“Sure. Yeah, of course!” 

They ate quickly, and then headed down the beach. Without any fancy fishing gear, they were still reduced to using sharpened sticks as spears, and it took a lot of patience. They waded out waist deep into the clear water of the cove, and waited in silence for several minutes before Tao brought up the subject he wanted to speak to Nick about.

“So, what is going on between you and Charlie?”

Nick glanced up at him sharply. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, the first few days here, the two of you were all chummy, but the last couple of days, Charlie has been moping around camp like his dog just died.”

Nick sighed. “I don’t know what happened. I keep trying to talk to Charlie about it, but he seems to be avoiding me. I did try and tell him something the other day, but we were interrupted when Harry proved what a bastard he was and started ranting about Elle. I really wanted to finish that conversation with him, but he keeps saying he’s busy, and that I should talk to Imogen.”

Tao frowned. “What were you telling him?”

Nick shook his head. “We were talking about some things I’m not ready to talk to anyone else about yet. I thought he understood what I was trying to tell him. Everything seemed fine after Tribal Council, and through the reward challenge, but we never got the chance to finish our talk. And then yesterday, before the Immunity Challenge, he just started acting weird.”

Tao looked worried. “What could have happened that would make Charlie close off like that? Did you maybe say something inadvertently that could have upset him?”

“That’s just it, I haven’t really had the chance to talk to him since the night before, and he seemed fine before we went to sleep.” He sighed in frustration. “He and Imogen were the first ones up yesterday morning, and had gone to get the water before I could talk to him. It was after they got back that he started avoiding me.”

Tao looked like he found a clue to a puzzle. “Do you think Imogen might have said something that upset him?”

“Like what? Imogen is sweet, if somewhat clueless sometimes. I can’t see her deliberately saying something to hurt Charlie.”

“Maybe not deliberately,” Tao agreed. “I’ll try and talk to him later.”

Nick smiled. “You are a good friend.”

“I know,” Tao stated.

…

After breakfast, Kurt volunteered to harvest more coffee cherries, and was pleased when Blaine offered to join him.

“If Santana wins the prize money, she should open her own coffee shop,” Blaine joked as they picked the fruit. “She already has us all addicted.”

Kurt laughed. “She actually has me drinking black coffee and liking it. I usually prefer a nonfat mocha.”

Blaine smiled. “I’m used to black coffee. My dad refused to allow creamer of any kind in the house. Said it was for the weak stomached. I usually just add a dash of cinnamon and one packet of sugar to my coffee.”

“Your dad obviously never had a heart condition. After my dad had a massive heart attack when I was in high school, I made him switch to decaf with one non dairy creamer, and only one cup per day.”

“I’m sorry to hear that about your dad,” Blaine said sympathetically. “There was no making my dad do anything. He ruled the house. I think that is why my brother moved out and headed to Hollywood so soon after high school.”

“You’re dad sounds so strict,” Kurt observed.

Blaine shrugged. “He was most of the time, but there were times when he tried to be a good dad, especially after I got beat up really bad after a school dance by three guys who took offense that I went to a dance with another guy.”

“You were gay bashed in high school?”

Blaine nodded. “Spent three months in the hospital. Had to repeat my sophomore year. Fortunately my dad decided that since the public school failed to protect me from a brutal assault, I could transfer to a private school instead.”

“So your dad was okay with you being gay?”

“Well, he tried to be okay with it. He was never rude or hostile about it, but I could tell it bothered him. It did put a little bit of a strain on our relationship at first, but as I got older, he seemed to get more comfortable with the idea. 

“I think at first it was his fear that something might happen to me because I was gay that made him upset. And he was right. After the incident at the dance he got a little over protective for a while, and I was grateful for it at first, but it did lead to a few fights when I got my first real boyfriend. He’s much more supportive now.”

“That’s great,” Kurt said. “I’m glad you are close to your family.”

“What about you? How did your dad react when you came out?”

Kurt shrugged. “He said he’d known since I was three. After my mom died when I was eight, he and I were all each other had, so we were always very close. I mean, the man got himself elected to congress to go to battle for me.”

“Wait, your dad is Burt Hummel? He’s one of my heroes!”

Kurt smiled. “That’s my dad. Originally he ran to help protect art and music in schools when my glee club was threatened with being cut, but once he got elected, he helped pass some of the most door opening LGBTQ+ legislation ever.”

“I know! You are so lucky!” Blaine said, grinning at Kurt. “What’s he like?”

“He’s your typical Midwest sports fanatic who owns a garage and loves Mellencamp.”

Blaine laughed. “I’d love to meet him. Is he a Buckeyes fan?”

“Hello, we’re from Ohio! Of course he is. Then again, I’m not much of a sports fan myself, so maybe that isn’t a given after all.”

“You don’t like sports?”

“Not particularly, no. Although I did score the winning field goal in the only game my high school football team won my sophomore year,” he said with a shrug. “And I was a cheerleader for a while.”

“Wait, you played football, and you were a cheerleader? Huh.” Blaine’s face took on a faraway look, as if he were trying to picture something in his mind.

Blaine, 28. Songwriter

“Okay, I may have daydreamed about Kurt quite often since NYADA, but never once would I have thought to imagine him as a football player, or a cheerleader. Now I can’t get the image out of my head. Dapper thoughts, Blaine, think dapper thoughts! Okay, not working. I just keep picturing Kurt doing the splits. And now I am remembering a mattress commercial I once saw when visiting family in Ohio, and there was this kid doing leaping splits, and come to think of it, that kid looked a lot like Kurt…”

“What?” Kurt asked.

Blaine shook the image from his mind and just changed the subject. “You said you were in Glee club? I was too, but we didn’t compete for a couple of years due to a districting issue. The year we did compete, we didn’t get past regionals.”

“That’s too bad. My choir went to Nationals back to back. We didn’t place the first time, but the second time we won.”

“Wow, that’s incredible. Is that how you got into NYADA?”

Kurt shook his head. “Actually, I was rejected by NYADA the first go around, but I was in New York during their Winter Showcase, and Madame Tibideaux offered me the chance to re-audition. I sang a song I knew she hated, but it was such short notice it was the only thing I could think of at the time. Apparently she appreciated the fact that I didn’t pander to her by selecting a more appropriate song, and she was so impressed by my vocal range, I was accepted on the spot.”

“That’s amazing. Well done!”

They finished filling their basket with the cherries, and headed back to camp to begin separating the beans from the pulp.

…

Malin studied her tribemates as they ate lunch. Simon had gotten up extra early that morning to collect the shrimp from the pots he and Wille had set last night, and used them as bait to catch a barracuda. He had also brought back a couple lobsters that they were going to add to the rice for dinner. He was currently talking about something with Felice, who had seemed a little depressed that morning after having to say goodbye to Madison last night.

Wille was sitting nearby, watching the other two, but seemed to be lost in thought. Malin was certain it had been Wille who had voted for her last night. She should be upset by it, but she thought she understood why he had done it. She wouldn’t confront him about it, yet.

With no challenges that day, they really didn’t have a lot to do other than to maintain the fire and forage for food. Malin decided to take the opportunity to try and improve the shelter and fire cover a little, to provide a bit more comfort, and to redirect the heat from the fire towards the shelter so they would be warmer at night, but still not be overheated during the day.

Felice helped her redesign the sloped roof over the fire, as Wille and Simon went to gather some fruit. Malin had noticed how close the two young men had gotten, had seen them kissing on the beach the other night As long as it didn’t cause any drama, she was willing to play dumb about the budding romance.

Malin, 35. Private Security.

“If Wille and Simon feel the need to hide their relationship at this time, I’m not going to be the one to out them. It’s not really anyone's business but their own. As long as it doesn’t cause problems in the tribe, I’m all for self discovery. Besides, I’ve been married to my wife for almost ten years now.

“I just hope they both understand what they are getting themselves into. I know Wille has been downplaying how well known he is in our country, and Simon may not realize just how many people will recognize him from his music career, despite being a relative newcomer. They will both be under a lot of public scrutiny when we get back home and the show airs.”

At that particular moment, Wille and Simon were partially hidden by a grove of guava and mango trees. Wille had Simon pinned to the trunk of one of the trees as they kissed.

Simon smiled as he slowly pulled back. “We should get the fruit and get back to camp before Felice and Malin come looking for us.”

Wille kissed him again. “I want to stay here forever.”

“Wille, you have to be reasonable,” Simon said, turning his face away. “I really like kissing you, but we hardly know each other.”

“I know everything I need to know about you,” Wille said. “Your music says it all.”

Simon laughed and gently pushed him away. “Then tell me, where am I from?”

Wille bit his lip, not knowing the answer to that. Simon shook his head.

“Okay, what are my mother and sister’s names?”

Wille sighed and took a step back. “Okay, fine. Tell me who Simon really is?”

Simon shrugged and picked up one of the baskets they had dropped and began harvesting guavas.

“I lived my entire life in Bjarstad, although I wasn’t born there. My parents met in Venezuela when my dad was there on business, before he became an alcoholic and addict and his career went to crap. We moved to Bjarstad when I was about a year old. My sister, Sara, was almost three at the time. 

“A few years later my parents divorced, and my mom struggled to care for us. My sister has Asperger's, and she had difficulty adjusting, so I had to step up and help her and help my mom take care of the house and do the cooking.

“My only escape was music, and thanks to the encouragement of one choir teacher, I decided to pursue it as a career. I was in a popular band for a while, and it was great, but things happened, and we went our separate ways. We’re still friends, though.

“People seem to think that being in a band would make me rich, but when you consider all the stuff that gets taken by studio fees and managers and everything, what’s leftover split four ways doesn’t really amount to much. I used my cut to make a solo demo. 

“That was about four years ago. It’s been a bit of a struggle to get people to notice me, but eventually enough people did, and now my music is on the radio, and if all goes according to plan, I’ll be going on tour with a big name star when we get back home.”

“That’s amazing,” Wille said.

Simon smiled. “What about you? What’s your story?”

The blonde man shrugged and turned away to start picking mangoes. “Not a lot to tell, really. I’m the younger sibling, like you. I have an older brother, he’s almost six years older than me, though. Our parents are fairly well known in Sweden, You said you struggled to get people to notice you. I struggle with getting people to not notice me. I never really wanted to be in the spotlight growing up, and especially since they didn’t really care about me, but who I was related to.

“I try to avoid the life my family leads as much as I can, but it was much harder when I was younger. My parents were so over protective, I could barely breathe as a child. I suffered from panic and anxiety attacks. Once I hit my majority, I moved out on my own, started my own business under my own name, and try just to be me.”

“What kind of business do you run?” Simon asked. His basket was nearly full now.

Wille shrugged. “I seek out small businesses that may be floundering, but that have potential to invest in, help them grow and become more profitable. I try not to interfere with them too much, just offer financial support and advice when needed. I also help them with government red tape, getting permits and grants and supplements.”

“So you help businesses make money?” Simon asked, frowning in confusion.

“I help the people who own and run the businesses, so they can pay their employees a decent wage and still remain profitable. Sometimes that means I lose money, but there are more benefits than risks for me.”

“What kind of businesses do you help?”

“I’ve worked with all kinds of businesses. Just before I came here, I invested in this small nursing company that provides in-home care for elderly and disabled people, as well as those recovering from an injury. They were struggling to get the supplies they needed to care for their patients. I’m helping them get the proper contacts and finding lower cost alternatives that don’t detract from the quality of the equipment.

“I’ve worked with small family owned grocery stores, a veterinary clinic, a small business that specializes in LGBTQ+ awareness, and several others. I’m about to branch into international businesses when I return home.”

“So basically you help people help people,” Simon said, smiling. “I like that. You don’t really see a lot of the upper class willing to help those on the bottom of the ladder.”

“Oh, so you’re a classist, are you?” Wille teased.

“Not exactly. I’m just not particularly fond of certain families hoarding their wealth, especially when their money mostly comes from subsidies paid for by families that can barely afford to put food on their own tables sometimes. Just because someone is born with a title doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have to earn their money like the rest of us.”

“I take it you aren’t a fan of the government?”

“I’m not a fan of the Monarchy,” Simon clarified. “A useless figurehead that gets paid from our taxes just because they happened to be born into a specific family.”

Wille didn’t respond to that, and thankfully didn’t need to as Felice approached them.

“ Hej ,” she said. “Malin needs help back at camp, and I’m not tall enough.”

Wille nodded. “We were just about done here anyway,” he said, plucking a couple more mangoes and tucking them into his basket.

…

Charlie sat on the beach, once again watching the sunset as he nibbled on his dinner, which consisted of the coconut rice and the fish Nick and Tao had caught earlier. Tao had been really excited about actually catching a fish himself. It had been a small bonnethead shark, about the length of Charlie’s arm from fingertip to elbow. He’d been so proud to show it off, and Elle had made such a fuss over it, it had been really sweet.

He felt someone sit down beside him, and expected it to be Elle, who usually joined him, but when he glanced over, it was Nick.

“Hi,” Nick said, smiling.

“Hi,” Charlie said, feeling a little panic starting to build in his stomach.

“The sunset is beautiful tonight,” Nick observed, taking a bite of his fish.

“Yeah, I love watching the sunsets here.”

“Is that why you prefer eating your dinner out here on the beach?”

Charlie shrugged. He preferred to eat on the beach because he was self conscious about eating around people sometimes. He’d heard Imogen mention to Nick how he seemed to eat like a mouse, nibbling at the food timidly. She hadn’t meant anything by it, he was sure, but when you had the issues Charlie had, those kinds of comments could hurt.

Charlie, 23. Studio Musician

“I know people say things they don’t mean, and that they don’t always realize their words can hurt others. Maybe they aren’t even actually talking about me at all, but when you struggle with mental health and body image like I do, it can be difficult to not take the words personally. I’ve gotten a little better over the years, but coming here has made me more self conscious than I thought it would. I keep telling myself not to take anything personally, but it’s been a struggle the last few days. I’m trying, though. That’s the best I can do right now.”

They watched the sun sink lower in the sky.

“Oh,” Nick said as if he just remembered something. “We never got to finish the conversation the other day, the one Harry interrupted with his arsehole outburst.”

“That’s right, you said you wanted to say something that you had never said aloud bef-”

“I’m bisexual.”

Charlie’s head spun around so fast Linda Blair would have been impressed. “What?”

Nick took a deep breath. “I’m bisexual. For the longest time, I was confused by the way I would react to some of my teammates, or guys I would see in passing. In school, I would have crushes on girls, dated a few, too, but sometimes I’d be out with a woman, and a cute guy would walk by, and I would find myself checking them out.

“It wasn’t until a chance encounter with the first girl I ever kissed a few years ago and learned that she was a lesbian that I began to realize maybe I wasn’t completely straight. I started researching, but it’s only been a little over a year that I’ve come to terms with it, but I’ve never said it aloud until now.”

“Why now?” Charlie asked.

Nick shrugged. “I’ve never dated a guy before. I’ve been too scared to tell people, afraid of how they will react. My biggest fear is disappointing people, letting them down. I was worried if I told anyone, they would react to me differently.

“But I recently met this guy, who I really like, and I want to get to know him better, and I figured if I am going to ask him out, I need to get over my fear and just say it.”

Charlie had pulled back in on himself when Nick admitted there was a guy he liked. “Oh. So, what’s he like, this guy you want to ask out?”

Nick smiled. “He’s kind, a little shy, except when he’s talking about music. He’s very talented. He plays the drums. He says he can beat anyone at Mario Kart, although he’s never played against me, so we’d have to see about that. He’s got these beautiful, mysterious blue eyes, and these curls I just want to reach out and play with.” 

Charlie’s heart began to race as he felt Nick run his fingers through the curls on his head. 

“Me?” His voice cracked a little.

“Yes, you, Charlie Spring.”

“But…”

“But what? I thought you realized how much I was into you, and then you suddenly just started ignoring me and pushing me towards Imogen.”

Charlie swallowed and shrugged. “She asked me about you the other morning when we went to get the water. Wanted to know if you ever talked about her, and if she should really start flirting with you. She acted like I was your friend and nothing more. I guess I just let it get to me.”

Nick was the one who shrugged now. “I just told her that while I think she is sweet and nice, I’m not interested in her in that way. She was disappointed, but she understood.”

“So, now what?” Charlie asked.

“Well,” Nick said. “Usually this would be when I ask you out on a date, I guess, but that’s a little difficult in this situation. I really just want to get to know you better.”

Charlie smiled. “What kind of first date would we go on?”

Nick grinned. “Maybe a picnic at the beach?”

Charlie glanced around. “Well, we’ve got the beach part, anyway.”

“True,” Nick laughed. “But no picnic. Maybe after the challenge tomorrow we could eat on the beach, just you and me?”

“I’d like that,” Charlie’s smile was brighter than the stars that had begun to appear in the sky. Nick couldn’t help smiling back, and reached out to take the younger man’s hand, holding it as they watched the last rays of the sun disappear.

…

Day 10:

“We’ve got tree mail!” Blaine said the next morning as he returned with the water jug. “Apparently our challenge is earlier today,” Blaine replied, showing them the tiny basket with the clue pinned to it, along with the instructions to be ready to go in one hour.

“What’s the clue say?” Kurt asked.

“Shuffle along, but don’t lose balance, things must be switched up if you want to advance.”

Santana looked thoughtful. “Guys, I have a bad feeling about this.”

“What do you mean?” Finn asked.

“‘Shuffle,’ ‘switched.’ I think this is a tribe switch.”

Quinn looked over the clue again. “She could be right. ‘Balance’ could refer to rebalancing the tribes to make them even.”

They all looked at each other for a moment, nobody speaking. They finished eating their breakfast, and gathered their stuff, just in case it was a switch.

They were led to the same beach as their first challenge, only things looked different now. Six platforms floated offshore, interconnected by some kind of watery obstacle course.

“Good morning guys,” Jeff called out, as McKinley was followed onto the beach by the other two tribes. “Getting your first look at Hillerska, minus Madison, who was voted out at Tribal Council in a tight vote. McKinley, you are currently the only tribe that has not been to Tribal Council. How do you think your tribe is doing over all? Finn?”

“Well, we’re all still here, so I would say we are getting the job done. We’ve been pretty consistent, but this will only be our sixth challenge.”

“How have you all been getting along as a tribe? Any conflicts?”

“Nothing major,” Kurt replied. “Finn is a bit of a bed hog, and Santana sometimes lets her mouth run when she shouldn’t, but I can’t think of one fight or disagreement between us. Everyone is doing their best, getting the things done that need to be done without prompting, and basically taking care of each other.”

Jeff nodded. “Truham, any drama since Harry was voted out?”

Elle shook her head. “Nothing that would tear our tribe apart. We get along well, and like Kurt said, we take care of each other.”

“What about Hillerska? I know it was a difficult vote the other night, and you all didn’t want to see Madison go. She was very gracious in her exit. What do you think about your new tribe dynamic? Are you stronger or weaker without her?”

“A little weaker,” Felice answered. “She made us all smile and laugh, and kept our morale up. It felt like we betrayed her. But life must go on, and we still have almost thirty days left out here, and we will have to do what we can to survive.”

“So basically you are all saying that you feel comfortable in your current positions?”

“Yeah,” several voices said.

“Well, as you know on Survivor, you can never get too comfortable. Drop your buffs!”

“What?” a few people muttered, interspersed with a few ‘nos.’

Jeff grabbed a bag from behind the podiums where that day’s rewards were still hidden under wraps, and stepped forward.

“Each of you will reach into the bag and draw a stone. I don’t want you to look at it just yet, just keep it hidden in your palm for now.” He started with Hillerska, offering the bag to Malin first, followed by Felice, Wille, and Simon in that order, then moved on to Truham, and finally McKinley. Blaine was the last to draw, and Jeff returned to his spot.

“Everyone hold your hand out, but don’t look yet. When I count to three, you will turn your hand over and reveal your stones. Ready? One…two…three!”

Fifteen hands flipped over and revealed various colored stones.

“If your stone is light blue, you are now part of Truham, purple, join Hillerska, and red, welcome to McKinley. Looks like McKinley loses Finn and Brittany, but gains Tao. Truham now has Charlie, Imogen, Wille, Felice, and Brittany, and Hillerska now comprises Simon, Malin, Nick, Elle, and Finn. We’ll give you all a bit to get to know each other before we get started with today’s challenge.”

…

Simon smiled and shook Nick’s hand. “ Hej! Welcome aboard.”

“Hi! Glad to see you’re still here!” Nick said, smiling and shaking Malin’s hand. “This is Elle.”

She shook their hands as well. “It’s nice to meet you! Thank you for not voting Nick off that first night!”

“Nick is a worthy competitor,” Malin said. “He deserves to be here.”

“Hi, I’m Finn. I feel like I should try and speak with some kind of accent to match you all.”

They laughed. “To us, you do have an accent,” Elle said.

“Oh, I guess that is true. Can I ask you something? About what happened the other day at that challenge with that guy on your tribe, Harry? What was his problem?”

Elle stiffened up a little. “He took offense to the fact that I am a trans woman, but I haven’t had my last surgeries yet. He called me a freak and an abomination.”

Nick put his arm around her and studied the taller man, waiting for his reaction. 

“Oh,” Finn said, his face furrowed with concentration, but no disgust or anger. “I’m sorry you had to put up with that. I mean, I don’t exactly understand everything you just said, but no one should treat anyone the way he treated you.”

Elle relaxed a little. “Thanks. And if you have any questions about the specifics, I don’t mind explaining it to you later at camp.”

Finn nodded. They talked about other things for several minutes, holding a quick game of icebreakers to get to know each other just a little before it was time to get ready for the challenge.

Finn noticed that both Nick and Simon seemed to be watching Truham with wistful expressions on their faces.

“Okay, time to get down to business!” Jeff called out. “As you can see, today’s challenge is an obstacle course. One at a time, tribe members will cross from their starting platform, following the boards marked in their tribe colors to the second platform, where they will retrieve a basket, and then return back to the starting point. 

There are two points where all three tribes' paths converge. If you encounter a player from another tribe at one of these points, you will have to duel to see who will pass. If you fall in the water, you must return to the starting point and go to the back of the line. If a basket hits the water, it is dead and out of play, and you will have to return to the start and go to the back of the line. 

“Is everyone clear on that so far? Good. First tribe to get six baskets across and back to their starting platform wins. Want to see what you are playing for?”

“Yes!”

He uncovered the larger of two displays. “First place gets two hammocks, two blankets, four pillows, and will also receive four all weather chairs, that aren’t shown here, to make life at camp a little more comfortable. Also, the winning tribe will get to kidnap one player from each of the other two tribes to spend the day at their camp. They will return to their own tribes before the Immunity Challenge tomorrow.”

There were a few oohs at that information.

“Second place,” Jeff continued, uncovering the second display. “One blanket, two pillows, and you will also get two chairs. I’ll give you a couple minutes to decide what order you will run in, and then we’ll draw lots for positions.”

They were carried out to the platforms on boats, and took their positions.

“Everyone looks ready now,” Jeff called out from a nearby platform. “For Truham, we have Charlie up front, followed by Brittany, Imogen, Felice and Wille. Hillerska has Simon out front, with Elle, Finn, Malin and Nick following. And McKinley has Tao, Santana, Quinn, Kurt and Blaine in that order. Survivors ready? Go!”

Simon stepped onto the first board, which was about six inches across, more than wide enough to walk on, but the motion of the waves made the entire structure feel like it was in constant motion, making navigating difficult. He moved as quickly as he could, but he could see Charlie out in front of him on his left, and Tao fairly even with him on the right as they made it through the first part, to a section of boards that resembled a floating suspension bridge. 

They all slowed down a little at this point as the planks were fairly widely spaced, but not very stable. He heard a curse from Tao and the sound of splashing water, but was too busy trying to stay upright himself to look over and see what had happened.

“Tao falls in and has to swim back to the platform before McKinley can send another player out onto the course. Meanwhile Charlie has just reached the midpoint a couple steps ahead of Simon, avoiding a confrontation between them as their paths cross. He’s now on the first of two teeter totter sections. And Charlie loses his balance and has to go back to the start! Simon is all alone on the course right now, and he’s taking his time to make his way over the first teeter totter!

“Tao is back at the start for McKinley, and now Santana is making her way onto the course. Simon is across the first board and takes a break before moving to the next. Charlie back at the start now, and Brittany makes her way onto the course, and almost immediately falls off. She’s back on the platform and Imogen takes her place.

“Simon is almost to the center of the second teeter totter, edging along carefully as it begins to dip forward. Good job Hillerska! Santana is now across the stepping bridge as Imogen reaches the beginning of the section, and Simon just needs to make it across the narrow balance beam, and past the second intercept to reach the platform with the baskets!”

Simon tuned Jeff out as he studied the balance beam, which started at an incline, then leveled out, but zigzagged for several feet before reaching a decline. He took a deep breath, and then stepped onto the three inch wide beam. Again, the waves made the structure even more difficult, and Simon was certain he was going to fall in a couple of times, but pure willpower got him across. 

He practically ran across the final board to the platform and grabbed a basket. He stopped to catch his breath and let his legs steady again before he started back across. He narrowly avoided confronting Santana at the battle zone, and moved back across the balance beam.

“Simon has a good lead for Hillerska, but he is approaching the intersect at a pace that might cause him to confront Imogen as she makes it across the stepping bridge. And yes, they do reach the crossing at the same time. Simon tries to dodge around her, but she grabs onto the basket he is carrying. They both almost fall in, but Simon manages to leap to the safety of his board, just barely keeping a hold on his basket! Imogen is sent back to the start for Truham!

“Santana has her basket and is making her way back across the narrow beam now! Meanwhile Simon is halfway across the stepping bridge, And in a remarkable show of balance, Santana slides down the back end of the second teeter totter and makes up some ground!

“Simon leaps the last few feet to the starting platform and Hillerska has its first basket across!”

“Great job!” Elle said, patting him on the back before taking her first step onto the course.

“Hillerska sends Elle out on the course now as Felice reaches the teeter boards, and Santana delivers McKinley’s first basket!”

Simon was still trying to catch his breath as he lined up behind Nick. The ginger haired man turned to high five him. 

“That was amazing, dude!” Finn said. 

“ Tack ,” Simon replied, too winded to think of the English word.

As the others focused on cheering Elle on, Nick turned to Simon. “If we win, I’d like you to consider kidnapping Charlie,” he said, speaking quietly. “I know this was your tribe originally, and that you probably want to get Felice or Wille back, but I kind of promised Charlie we’d have a picnic on the beach after the challenge today. I’ll understand if you choose someone else, though.”

Simon merely nodded in acknowledgement, not making any promises beyond giving it consideration.

“Elle is on her way back with her tribe’s second basket, but encounters Quinn at the combat zone! There is a brief struggle, and both women go into the water! This may give Truham the chance to catch up as Felice has Truham’s first basket and is across the balance beam and back to the first teeter totter!

“Hillerska now has Finn on the course, while McKinley sends Kurt out. Kurt is moving very fast out of the gate, but can he keep his balance and still keep moving that fast? Felice nearly falls off the second teeter totter but leaps onto her board. She pauses to take a well earned breath and steady herself, before she starts over the stepping bridge.

“Finn goes down for Hillerska and heads back to the start, while Kurt has nearly caught up to Felice! If I didn’t know better I would wonder if Kurt wasn’t related to spiderman, the way he’s managed to get so far so fast without a wobble! Felice reaches the platform with Truham’s first basket! Malin just starting across the stepping bridge in pursuit of Hillerska’s second basket. And now Kurt has the second basket for McKinley! Can he get it back safely?”

McKinley cheered loudly for Kurt, as he made it back with their second basket, and Malin managed to bring back Hillerska’s second. Blaine fell in the water just before he reached the balance beam, as Nick and Wille faced off at one of the intersections. Wille ended up getting knocked off, but Nick lost the basket he had been carrying, and they both had to swim back to the start.

“Score still stands with Hillerska and McKinley with two baskets each, Truham one. Simon, who brought in Hillerska’s first basket, is back out for their third, with Charlie and Tao not too far behind him. Tao goes down for the second time on the stepping bridge, and swims back. Charlie makes it over the first teeter totter, or seesaw as they are called in the United Kingdom, as Simon starts back with his second basket and the third for his tribe.”

Simon didn’t know if his legs would carry him if he had to run the course a third time, and collapsed on the platform the moment he dropped the basket on their mat. He just concentrated on breathing, and only vaguely listened as Jeff narrated the action. McKinley had gotten their third basket across, and Truham their second, and Elle was almost back with their fourth. 

Simon hoped Finn, Malin, or Nick returned with a basket, or better yet, that at least two of them returned with baskets, saving him from having to go out on the course again.

“Finn manages to grab a basket for Hillerska, but doesn’t look too steady as he starts back. Quinn delivers basket number four for McKinley, and Charlie triumphantly drops Truham’s second basket on the mat. Finn stumbles on the balance beam and is swimming back for Hillerska as Kurt and Brittany take to the course in a virtual tie!”

Simon cursed silently as Finn returned to the platform and Malin hurried out. She had to pause as Brittany and Kurt reached the battle ground simultaneously.

“McKinley and Truham jockeying for the right to move forward, and Brittany tickles Kurt, causing him to fall into the water! She moves forward as Kurt begins to swim back. Malin, who had to wait until the confrontation was over, now catching up to Brittany as they both reach the teeter totters at the same time!”

Simon sat up, breathing a little easier now, but still physically exhausted, turned to watch his tribe’s progress. Malin had just started back as Blaine started onto the course. Brittany once again found herself up against someone as she and Malin reached the second intersection. Malin quickly managed to throw the younger woman off balance, and worked her way back.

“Hillerska only needs one more basket as Nick takes the course! Truham still only has two baskets as Imogen waits for Brittany to get back, and Blaine is just starting across the balance beam to grab McKinley’s fifth basket. Nick has a close call on the stepping bridge but pulls it out!”

Simon held his breath as he watched Nick work slowly across the teeter totters, and then the balance beam. He blocked out the other two tribes, just needing Nick to get back to them with the last basket. It seemed like it took hours, but he knew it was only a few minutes before the redhead was back to the stepping bridge. 

Simon managed to pull himself up to his wobbly feet, and gripped Elle and Malin’s arms as Nick made it across one step at a time. Now there was just the straight beam, and Nick was leaping onto the platform, losing his balance as he landed but slamming the basket down on the mat in victory.

“Hillerska takes first place and will get to choose one member from each of the other two tribes to kidnap. We’ll find out who they pick in a little bit. Meanwhile Blaine is almost back with McKinley’s fifth basket, and Imogen has Truham’s third, and just needs to get back across the stepping bridge. And she makes it! Tao now on the course for McKinley, Felice for Truham. And they both go down on the stepping bridge! Santana and Wille are on deck. 

“Felice is the first back, and Wille rushes out onto the course. Tao is struggling a little in the water, but makes it back and now Santana is giving her all. Can Truham make a comeback from so far behind, or will McKinley once again pull out a second place win?”

As the other tribes continued their efforts, Hillerska was in deep discussion, not noticing Truham getting their forth basket, thanks to Wille.

“I think we should take Quinn from McKinley,” Elle said, even though she would really rather have Tao back, but that would be selfish of her. “She seems friendly enough, although Finn, you know her better.” The taller man just nodded as he watched the other two tribes. Elle continued. “And I’d really like to take Charlie from Truham. He’s been having some problems eating, especially when Imogen gets a little heavy handed with the wild garlic.”

Nick looked at her in confusion. “I didn’t notice that. Is he okay?”

Simon noticed that Elle looked like she regretted saying anything, but she covered it quickly. “He’s okay, it’s just his stomach isn’t adjusting well. I’ve been trying to keep his portion of food a little blander for him.”

“Oh,” Nick looked relieved.

Simon and Malin conversed in Swedish for a moment, but action on the field drew their attention. 

“Santana falls with McKinley’s sixth basket, and now it’s all tied up as Charlie drops Truham’s fifth basket on the mat, and Brittany heads out once again!” Jeff called out. “Santana is out of the water and Quinn is now on the course once more. Brittany is across the stepping bridge, Quinn just reaching it! Brittany is over the first teeter totter. She almost falls as she steps on the second but manages to hang on as Quinn finishes the stepping bridge and approaches the first teeterboard!

“Brittany makes it over the second and cautiously steps on the balance beam. She’s picking up speed now! And she’s got Truham’s sixth basket! She just needs to get back across and Truham’s comeback will be complete! But there’s Quinn, blocking her way at the intersection! Brittany feigns right, but steps left, leaving Quinn off balance and now she’s out of it! This could be it! Brittany is back over the balance beam, and taking a moment to catch her breath before trying to get across the first teeterboard! Quinn is swimming hard back to the platform, but Brittany has the time to go slow and easy. She’s across the first board, and on to the second! She’s looking pretty steady!

“She’s across the second board! Just the stepping bridge left, and then a straight shot to the Truham Platform as Kurt rushes onto the course but it’s going to be too little too late as Brittany is across the stepping bridge and leaps for the platform! She’s there and it is all over! Truham makes an incredible comeback! They win reward!”

They gathered back on their mats on shore once again.

“That was a really exciting challenge. You all did your absolute best!” Jeff praised. “Truham, that was one of the most amazing comebacks I’ve ever seen on Survivor! Great job! Come and get your reward! The chairs will be delivered to your camp by the time you get back.”

Felice and Imogen stepped forward to grab their items.

“Now Hillerska, you had a decision to make. Have you decided who you are kidnapping?”

“We have,” Simon replied. “We’re going to take Quinn from McKinley.”

Jeff nodded. “Quinn, go ahead and join them on their mat. And who are you taking from Truham?”

Simon glanced over at the other tribe, making eye contact with Wille, before turning back to the host. “Charlie.”

He looked back at Wille and mouthed the word “sorry.”

“Okay, Charlie, join them as well, and then Hillerska can come and collect their reward. Again, the chairs will be there when you get back to camp.”

They gathered up the items.

“McKinley, you did a great job, but you just fell short. I have nothing for you. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #4

Day 10 cont.:

Finn didn’t know what to think when he arrived at Hillerska’s camp. Their shelter was a little small, and there was no natural barrier from the wind, like they’d had at McKinley. He wondered if they would all fit inside. He didn’t say anything, though, because he didn’t want to seem rude.  Besides, if it didn’t rain, he could always sleep in one of the hammocks strung up near the fire.

Finn, 29. High School Football Coach

“My mother always taught me that if you can’t say something nice, you shouldn’t say anything at all. Their camp was really small, although their shelter was well built. I wasn’t sure what that birdhouse looking thing was at first, but apparently it is their pantry. Much simpler than what Kurt, Blaine and I built, but just as effective. I wonder if that is a cultural thing or not, small, simply designed things. I mean, isn’t that IKEA store originally from Sweden?

He and Quinn were trying to be as helpful as they could, while Simon, Nick and Charlie went down to the beach to try catching some fish with the net and the Hawaiian sling. Finn wanted the chance to try and use the Hawaiian sling, he decided when he learned how it worked. Maybe after the Immunity Challenge tomorrow he would ask Simon to show him.

He corrected himself mentally. He kept saying Sigh men in his head. He had to remember that it was pronounced SEA Mon. The woman’s name was a little easier to pronounce, Mah Lin, with a softer n sound on the end.

“That’s a pretty name,” Quinn had complimented. “Does it mean something?”

“The literal translation is ‘strong little warrior,’” she had explained.

“It suits you,” Elle had said. “What’s it like doing private security?”

Malin shrugged. “It’s not nearly as exciting as it seems. It’s mostly just constantly being aware of your surroundings, and noticing the way people move and act. Ninety nine point nine percent of the time, people are just people and have no ill intent. If you get too complacent, you may miss that point one percent that can be a danger to your client.”

“Have you ever had an encounter with the point one percent?” Quinn asked.

“Twice. The first time it was my client’s ex girlfriend who got extremely jealous of his new love interest and attempted to pepper spray her. I ended up getting the full brunt of that one.”

“What about the second time?” Finn asked.

She rolled up her sleeve to reveal a four inch scar on the back of her bicep. “The same client pissed off a rival, who tried to attack him with a meat cleaver. I pulled my client away and was trying to push him into the car when the other tried to cut my arm off. Fortunately, my partner was able to tackle him before he did too much damage.”

“Are there a lot of female bodyguards?” Elle asked.

“More than you realize, but most of the time you don’t notice the female ones because they tend to blend in more. Do you watch awards shows?”

“Some, yeah,” Quinn replied.

“Have you ever noticed a woman in the background in any of the photos who is wearing a fancy dress suit, but not a gown? They usually will be wearing understated jewelry that allows them to blend in, but doesn’t encumber them. They might look like someone’s manager or a member of the press, but they won’t have any equipment with them, and they never carry a purse.”

“I have seen women like that in photos, actually,” Elle replied. “You mean those are bodyguards?”

“Not all of them, no, but a good percentage of them are. If you look even closer you may even spot the earpiece they wear to communicate with the rest of their team.”

“How many bodyguards are usually on a team?” Quinn inquired.

“Usually four, but as many as ten, or as few as two. It depends on the client, the potential risks, and the locations.”

As they continued talking, Simon, Nick and Charlie were reeling in a net full of large smelt. They had spotted a school of the fish just a little ways out from shore, and had managed to surround it with the net. Now they were carefully releasing the excess, while trying to keep enough for them each to have several. Each fish was about six inches in length, and two fingers wide.

“Good job, guys!” Simon said, once they had dragged the net onto the beach.

“Thanks,” Charlie said, high fiving him. “And thanks for bringing me over for the day.”

“Don’t worry about it. I actually wanted to talk to you both about an alliance. You two, me and Wille?”

“Yeah, sure!” Nick said. “I told you the other night I owed you for not voting me out.”

Charlie was nodding as well. “I’m not as strong as the three of you, but I’m good at figuring out puzzles, and I am a fast runner, and a decent swimmer. I think we could make the final four.”

They shook hands on it, before picking up the net and carrying it back to camp.

…

Felice helped Imogen serve up the rice with mushrooms and coconut the English woman had made for dinner. The woman seemed to be really chatty, and had apologized profusely as she made the meal.

“Unfortunately these are the last of the mushrooms, and with Elle and Tao gone, I don’t dare try and harvest any myself. I wouldn’t want to accidentally poison someone. We do have plenty of fruit, and wild herbs, plus the spice rack. I’ve been making fried bread with cattail flour, but I need to harvest more.”

“It’s fine,” Felice had assured her. “I can help with that tomorrow, if you like. I can’t believe how big your shelter is!”

Imogen smiled. “We got lucky, the overhang was so large, it’s almost like a cave! So far we haven’t had any issues with the weather. The tarps keep the worst of the rain and wind from getting in. All we really had to build was the sleeping platform and the pantry.”

Felice was really impressed. “We had to build everything from scratch. Our camp was in the middle of a clearing. We’ve had to rebuild our fire a couple times.”

“Our fire went out a couple times, too,” Brittany said, dancing around them. “We made a woven roof over it yesterday. And I wove a frame to cover the firewood. Our shelter was built out from a cliff wall.”

“So basically Hillerska got the short end of the stick for campsites,” Felice said, shaking her head. “At least we had a decent fishing spot and plenty of fruit trees.”

Wille joined them then, having volunteered to bring in more firewood. He’d been a little moody since they’d returned from the challenge. He knew there must have been a good reason they had chosen Charlie over him, but he already missed Simon.

He smiled politely at Imogen as she handed him his food. “ Tack! I mean thanks!”

“Is that how you say ‘thank you’ in Swedish? Tack? ” Brittany asked.

“Yes. Tack is ‘thank you,’ or ‘thanks,’ and snälla is ‘please,’ or the closest to the word please we have in Swedish.”

Brittany giggled. “It sounded like you said snails! Maybe you could teach us some more words later.”

“Maybe,” Felice agreed. She didn’t really know what to make of the American woman. She never seemed to stop moving, always seemed to be dancing to music only she could hear. “What do you do for a living, Brittany?”

“I dance, and I model. You say my name funny, but it’s okay, I like the way you say it. You say Willie’s name funny too.”

“That’s how it is pronounced in our country, Wille, with a soft v sound at the beginning and a softer eh sound on the end,” he explained. “If it is easier, you can call me by my full name, Wilhelm.”

Brittany tried to pronounce Wille the way they were saying it. She managed the soft v, but kept ending with the hard e. “Maybe I’ll just call you what my cheer coach in high school would call you, but maybe you wouldn’t like that. Some of her nicknames could be mean. She would probably call you ‘mop headed prince charming.’”

Wille almost choked on the bite of rice he had just taken. Felice thumped his back a couple of times to help him get the food out of his throat. “Sorry. Just call me Willie, it’s fine.”

“Okay!”

Imogen began tidying up the shelter after they finished eating. She still seemed a bit nervous around the newcomers, especially Wille and Felice.

“We really didn’t expect a tribe swap so soon!” she said, stacking the used pans to be washed. “I mean, Nick left his extra shirt here, and Elle was in the middle of weaving another basket.”

“It’s alright,” Wille assured her. “You must be a little overwhelmed right now. The rest of your tribe is off other places, and you are here alone with three people you hardly know. You’ll probably be more at ease when Charlie returns tomorrow.”

Imogen’s brow furrowed. “You’re probably right. Although I really should be upset with Charlie right now. Not that I am, but I should be. He let me make a fool out of myself in front of Nick. Those two are thick as thieves, and Nick is always talking to Charlie. Charlie could at least have told me that Nick liked someone else!”

Imogen,  24. Motivational Speaker.

"I really can’t blame Charlie. Maybe Nick never told him he was interested in anyone else. The two of them just seemed to be pretty close, I thought they might at least have talked about relationships at some point. Maybe Nick didn't say anything to him because Charlie is gay, and he didn't want to upset him or something? I don't know what guys think about that kind of stuff."

Wille nodded. That information might explain why Hillerska had chosen Charlie over him. Maybe Simon was out voted.

Wille hid his disappointment, and resigned himself to the fact that he would at least see Simon at the challenge tomorrow.

…

Day 11:

Tao woke up early, wanting to make a good impression on his new tribe, but found that he still wasn’t the first to arise. Kurt was already tending the fire when he got up.

“Oh, good morning,” Kurt said, spotting him. “I was just making coffee, if you want some?”

“Coffee?” Tao asked, confused. “Where did you get coffee?”

The auburn haired man smiled at him. “Santana found a couple coffee cherry trees and processed the beans. This is the second batch. She let it smoke a little longer, so it should be a little less bitter this time around. Or if you prefer, I could make you tea from the coffee cherry powder.”

“I think either I’m not awake yet, or I died in my sleep. Did you say you have coffee and tea?”

Kurt laughed. “It’s not really tea tea. It’s more like a fruity herbal tea that doesn’t require sweetener.”

He raised his eyebrow at that. “Maybe a cup of tea would be nice.”

Kurt fixed him a coconut shell cup of the powdered tea, and handed it to him, pouring himself some of the coffee.

Tao sniffed the drink before taking a cautious sip. “Oh my god, that is amazing!”

Kurt smiled and sipped his coffee. “So, where in the UK are you from?”

“Kensington and Chelsea, London,. I review films online.”

“I'm familiar with London, but I've never been to Chelsea”

“You’ve been to Britain before?”

Kurt shrugged. “My high school show choir went on tour one summer. We performed at the O2.”

“Hm, interesting. What do you do now?” Tao asked, sipping his tea.

“I’m a fashion designer, and I occasionally write an article for Vogue dot com.”

“Really? Elle is a fashion consultant for various celebrities, and she’s been featured in Vogue UK.”

“I thought she looked familiar,” Kurt said. “I’m a fan of her work. That outfit she picked out for that new Dr. Who companion, Yasmin something or other, I forget her last name, was amazing!”

“You watch Dr. Who?” That question came from Blaine, who joined them by the fire.

“I’m a huge River Song fan,” Kurt said. “Alex Kingston is a Queen!”

Tao smiled. These guys can’t be all bad if they liked Dr. Who. “It’s Yasmin Finney, by the way. The new companion, that is. If they ever get around to airing the next season.”

They chatted about the show until Santana joined them a short time later. After breakfast, Santana went to check tree mail while the three men went down to the beach to collect clams and mussels.

When Santana returned and joined them on the beach, she was dragging what appeared to be several lengths of rope that were twisted and tied up. 

“Tree mail,” she called out. “Over and under, around and around, one by one, Immunity will be unwound.”

…

Elle smiled as she watched Nick and Charlie sitting on the beach together, shoulder to shoulder, eating breakfast. They hadn’t been able to have their picnic the day before, as they had been busy cooking the fish and trying to help out around camp. But they had watched the sun set and rise together.

She didn’t want to disturb them, but they needed to discuss tree mail, and it was almost time for Quinn and Charlie to go back to their camps.

“Hey guys,” she said, smiling. “Tree mail is in.”

She didn’t miss the look of disappointment on both men’s faces as they stood. She turned her back and headed up to camp, offering them a few more moments of privacy, but not before noticing Nick reaching out to hold Charlie’s hand. She was very happy for Charlie, and for Nick as well, but mostly Charlie. She had seen him eat all of his fish for dinner the night before without hesitation, and he had eaten a healthy portion of rice that morning for breakfast.

If Nick’s mere presence was enough to get Charlie to eat, then Elle wanted to make sure both men stayed around for a long time.

They reached the shelter, and read over the clue for the challenge. They hadn’t really been able to decipher what exactly the challenge would entail, other than unwinding ropes.

Charlie and Quinn said goodbye just before lunch, but not before Nick gave Charlie a big hug, and Simon asked Charlie to pass a message on to Wille for him.

Soon it was time to get ready to head to the challenge.

They lined up on the mats as the other two tribes came in.

Jeff greeted them with his usual smile. “Welcome back. How did the first night with the new tribes go? Finn?”

The tall man shrugged. “It went okay, I guess. I had to learn to pronounce Simon’s name properly, and it took a little while to get comfortable in a different camp. Not that they made us feel unwelcome or anything, but it kind of felt like we were invading their space, but after a little while they made us feel like we belonged.”

“What about at Truham? Imogen, with Charlie being kidnapped, you were the only one from the original tribe there. What was that like?”

“It felt a bit strange,” she said. “I admit I was a bit flustered and was babbling for a while, but Wille, Felice, and Brittany were all very cordial and tried to ease my mind.”

Jeff nodded. “Tao, you were the only non-original member at McKinley. Did you have any qualms about joining the new tribe?”

“I think my only problem was having to ask where to go to the loo. Kurt and Blaine and I bonded over Dr. Who this morning. Apparently Santana likes giving nicknames, and referred to me as ‘Gandalf’ a couple of times, which I guess is better than Saruman.”

That got several chuckles.

“Well, yesterday’s challenge showed you all already work well together with your new tribemates, and that is good, because in today’s challenge, teamwork and communication are important. But before we get to that, I need to collect the Immunity idols from Truham and McKinley.”

Kurt and Imogen handed over the idol pieces, and Jeff put them back on display. 

“Immunity is back up for grabs. In this challenge, all five tribe members will be tethered to a rope. The ropes will be twisted and knotted together, as well as be wound around various obstacles. Tribemates will work together to disentangle the ropes, and unwind enough rope for each person to reach a bell at the end of the course. All five tribe members must ring their bell. The first two tribes to have all five people ring the bell win Immunity. Does everyone understand?”

They all acknowledged in the affirmative, and drew lots to see where they would line up.

“Alright, Survivors ready? Go!”

Elle studied the ropes binding them together. At the moment, each of them had about three and a half feet of leeway, while the next segments of rope were braided in a five strand braid.

“Okay, we need to unbraid. Nick, duck under my rope, and then Malin, go under Nick’s,” Elle instructed. “Good, now Nick, go under Finn’s, and Simon you’ll go under Nick’s.” Once Simon had maneuvered under Nick’s segment, Elle went under Malin’s, then had Finn go under hers. She coached them through until they were unwound as far as the first obstacle. 

“I suggest everyone wrap their ropes around themselves for now, so we don’t trip over them or get tangled,” Simon suggested. Elle nodded and wound her rope over her shoulder and elbow.

“This part looks more complicated, I can’t see a pattern,” Elle said thoughtfully. “Finn, your rope seems to be the beginning here. Climb over the post and duck back around.”

“All three tribes are working steadily, and have gotten through the first braid and started on the first obstacle. I like the communication I am hearing among all three tribes!” Jeff commented.

Finn had to go over and under twice more before anyone else could do anything. 

“Simon, You need to go the opposite of Finn now. Under, then over.” The smaller man was quite nimble, and repeated the action three times, followed by Elle, Nick, and Malin in that order.

“McKinley and Hillerska both through the first obstacle, with Truham just a couple of lengths behind. Moving on to the next segment, tribes must figure out a series of knots before they reach the next obstacle.”

Simon figured out the knots before Elle could, and  began instructing how to undo them. It was a little more difficult than unbraiding, as they had to give the ropes more slack to be able to loosen the knots and maneuver through them. Elle and Finn ended up bumping into each other at one point, and getting their ropes crossed before they could reel the slack back in.

“McKinley has made it through the knots and are working out the second obstacle. Hillerska is just slightly behind them, while Brittany seems to be having an issue with her rope getting tangled in her legs for Truham!”

Hillerska freed themselves from the last knot and moved to the second obstacle.

“It’s a May pole,” Malin supplied. It was easy to unravel, simply having two members going clockwise, and the other three going the other way, with Elle and Simon moving in sync as their ropes were woven together. The two sets of tribemates alternated ducking under each other as they moved.

“McKinley still has a slight lead over Hillerska, but Truham is starting to catch up now that Brittany is no longer tangled in her rope. Will Truham make a second comeback in as many days?”

The next segment was a combination of braids and knots. Elle, Simon, and Malin took turns giving instructions. Nick and Finn remained quiet and followed their leads. The next obstacle was three upright posts with the ropes interwoven between them. Elle was able to simply lift her rope over the tops of the posts at first, but Malin, who was behind her on this part, had to physically maneuver between the posts like a boxer entering the ring. Simon could then unwind his rope the same way Elle had, with Nick having to crawl between the ropes, and Finn unwinding over the top.

“McKinley maintaining their lead as they move into the last section of knots and braids before the final obstacle. Hillerska has been dogging them the entire way, and now Truham falling behind once again as Brittany seems confused about whether she needs to go over or under the ropes.”

“Good job everyone,” Nick said as they made it to the final obstacle just a couple of steps behind McKinley. The last obstacle was by far the most difficult, with both upright and horizontal posts, and the ropes seeming to have no pattern to them. They basically just had to take turns getting as far as they could before someone else’s rope prevented them from getting any further.

By now they all had about sixty feet of rope untangled, which was really heavy to carry, and Elle’s neck was starting to hurt from the weight. Nick was the first to get his rope completely detangled.

“Go, ring the bell!” Malin said as she continued to work herself free. She, Elle, Simon and Finn still had several more feet of rope each to unwind. Nick reached the bell just seconds before Quinn reached it for McKinley.

“Hillerska is the first to ring the bell, followed seconds later by McKinley, who had been leading throughout most of the challenge. Tao now untangled for McKinley and racing for the bell. Truham just now beginning to unravel the final obstacle, and Simon is free for Hillerska. He stumbles slightly but recovers quickly, but not quickly enough to beat Tao to the bell, and Blaine is free for McKinley now as well! Malin and Elle seem to be a little tangled for Hillerska, but manage to figure it out, and Elle is free. Truham still trying to get their first tribemate free!”

Malin was still unable to free herself until Finn could untangle himself enough to untwist their ropes.

"Kurt is free for McKinley, and Santana just has a few more twists to unwind. Malin is right behind Kurt, as Finn works his last few coils free. It looks like there will be no comeback for Truham today as Santana just beats Finn to their respective bells. McKinley takes first, Hillerska second!"

“That was so close! Great job everyone!” Elle said, hugging Nick and high fiving Simon and Finn. They lined up on their mats once more.

Jeff smiled. “Talk about a photo finish, but McKinley just beat Hillerska by a second or two. Come on up and claim your idol!”

Tao was encouraged to step forward to accept the spear.

“Hillerska, just  a few inches short, but you still have Immunity, come claim it!”

Finn stepped forward for the shield. 

“Truham, I’m sorry, I got nothing for you but a date at Tribal Council tonight. Till then,  head back to camp!”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #4

Day 11 cont.:

Charlie pulled Wille aside after the challenge. “Simon wanted me to tell you he was sorry about yesterday, that it was strategic and not personal, and that you two are still good. And he wants to form an alliance with you, me, and Nick.”

Wille relaxed a little hearing that, and nodded. “Sounds good. So, who are we voting for tonight?”

Charlie leaned against a rock. “My suggestion would be Brittany. If we merge and the six original McKinley tribe members are still here, they’ll have the numbers to pick the rest of us off.”

Wille agreed. “It should be easy to convince Felice to vote Brittany out as well. I’ll talk to her, if you want to talk to Imogen.”

Charlie nodded. “I’ll talk to her.”

Imogen called out just then, “Charlie, can you help me with dinner?”

Wille watched the Britishman walk away, lost in his own thoughts.

“Vad tänker du på? ” Felice asked when she found him a short time later.

Wille shrugged. “I don’t know what I am doing here. It’s not like I need the money. What are we doing here?”

Felice frowned. “Well, personally, I’m not here to win. I just wanted to prove that I’m not some pampered rich girl who is afraid of getting her fingernails dirty. Why are you here?”

Wille sighed and shifted his position. “At first, that was what I wanted, to prove that I’m not just some useless rich kid living off my family’s name. But maybe there was another reason I hadn’t considered before.”

“And what is that?” Felice asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I think I really just wanted to figure out who I am. Not the person everyone expects me to be, or even the person I pretend to be. The real Wille.” He shifted again. “But did I really need to come all the way out here to do that?”

“Well, they say that sometimes the only way to find yourself is to lose yourself. Maybe you did need to come all the way out here to find yourself.” She bumped his shoulder. “So, have you found him yet? The real Wille?”

He smiled softly. “Not yet. Not completely, but I think I am finally on the right track.”

They just stood there for a few minutes in silence, still thinking their own thoughts.

“By the way, I was talking to Charlie a little while ago,” he said. “We think it would be best to vote Brittany out tonight. If we merge, and McKinley decides to stick together, they will have the numbers to vote the rest of us out.”

Felice nodded. “Makes sense. I was thinking pretty much the same thing.”

They ate dinner, and then got ready for Tribal Council. Jeff watched them enter, standing straight, hands clasped behind his back.

“Brittany, you are the only one who hasn’t been to Tribal Council yet. Behind you is a torch. Grab it and dip it into the fire. Fire represents your life in this game. When it’s gone, so are you.”

Once they were seated, Jeff smiled at them. “So, Wille, Felice, this is your third visit to Tribal Council, and Imogen and Charlie, this is your second. Is it easier or harder now?”

Felice shrugged, “It’s always going to be hard, Jeff. We’ve only just met these people yesterday, really. Yeah, we’ve competed against them, but we didn’t really know them, and they didn’t know us. When we came here the first time, it was a given who we wanted to vote out. The second time was harder because Madison didn’t deserve to go, but we had to choose someone.”

“Do you know who you are voting for tonight?”

Wille shrugged. “I know from a strategic standpoint who I should vote out. That doesn’t make it any easier. We voted out Alexander because he brought the tribe down. We voted out Madison because we had no other choice. This time we need to vote to try and remain in the game. It’s time to play the numbers.”

Imogen nodded. “It was the same for us. We voted Harry out because he was a disruption to the tribe, and a bigot. We’re to the point, with a merger at some point on the horizon, where we need to decide who is going to carry me through, and who is going to try and get me out.”

Charlie agreed. “It’s time to figure out who you can trust, and hope it’s not misplaced.”

Jeff nodded in agreement. “Brittany, as the lone representative of the original McKinley tribe here tonight, how do you base your vote?”

She shrugged. “Lord Tubbington told me to always vote for the blonde. I guess he means Willie, since Imogen only has blonde bangs.”

Everyone just stared at her for a moment.

“Okay, well, it’s time to vote. Wille, you’re up first.”

Wille stood and moved to the booth. There was only a minor hesitation before he wrote down a name

“I don’t know who Lord Tubbington is, but he said to vote for the blonde, so I voted for the blonde,” he said as he showed the vote to the camera.

Imogen was next, followed by Charlie, Brittany, and Felice.

“I’ll go tally the votes,” Jeff said with a slight nod.

A few moments later he returned with the urn.

“Once the vote is read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave immediately. First vote,” he pulled the first slip of paper. “Brittany.”

“Wow, someone actually voted for me? The last time that happened I got voted student body president, and then forgot I won and didn’t do anything for a year.” They all glanced at her again, not knowing how to respond.

“Moving on. Second vote, Brittany. That’s two votes Brittany, three votes left.”

He pulled a third slip from the urn. When he turned it to show the writing, it read Willie, and had little hearts and flowers drawn all around it, and a drawing of a unicorn in one corner, and a dolphin in another.

“That’s two votes Brittany, one vote Wille, two votes left.” He drew another slip of paper. “Fourth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination is Brittany. That’s three votes, that’s enough. Brittany, please bring me your torch.”

She stood and danced over to her torch, and danced as Jeff snuffed it. “Brittany, the tribe has spoken.”

She was still dancing, and playfully hip bumped Jeff.

“Peace out, y’all!” she said, smiling and waving as she danced out of the door.

All of them, including Jeff, were stunned silent for a moment. Jeff finally shook himself back to reality. “Well, even with changing up the tribe, it seems you were all in the same frame of mind, voting four to one to get rid of Brittany. Will the unity last? For now, head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #4

Day 12:

Both Santana and Tao seemed to be distracted the next morning, and Quinn was giving them both a wide berth, not wanting to set either of them off. Blaine wasn’t as concerned, it seemed, and took Tao fishing with him.

“So, what’s going on? You seem pretty stressed this morning,” Blaine observed.

Tao sighed. “I’m worried about Charlie and Imogen and that one of them might have been voted off last night. I know this is a competition, but I got close to Charlie pretty quickly, and that doesn’t usually happen for me. It takes a long time before I consider someone a friend, but with Charlie and Elle, it was almost instant. And Nick and Imogen are getting there, I think.”

Blaine patted him on the back. “I wouldn’t worry too much about Charlie and Imogen. If they are playing strategically, they’ll have voted Brittany off.”

“What makes you think that?” Tao asked, frowning.

Blaine shrugged. “It’s a numbers game. There are six original McKinley members, five Truham, and four Hillerska. If we were to merge tomorrow, we on McKinley would have the advantage. If they vote Brittany out, it evens the odds in your favor.”

“Oh,” Tao replied. “I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe I should be the next one voted out. I really have no clue what I should be doing. I mean, my friend Isaac dared me to try out after forcing me to watch the last six seasons. I probably should have done more research when I found out I had been accepted.”

Blaine laughed. “I guess that’s as good a reason to come on the show as any. Better than why I auditioned.”

“Why did you audition?” Tao asked.

“Sibling rivalry. My brother auditioned two seasons ago, but was denied. He kept bragging that at least he tried out, and I just made up excuses not to, so I finally said fine, and tried out, and here I am.”

Tao’s face was blank, his eyebrow raised. The look made Blaine laugh. “You look like a Vulcan when you make that face. If my friend Sam was here, he’d be so jealous. He’s never been able to nail a Spock impersonation. Maybe you could teach him.”

“Okay, you are officially a nerd,” Kurt said, joining them just then. “Dr. Who is one thing, any Anglophile worth their salt would approve of that, but now Star Trek? Tell me you aren’t into Star Wars too, or I will have to downgrade you from nerd to dweeb.”

“Guess I’m a dweeb, then,” Blaine said, still smiling. “How is Santana doing?”

“I think she’s resigned to the fact that Brittany most likely went home last night. She’s upset, but I think she’s holding up okay. She knows it’s just part of the game.”

Kurt, 29. Fashion Designer.

“I feel sorry for Santana. I understand how she must be feeling. She and Brittany got close very fast. I don’t know where that relationship might have gone, but it seemed like it was pretty strong. Hopefully Santana and Britt can reconnect after the game is over. I wish them luck.”

“Santana and Brittany were close?” Tao asked.

“Well, I don’t know about Brittany, but Santana is a lesbian, and I think she was really into Britt. Brittany seemed into her, too,” Blaine said.

“Oh. So Nick and Charlie aren’t the only ones.”

“Nick and Charlie?” Kurt asked.

“Well, I know Charlie is gay, I’m not sure about Nick, but they really seem to be close,” Tao replied.

Kurt raised his eyebrow. “Fascinating.”

“What?” Tao asked.

“Well, Blaine and I are gay, Charlie and possibly Nick, Santana and possibly Brittany, and Simon and possibly Wille, all in the same season?”

“Simon and Wille?” Blaine asked.

“Well, definitely Simon,” Kurt said. “And I’m pretty sure Wille is into him.”

“How can you tell?” Blaine asked.

“It takes a twink to know one.” Kurt shrugged. “And I’ve seen the way Wille looks at Simon.”

Tao looked thoughtful. “Okay, maybe you guys could explain a couple of things for me. My friend Isaac is asexual, I know what gay and bisexual are, but what would you call someone who falls for a transsexual person?”

Blaine shrugged. “That’s hard to say. I think it would be based on what gender the transsexual identifies as, and the person who falls in love with them. I suppose some people would call that pansexual, because you are falling for a person, not a gender. You would probably have to discuss that with someone with more education in sexuality and gender identity.”

“Oh,” Tao replied. He was so lost in thought he didn’t notice the knowing look Kurt and Blaine exchanged.

…

Elle and Nick were both on pins and needles all morning, worrying about Charlie, hoping he hadn’t been voted off. Simon tried to reassure them that Wille would protect him as much as he could, but neither of them would relax until they saw Charlie for themselves at tomorrow’s reward challenge.

Nick was keeping himself busy gathering fruit, while Elle had gone fishing with Simon and Finn. After lunch, Elle and Malin gathered firewood, while Nick, Simon, and Finn checked the crab pots Simon and Finn had set earlier.

“You’re a Rugby player, right?” Finn asked. “That’s kind of like an extreme version of football, isn’t it?”

Nick smiled at him. “There are a few similarities, but Rugby is more complex. And of course, what you call football and what we call football are also two very different sports.”

“That’s right, I always forget you guys call soccer football,” Finn replied.

“Well, to be technical,” Simon said, “You guys call football soccer. My friend Rosh gets picky when someone calls it soccer. I once argued that if you really wanted to nitpick, it should be called headball. It was invented in ancient Greece, and was often played with the severed heads of prisoners.”

“Ew!” Finn and Nick said in unison.

“Is that true?” Finn asked.

Simon laughed. “It depends on what source you look up. Some say it’s just a rumor, others say it’s true. No one really knows for certain. She almost beat me up for mentioning it, since it psyched her out before a big game and they almost lost because of it.”

Nick laughed. “Is she the one you mentioned the other night? The one on the Swedish national team?”

Simon nodded. “She’s good. She’ll be trying out for the Women’s Olympics team in the fall.”

“That’s awesome, dude!” Finn said. “Hey, can I ask you something? Are you gay?”

Simon looked surprised. “Uh, yeah. Why?”

Finn shrugged. “Kurt is gay too, and he doesn’t seem to like sports. I tried to talk to him about sports, and he just seemed bored, although he was apparently on his high school football team for one game. He made it sound like most gay guys aren’t into sports.”

Nick snorted. “Some gay men are well known athletes. I guess there is a segment of the gay community that isn’t into sports, though. You can’t judge all gay people based on the opinions of one person.”

“Oh. Are you gay too?”

Nick shook his head, but replied. “I’m bisexual. I only admitted that aloud for the first time a few days ago, to Charlie.”

“That’s cool dude. I guess you’re right, you really can’t tell just by looking at someone, unless they're, like, Liberace level gay.”

Nick and Simon exchanged a look, and chuckled.

“Sorry. I’m just trying to understand all the different types of gays. The school where I coach has been having issues with some of the teachers not being sensitive to the various students, and I just don’t want to be one of them. I mean, I try to keep an open mind, and I don’t usually judge people on purpose, but I don't want to accidentally judge someone, either.”

Nick, 24. Rugby Player.

“I like Finn. He seems like a good man, and it’s great that he is trying to educate himself. I hope he can be a positive influence in his student’s lives. I’ve always admired people who work with kids and teens who aren’t just laser focused on educating them in math, reading, and science, but also in life and attitude.”

Simon smiled. “Good for you to educate yourself. A lot of people wouldn’t bother.”

Finn shrugged. “My fiance has two gay dads, but they are so intimidating, I’m afraid to ask them. I hope I wasn’t overreaching when I asked you guys.”

“You’re fine,” Nick said, reassuringly. “As Simon said, it’s good you are educating yourself. I’d be willing to answer any other questions you might have, within reason. I may not have all the answers, but I can give you advice on where to look.”

…

Now that Charlie was back at camp, Imogen did seem more comfortable around Wille and Felice. She and Felice were currently talking about men as they made dinner, while Charlie and Wille went to gather firewood.

“Is there something between you and Wille?” Imogen asked. 

Felice sighed. “I like him, but I don’t think he’s into me. Things are a little complicated. His family and my family know each other, apparently, although we haven't met before coming here. Our mothers want us to get married, but he doesn't want to date anyone his mom sets him up with."

"That sounds so medieval, you’re talking arranged marriages."

Felice shrugged. "My family is part of the nobility, as is Wille’s. It's not as common as it used to be, but it still happens."

“So, your families tried to fix you up, but you never met until now?”

“Well, apparently, my mother invited him to my high school graduation party, but he blew it off because his mother wanted him to go. The funny thing is, I would have blown him off for the same reason if I had known.”

Imogen shook her head. “I think I’m glad I’m not part of the nobility. I have enough trouble with guys as it is.”

“How so?”

“Well, I really liked Nick, but he told me he didn’t really like me that way, and that he actually liked someone else. And the last guy I liked before this turned out to be gay.”

Felice smiled. “Well, you know what they say, all the good ones are married or gay.”

Felice, 24. University Student

“I’m pretty sure at least a couple of the guys my mom set me up with were gay, and just went along with it for my money. I know one of them was already married. I turned them down, of course.”

They both laughed.

“What are you guys laughing about?” Charlie asked as he and Wille returned.

“Men,” they both answered in unison.

“As a gay man, I sympathize with you,” Charlie stated.

For some reason that made both women burst into even more laughter, leaving Wille confused.

“Sorry,” Imogen said through her giggles, “but you just proved our point!”

“I’m not sure I even want to know,” Wille said.

Felice smiled and patted his shoulder. “The point that all the good men are married or gay.”

Wille seemed to close in a little at that, which seemed like an odd reaction.

“Anyway,” Imogen said. “Perfect timing. Dinner is ready.

…

Day 13

Quinn smiled as Tao joined her by the fire that morning. “Did you sleep well?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes, and you?”

“As well as can be expected, under the circumstances. At least we no longer have to deal with Finn’s snoring.”

Tao smiled. “Glad I could relieve you of that, then. Where is Kurt? I noticed he wasn’t in the shelter.”

“He’s usually the first up. He went to fill the water jug. Would you like to help with breakfast? I was going to make coconut rice with fruit and a little of Santana’s coffee cherry powder. You could cut up the coconut for me.”

“Sure,” He took up the machete and began opening a couple of coconuts for her. “You’re from Maine?” he asked as he worked. 

“Yes, I live in Bar Harbor now, but originally I’m from Connecticut. I moved after I graduated from law school.”

“Where in Connecticut did you live? I have relatives in Waterbury.”

“Really? I’m from New Haven. It really is a small world.”

“You want to hear something funny, I met my best friend in Connecticut, despite the fact we are both from London. My mum and I were visiting her cousin in Waterbury, and it was the day we were flying home, and Isaac and his family were supposed to be flying to Virginia for a funeral, but their flight got diverted due to bad weather. The following term he was a transfer student at my school after his dad got a promotion and moved to the head office.”

“That is remarkable.”

Quinn, 27. Lawyer and Single Mother

“It really is a small world, isn’t it? It’s been fascinating getting to know these people from other countries and learning how connected we really are. I mean, I have cousins who live in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, and more distant relatives in Norway and Denmark. Who knows, maybe Wille or Malin and I are related.”

They finished making breakfast just as Kurt returned with the water, and Blaine and Santana woke up. After they ate, Tao volunteered to go check tree mail with Santana, who was still upset about Brittany, but determined to get through whatever today’s challenge would be.

“I hope your friend is safe,” she said to Tao as they approached the tree. “I know Britt is probably the one who was voted off. I promise I won’t be upset at you or your former tribe. I get that it’s part of the game.”

Tao was surprised by her words. “I’m sorry if your friend went home. I know how upsetting it can be. Thank you for not holding a grudge.”

She just nodded and opened the flap on the basket Tree mail came in. At first they thought there was nothing there, but upon further inspection they found a small, tightly rolled up scroll tied with twine.

“Well that is anticlimactic,” Tao said.

…

Malin returned from checking tree mail as Elle and Nick finished cleaning the pot and machete. She held up the small scroll, before untying it as Simon set down the firewood he’d gathered, and Finn set aside the Hawaiian sling tip he’d been sharpening.

“Make a match and you may splish splash your way to victory, but beware, you’ll be repeating history.”

“Okay, I’m guessing it’s going to be some kind of matching game,” Elle said, “but I have no idea about the splish splash part, or repeating history.”

Malin had a suspicion what the repeating history part meant, but didn’t want to distract them just yet, in case she was wrong. They didn’t stand around and speculate long, though. Simon, Nick and Finn went down the beach to try and catch fish for lunch.

They managed to catch more smelt in the net, and they fried them up. After lunch, they prepared for the reward challenge. They were the first to arrive. McKinley arrived a minute later, and then Truham.

“Come on in, guys.” Jeff greeted in his usual, charming voice. “Getting your first look at the new Truham tribe. Brittany voted out at the last tribal council.”

Tao hugged Santana, as Kurt and Blaine patted her back.

“So, most of you have had forty eight hours to get to know your new tribes, Charlie and Quinn, you’ve only had twenty four hours. Have you settled in yet?”

Quinn shrugged. “I really only had to get used to having Tao around instead of Finn and Brittany. He’s nice, and he fits in well, I think.”

Jeff nodded. “Charlie? How are things at your new tribe?”

“Oh, well, it’s good. I mean, I’m still at the same camp, in familiar surroundings, and Wille and Felice have been great. And I learned a new Swedish swear word this morning when Wille dropped a branch on his foot.”

That got a laugh from everyone.

“Hillerska, how are things at your camp?”

“Good,” Malin said. “Finn and Nick are both perfect gentlemen, and Elle is very easy to work with.”

“So it sounds like everyone is fitting in and getting along well.” There were murmurs of general agreement. “Good. Drop your buffs.”

“What?” a few voices said, and Finn said, “So soon?”

Jeff pulled out a tray with several small square packages wrapped in burlap and tied with twine. “Everyone take one, but do not open it until I tell you to.”

He walked down the line, passing out the squares. When everyone had one, he returned to his post. “On the count of three, open them and see your new buffs. One…two…three…reveal! Truham, Hillerska, and McKinley are no more. If your buff is yellow, you are now the Truska Tribe. If your buff is navy blue, welcome to the Hillney Tribe!”

They shuffled around, reforming into two tribes. 

“Alright, it looks like we have on the Truska Tribe, Nick, Charlie, Imogen, Wille, Simon, Quinn and Finn. For Hillney there is Elle, Tao, Felice, Malin, Kurt, Blaine, and Santana. I’ll give you all a few minutes to introduce yourselves!”

Elle and Tao hugged each other upon being reunited. She introduced him to Malin, who introduced Felice, while Tao introduced Kurt, Blaine, and Santana. 

Kurt smiled at Elle. “I’m a big fan of your work, I just want you to know.”

“Wow, really? I was going to say the same about you! That spread in Vogue dot com this last spring was incredible. I recommended your sapphire suit to Kit Conner for his appearance at the Princess Diana foundation Charity event next month.”

“I definitely want to see pictures of that if he wears it!” Kurt said.

“Of course, and you’ll receive full credit, of course.”

After a short time, Jeff called for their attention once more, and drew their attention to the field behind him, where sixty small stands were set up in four rows of fifteen. Each display was covered by a woven cloche.

“Today’s challenge is match three. Under each cover will be an item that many of you will really want to take back to your respective camps. You will need to find three matching items to claim it. The tribe with the most matches wins and will keep all of their items, and they will get the first choice of beaches. Also, for whichever camp does not get chosen, don’t worry about any items left behind, they will be delivered to your new camps, and any previous reward items will be evenly distributed between both tribes.

“The second place tribe, don’t lose hope, you will be allowed to select two of your matched items to take back to camp with you. Do you want to know what some of the items you are playing for are?”

“Yes!” 

“Under three of the cloches you will find a placard that says Shower Suite. This will be a portable shower with stall, plus a fifty gallon refillable water tank. This also includes body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and loofah.”

“Oooh!” Everyone said in excitement.

“Other items you will find are extra fishing gear, pillows and blankets, and cookware. There are also a few treats that I will let you discover for yourselves. I’ll give you a moment to decide picking order. We’ll flip a coin to see who chooses first.”

They organized themselves, and Jeff began the game.

“Up first, Tao is choosing for Hillney. Can he find three matches?”

Tao’s first choice turned out to be the fishing gear. He set the cover aside and moved on to the next row, deciding to use the strategy of choosing the first item on the left in row one, the second item on the left in row two, and the third item in row three. His second and third picks were the pillow and blankets and the cookware.

“No matches for Hillney. Finn up for Truska now.  He moves to the back row, center and finds a plate of chocolate chip cookies and milk!”

Finn then went to the center of the third row, where he found one of the shower placards. His final choice was center of row two, which turned out to be a second plate of cookies with milk.

“Close, but no matches yet! Blaine is ready to pick for Hillney now. He goes to the right side of the first row and discovers mosquito netting. He chooses the cloche on the right end of row four and finds a card that reads two additional egg laying chickens! Now he goes all the way down to the left end of row four and finds another fishing gear! No matches yet as Blaine heads back to the start and Charlie sets out for Truska.”

Charlie’s first discovery was the third plate of cookies with milk. He quickly matched up the other two plates.

“And just like that Truska takes the lead with one match! Felice up for Hillney now. What will she discover? She’s uncovered the second egg laying chicken card. Can she find the third, and does she remember where the first one was? She does remember the first, but her final pick is not a match as she finds another mosquito net!”

Wille went next for Truska. He found a set of knives, accidentally re-picked the set of fishing gear, but his third pick was the second shower suite placard. Kurt was next, and Hillney cheered when he found the third shower placard and quickly matched the other two.

“Hillney makes their first match, and the game is tied up. Nick is up for Truska now. He locates the third mosquito net, and goes directly to the other two. Truska retakes the lead as Elle heads in for Hillney. Her first pick is the third egg laying chickens card. Can she recall the other two? She found the second, but now seems confused about the third, and no, she’s found a plate of Hershey’s candies!”

Quinn was quick with her picks, bringing the chicken’s to Truska’s table, increasing their lead to three items to one. Malin seemed to be plotting her course, taking her time to try and remember which ones hadn’t been checked yet. Her first pick turned out to be a second plate of chocolates. She went back to the first one, then once again scanned carefully. Hillney cheered again as she brought back the chocolates, making the score three to two.

“Simon searching for Truska now. He uncovers hotdogs and buns! His next pick however is cookware, not a match, and neither is his third selection, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Santana goes back to find the first set of cookware, and the second, but can she find the third? She does! And we’re tied at three each! Imogen now the only one not to make a selection yet. Can she make a match?”

Imogen found deodorant, a second plate of hotdogs, and a second thing of toothpaste/brushes. Tao went out to search for the second time. This time his selections turned out to be crackers and cheese, chips and salsa, and the third toothpaste/brushes. Finn quickly moved in and retrieved all three of the tooth care items.

“It’s now four to three Truska! Hillney sends Blaine out once more. Not many choices left that haven’t already been picked at least once, but Blaine manages to find a fruit basket under his first pick, with apples, oranges, grapes, and peaches, among others. Can he find two more matches? He does! Good job Hillney! We’re tied again! Charlie sets out and immediately finds the third plate of hotdogs! Does he remember where the other two are? He does, and once again Truska takes a lead, five to four!”

Felice took her time, and found a second set of fishing gear, but couldn’t remember where the first one was. She ended up locating a second thing of deodorant, and a tray with coffee, teas, creamer and sweeteners on it. Wille ended up finding the third fishing gear and made the correct matches.

“It’s now six four Truska!” Jeff updated them.

Kurt located three plates of cheese and crackers, narrowing the gap, but Nick took back the extra point when he found all three things of coffee. 

“There are still four mystery items on the field, plus some items that have already been revealed. What will Hillney find next? Elle taking her time once more. She finds slippers! Can she find the other two? No, she’s found another of the mystery items, padded bed mats for sleeping on! What will her third item be?”

It turned out to be a card with a picture of an ice chest full of beer and sodas. Quinn found extra rice, a card that read clean change of clothes, and a second set of knives.

“That’s all the mystery items revealed now. Time to find the matches. Hillney sends Malin out once more. What will she find?”

She brought back three trays of chips and salsa, while Simon located the third set of knives and brought them back in.

“The score currently stands at Truska eight, Hillney six! Only six matches left!”

Santana matched the slippers, followed by Imogen, who found the deodorant. Tao matched extra rice for Hillney. Finn failed to make a match for Truska, giving Hillney a chance to catch up a little as Blaine brought back the sleeping mats.

“And we’re tied at nine each! There are two matches left, the change of clothes and the ice chest of drinks. Here’s the deal, if Truham makes this next match, they will win both remaining items, giving them an eleven to nine victory! If they fail, Hillerska will get a chance to make the final match. If they do not make a match, the last six items will be reshuffled, and we will go until the final match is made. Everyone understand?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, Charlie, you’re up. Make your first choice.”

Charlie considered very carefully. He lifted the first cover and found the change of clothes. He knew where the first one was, and went to it. There were now three options that had not been picked yet, since he knew where the first ice chest was. He could hear his tribe making suggestions, but Nick was the loudest, telling him to pick the cloche furthest from either of the two change of clothes options. He took a deep breath before lifting it.

Truska began screaming in excitement as the third set of clothes was revealed.

“Congratulations, Truska, you win reward, and get to keep everything you matched! And you get to choose your beach. You can pick the former Truham, Hillerska, or McKinley beach.”

A short conversation followed, and finally Wille announced. “We’ll take Truham’s camp.”

“Okay, Hillney, it was close, but you won’t be going back to camp empty handed. Which two items are you taking back with you? And which camp will you be going back to, Hillerska or McKinley?”

They conversed for a moment before Kurt spoke up. “The shower, and the sleeping mats, and we’ll take McKinley.”

Jeff nodded. “Good choices. Those will be waiting for you when you get back to camp. I’ll see you all tomorrow for the Immunity Challenge.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #5

Day 13 cont.:

Malin was impressed by the design of  McKinley’s shelter, the way it sloped, with one of the outer corners dipping slightly. They had curled that corner and attached a hollow piece of bamboo to it so that when it rained, they could capture the water in the water jug or a pot.

She was also impressed by the free hanging shelves, although not as impressed as Felice, who loved the design aesthetic. 

“Your camp is designed well,” Malin had complimented.

Santana shrugged. “We had a fashion designer, an eagle scout, and a closeted interior designer build it. Kurt, Blaine, and Quinn apparently don’t do cobbled together.”

Malin nodded. “Nothing wrong with both function and appearance. Simple, pleasing, and efficient design is very popular in Sweden.”

Felice suddenly perked up. “Do I smell coffee?”

“You do,” Kurt replied, approaching with a stack of coconut shell cups and a giant clam shell he was carrying carefully with the aid of a folded leaf.

“Where on earth did you get coffee?” she asked, accepting the cup he offered her.

“I found a couple of trees,” Santana replied. “I learned how to fast process it a few years ago, so I’ve been drying the beans and rough grinding them with a rock.”

“Remarkable,” Malin said after the first sip.

“She makes tea powder from the cherries as well,” Tao said, entering the conversation as he handed Elle a cup of coffee. “You can also use the powder to sweeten things like rice pudding and fried dough.”

On cue, Blaine brought out a basket of the fried bread he’d just made from cattail flour, eggs, the cherry powder, a little wood ash, and coconut water.

“Wow,” Felice replied after the first bite. “You know, I’m starting to think this game is rigged. Truham had this amazing shelter space that barely needed any construction, and you guys got a coffee plant, but all we got was a halfway decent fishing spot, and that doesn’t really count because from what I can tell, everyone has a decent fishing spot.”

Elle shrugged. “I think it was just luck of the draw. The three maps Jeff passed out the first day were randomly given. I’m sure your beach had some fruits and edible vegetation not found on the other locations.”

“Sorry, that sounded bitchy of me, didn’t it?” Felice said. “I’m just still processing another tribe switch so soon.”

Elle smiled slightly. “It did sound a little bitchy, but I believe you didn’t intend it to be.”

“Nothing wrong with being bitchy now and then,” Santana replied. 

“This is true,” Kurt said, and they all laughed.

“Come on,” Santana said to Felice and Elle, “I’ll show you where the coffee cherry trees are.”

The three women headed out with baskets to collect fruit, while Kurt, Blaine, and Tao showed Malin where to catch fish.

They ate dinner later, after everyone had a chance to enjoy the shower. They talked about different topics. At one point Blaine brought up the topic of marriage equality around the world, and how some countries were much further advanced than others.

“Sweden has some of the most progressive laws regarding LGBTQ+ issues, doesn’t it?” he asked.

Malin shrugged. “We were one of the first to legalize gay marriage. My wife and I have been married for ten years.”

“I didn’t know you were married,” Felice said, surprised.

“It never came up in conversation,” the older woman replied.

“What does your wife do for a living?” Blaine asked.

Malin smiled. “Talia also works security. After I finished my military service, she helped get me hired on. Now she’s my boss, in a roundabout way.”

They laughed about that.

Malin, 35. Personal Security

“Talia and I met in the military. She was my CO for two years before she was transferred. She’s four years older than I am, so her service was up before mine. We married two days after her discharge.”

“You’re lucky,” Kurt said. “Gay marriage hasn’t been legal for ten years yet in the US. I’m just grateful that when I do find a guy and am ready to get married, I will legally be able to.”

She nodded at him. “It’s getting a little better world wide, but in some places I don’t see it happening in our lifetimes. One day, maybe.”

“Did you read about that couple who has now legally been married in every country where it is allowed, and everytime another country legalizes it, they make plans to travel there to get married again?” Blaine asked.

“I’ve actually met them,” Malin nodded. “They’re an adorable couple, very devoted to each other.”

“That’s awesome,” Blaine said. “I’d love to meet them myself. And one day I hope to follow in their footsteps.”

“You guys are lucky,” Elle said. “Trans people are still fighting to just be allowed to exist. Many countries in Europe who previously acknowledged body dysphoria and allowed gender affirming care are scaling back on who is allowed to have such care. I was lucky to transition when I did. If I had waited another year, I may not have been allowed to. And I still have two surgeries to go to complete my transition, which current laws will force me to pay for out of pocket.”

Tao rubbed her back soothingly, as Felice reached out and squeezed her hand, Kurt sighed as he nodded.

“Things are a mess right now in the US for the trans community. My dad has been trying to push through a bill that would codify trans rights, and prevent individual states from denying treatments, but he’s had to fight every step of the way, with resistance on both sides.”

Elle smiled at him. “I almost got to meet your dad recently when he came to London to talk with some experts. Unfortunately my train was delayed and I didn’t make it in time. Tell him for me how much I appreciate all he’s done for my fellow trans family.”

Kurt nodded again and squeezed her other hand.

…

Nick was very happy to have Charlie back on the same tribe, but Imogen didn’t seem to notice, and kept insinuating herself between them. She wasn’t trying to flirt anymore, but acted like the three of them were best pals who hadn’t seen each other in months.

Eventually, Nick managed to extract himself from her when Quinn asked what they should do with the extra food and drinks. They had eaten the hotdogs when they had returned to camp, and each had one drink from the ice chest, where they were currently also storing the milk from the milk and cookies, which they had agreed to save for the next day.

While she was distracted, Nick and Charlie slipped away to walk on the beach. At first they just walked in silence, holding hands. They reached a secluded section where several large pieces of driftwood had piled up, and sat on one of the logs, Charlie resting his head on Nick’s shoulder.

After a while, Charlie spoke. “So, I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh? About what?” Nick replied, rubbing his chin on the smaller man’s curls.

“You said you’ve never dated a guy before, right?”

“True, why?”

Charlie hesitated before asking. “Does that mean you’ve never…kissed a guy before?”

Nick didn’t answer right away as his heart began to race at the thought. “No. I’ve never kissed a man before.”

Charlie sat up a little straighter to look him in the eyes. “Would you kiss me?”

Nick swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. “Yeah.”

Charlie smiled softly, turning to face him more. He moved slowly, letting Nick get used to the idea as he leaned in. Charlie’s hand came up to gently caress Nick’s cheek a moment before their lips met.

The kiss was soft, not demanding, more of a promise of something more, if they chose. Nick sighed, and returned the kiss, letting his lips part slightly. Charlie took the movement as an invitation and slid his tongue over Nick’s bottom lip lightly. In return Nick allowed his own tongue to chase Charlie’s, caressing it. The taste of the beer Nick had drank blending with Charlie’s diet cola.

Charlie, 23. Musician

“Fireworks. Definitely fireworks. And violin music, harps, rockets exploding. I swear the Earth moved. Nick is an incredible kisser.”

They parted as slowly as they had merged, studying each other for their reactions. Nick was the one to lean in for the next kiss, to Charlie’s delight. The second kiss lasted much longer, and led to several more kisses.

Not so far away, but well hidden in the trees, more kisses were being exchanged, as Wille kissed Simon as if he was more necessary than oxygen. Simon pulled back to grab a breath, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Wille, what are you doing?”

“I just missed you so much. Is that so wrong? Didn’t you miss me?”

“Of course I missed you. I was worried you’d be voted off. But you’re acting like we haven’t seen each other in years. It’s only been three days.”

Wille sighed and loosened his grip. “I’ve just never felt this way about anyone, ever. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re an obsession. I think I was already half in love with you through your music before I even knew your face.”

Simon inhaled sharply at those words. “Why?”

Wille let his head fall back against the tree they were sitting against. “I’ve never been allowed to be just me. It’s as if I’m nothing but an extension of my family. Growing up, I was always told what to do, how to dress, when to eat, and even occasionally told when I could and couldn’t go to the toalett. 

“I went to a prestigious preschool. But after that, I mostly had home tutors until high school, when I demanded to be allowed to go to a regular school. My parents eventually gave in, but I only lasted there a little over a month. I got invited to a party, and some random drunk girl wanted to take a selfie with me because she recognized who I was. Her boyfriend didn’t like that, and picked a fight. I fought back, and got punished for it.

“A week later I was sent away to a boarding school with dozens of my peers who thought I was just like them, one of the nobility, someone who thought just like them because that was what our parents brainwashed us to believe.”

“You didn’t believe what they believed?” Simon asked.

Wille sighed. “Maybe I did when I was little, because I didn’t know better. But as I got older I began to question it all. That was also when I began having doubts about my sexuality, but I pushed that to the back of everything else. And then two things happened that really had me questioning what my family stood for.”

“What happened?”

“A few years ago my brother almost died in a car accident. He’d been drinking, and was driving too fast. It was pretty bad, they didn’t think he would survive. I was upset and already beginning to grieve, but my mother kept telling me to stop crying, it was unbecoming, and that we had to maintain our image. I wanted to scream and yell and slap her and tell her to go to hell.”

“I’m guessing you didn’t?”

Wille shook his head no. “His condition improved, and eventually he recovered, although he still has trouble walking. He uses a cane, but mother won’t allow him to use it in public. It’s a sign of weakness in her eyes.”

“What was the second thing? You said two things happened. What else?”

Wille looked directly at him. “I heard you sing. You had so much emotion in your voice. I tried to research you, but couldn’t even find a picture of you, and all the various websites just had general information, nothing specific. I bought your album, memorized every song. It was my only outlet for all the emotions I wasn’t allowed to show.”

Simon didn’t know how to respond to that, he just sat there stunned to realize his music could have such a profound effect on anyone.

Simon, 23. Singer

“I was floored by Wille’s words. My heart skipped a beat and broke at the same time. How can someone exist in that kind of world and still be as good hearted as Wille? This can’t possibly be real. I’m going to wake up any minute and realize it is all just a dream.”

“Wille, I think it’s great that you find comfort in my music, and I’m flattered that you think you are in love with me. I like you too. But I think we need to slow down a little. We still don’t know each other all that well. I think we should take a step back and catch our breaths, and try to get to know each other more.”

Wille bit his lip. Before he could speak, Simon reached out and placed a finger to his lip. “I’m not saying I don’t want to be with you. I’m just saying we need to slow down a little. Get to know each other. All I really know about you is your family is wealthy and well known, you don’t approve of the way things are, you are a younger sibling like me, and you love my music.”

Wille sighed. “Okay, fine. What do you want to know?”

Simon shrugged. “What’s your favorite movie? Favorite TV show? What was the last book you read?”

“Well, I haven’t watched a movie in years, don’t really watch TV because I hate seeing myself on it, but I did just recently read a collective of stories on the Arthurian legends.”

“Okay, see, that’s something I never would have thought of regarding you, reading about King Arthur. I would have pegged you more of a thriller or mystery type.”

They talked more about books for a while as they began gathering firewood.

…

Day 14:

“We’ve got tree mail!” Santana called out the next morning. They had just finished breakfast, and were deciding what needed to be done that day. They were going to have to expand the shelter a little to make room for everyone. Malin and Kurt were discussing ideas on how to do so, while Blaine and Tao got ready to go fishing. Felice and Elle were waiting to see if Malin and Kurt needed their help with the shelter.

They stopped what they were doing and gathered around, waiting to hear what it said. “Riddle your way to Immunity. Solve the puzzles and set your flag free.”

“Well that is pretty straightforward,” Kurt said. “Solving puzzles. Who is good at that?” Kurt, Blaine, Felice and Elle all raised their hands.

“I know Charlie is really good with puzzles and math, though,” Elle said. “Like genius level.”

They were silent a moment, before Santana shrugged. “We’ll just have to be faster.”

Elle and Tao exchanged a glance.

They busied themselves until lunch was ready, and then got ready for the challenge after they ate.

Jeff was waiting for them in a clearing they hadn’t visited as yet. 

“Come on in, guys. I trust you all slept well with your new tribe configurations. Today, there is no longer dual immunity. I will take those back.”

He retrieved the spear and shield and laid them aside. 

“From today on, there is only one Immunity idol.” He uncovered a small statuette on a podium beside him. It was of a tribesmen carrying the spear and shield. “This is what you want to possess from now until further notice. Today’s challenge is a combination obstacle course and puzzle solving challenge. Each tribe will have one person solving the puzzles. The answers will be a numeric code. There are a total of seven puzzles to solve. The first four puzzles will each give half of two four digit codes, the fifth will give a four digit code, and the sixth will give a five digit code. Each of the first six codes will give a clue to the seventh and final six digit code.

“When I say go, the first tribe member will dig inside of a marked circle for the two pieces of the first puzzle. The puzzle solver will then have to solve the clue on the pieces. When they believe they have the correct answer, they will shout next. The second person will then run to the tank of water and bob for the three pieces of the second puzzle and run them back to the table. Once the person solving has their answer they will signal the next person.

“The third person then will use a clawed stick to pull the three pieces of the third clue down from the cross beams, and run those back to the table. The fourth clue will be reached by climbing to the top of a pole and pulling the three pieces free. The three pieces of the fifth puzzle are attached to a rope buried in the sand, and must be pulled up, and the sixth and final puzzle piece is at the bottom of a well, and must be pulled up.

“Once all six puzzles are solved, the person solving can try to open the six locked boxes to reveal the seventh puzzle, which will unlock a machete, which they will then use to cut the rope and raise their tribe’s flag. Any questions? No? Good, I’ll give you a few minutes to strategize, then we’ll draw lots for positions.”

Hillney talked it over. They couldn’t decide between Kurt and Elle to solve the puzzles, and decided to rock-paper-scissors it. Kurt won.

‘Alright, everyone is in position. On Hillney, we have Kurt solving the puzzles, Blaine digging the first clue, Elle bobbing for the second, Santana using the clawed stick, Tao climbing the pole, Malin pulling up the rope, and Felice at the well. For Truska, it is Charlie solving the puzzles, Finn digging, Imogen bobbing, Wille using the claw, Simon climbing the pole, Nick pulling the rope and Quinn at the well. 

“Remember, you must wait for the puzzle solver to indicate when he thinks he has solved the previous puzzle and has put the code into the lock before you go for the next set of clues. With the exception of the first and seventh puzzles, each puzzle will have three pieces to it. The first puzzle only has two pieces, and the seventh will have six pieces. You will enter the codes as you solve them, but do not attempt to open the six clue boxes until all six puzzles have been solved. Only then will you know if you are correct. Survivors ready? Go!”

Both Kurt and Charlie called encouragement to their tribemates as Blaine and Finn began digging in their respective circles. Finn had an advantage, using his long arms to scoop out large amounts of sand with one sweep, while Blaine dug like an eager puppy searching for a long buried bone. Finn found the first half of the clue, a red cube with writing on it. He set it to the side on the small mat and continued to dig, as Blaine reached their first half of the clue.

They each found the second half about the same time, but Finn’s long legs brought him to Truska’s table three steps ahead of Blaine. Kurt had just begun reading the clue, the  number of sides on these dice times the number of dice, when Charlie was green lighting Imogen, having already entered his answer into the code into the first lock. The answer was simple, twelve times two, which comes to twenty four. Kurt hastily entered it into the lock and shouted for Elle to go.

Imogen seemed to be having some issues getting ahold of the clues, which were attached to colored balls floating on top of a metal tub.

“Elle has the first clue for Hillney as Imogen can’t seem to get her teeth on one. She manages but almost drops it before she can get it to the mat! Remember you can not use your hands at all until all three clues are on the mat. They’re tied one each now, and Imogen has the second part for Truska. Elle isn’t too far behind. Who will get the final part of the clue first? Elle has it, can she get it to her mat? She does, and Imogen is only a couple seconds behind her as they race back to the table.”

Kurt quickly unscrambled the clue; Number of Fijian Islands divided by the number of tribes so far. Damn, Kurt had to stop and think. Before the abandon ship, they had all gone over the history of the show, and he was certain he knew the answer to the first part of the clue, but he needed to prod his memory. Charlie apparently needed no such prodding, adding his answer quickly and sending Wille out for the third set of clues.

Kurt swore as the number finally clicked in his head. There were three hundred and thirty islands in the Fijian chain. Divided by the five tribes so far, gave him sixty six. He entered it, calling out to Santana, but by the time she unhooked the first clue, Wille was headed back with all three. Whatever the clue was, Charlie was just as fast solving it as the first two, and Simon was Climbing the pole for the fourth clue before Santana could reach him with the third.

Number of castaways this season times number of castaways per original tribes divided by two. Okay, this was a little harder. There were eighteen original castaways, and there were six per tribe to start. Six times eighteen, Kurt had to write it out with his finger. One hundred and eight, divided by two, equaled fifty four.

“Truska heading out for their fifth clue, while Hillney still on their fourth. The question is, is Charlie correct in his answers? We’ll find out. Nick having a little struggle with the rope, as Tao flies up the pole for Hillney, and he’s back with the clue as Nick still struggling! Can Hillney catch up?”

Number of current castaways times the number of days you’ve been on the island divided by the number of people voted off so far. Another hard one. There were currently fourteen castaways, and this was day fourteen. Fourteen times fourteen. Again he had to write out the equation with his finger. One hundred ninety six. Divided by the number of castaways voted out already. Kurt had to think. There was Alexander, Harry the jerk, Madison, and Brittany, so four. He divided by four, but frowned at the number he got. It didn’t look right, but he didn’t have time to recalculate, so entered forty nine into the lock, sending Malin out to get the rope just as Nick finally freed it for Truska.

“Hillney closes the gap, but Truska still in the lead as Nick drops the clue on the table before Charlie, who tears into them and begins deciphering the clues. Malin using brute strength to try and rip the rope from the ground, but not making much progress. That rope is definitely deeper than it looks! Quinn now raising the bucket for Truska.”

Kurt sighed in frustration. Their only hope really was that the final clue was extremely hard and took Charlie a while to solve. He sighed again when Malin managed to free the rope and brought him the fifth clue.

Year Survivor premiered plus the current number of seasons. At last, an easy one! Kurt entered twenty forty five into the fifth lock and shouted for Felice to start pulling up the well bucket. Charlie had already deciphered the sixth clue and was unlocking the boxes to get the seventh clue. He heard the other boy say something about unscrambling the numbers, but he didn’t know which numbers.

Felice worked quickly, and brought him the sixth clue. Total number of people who have played Survivor ever, times the most players to play survivor in a single season. Again Kurt had to pause to do the math, but then he had to think, did that include the current eighteen castaways? He added them in to be certain. And the most castaways at one time was twenty. Tracing the equation out in the air once again, he came up with the final answer of thirteen thousand six hundred. He entered the five digit code into the sixth lock, and then opened them from left to right, cheering when he had all the correct answers.

“Hillney now solving the final puzzle as Truska works the code on the final lock. Who will figure it out fastest?”

Kurt unscrambled the clue, which read, unscramble the first digits of the first six clues to solve the six digit code. Kurt didn’t even get the chance to try as Charlie shouted in triumph as the final lock clicked open, releasing the machete. The younger man grabbed it up and chopped the rope, letting Truska’s flag fly.

“Well done! Truska wins immunity! Come collect your reward!”

Kurt sighed in defeat as he joined his tribe on the mat. Blaine hugged him, and Elle patted him on the back.

“Hillney, I’m sorry, all I have for you is a date at Tribal Council tonight. I’ll see you then.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #5

Day 14 cont.:

Morale was low as Hillney returned to camp. Santana wandered off alone, leaving the other six to decide on dinner. When the tribes had been restructured the day before, they had received Hillerska’s remaining two chickens, while Truska had gotten the rooster. Now they debated whether to cook at least one of the chickens. They had five now.

In the end, they decided to cook the two extra, and Malin and Tao carried them into the woods to dispatch them. Malin then plucked and cleaned them, and roasted them over the fire on a spit. When they were ready, Elle and Felice went to search for Santana to let her know dinner was ready.

They found her sitting in a small alcove near the coffee plants. 

“Hey,” Elle called out. “Food is ready. Come eat before we have to go.”

“I’m not really hungry,” Santana replied. She did turn to look at the two of them, though. “Will you guys do me a favor?”

“Sure,” Felice said, smiling kindly. “What do you need?”

“Vote for me to go home tonight.”

“What? Why?” Elle asked, surprised.

Santana stood up and stretched before answering. “I think I came here for the wrong reason.”

Felice was frowning now. “Why did you come here?”

“To avoid making a decision about my life. I won’t be a cheerleader forever, and I need to decide what to do next, but I keep putting it off. It’s time I grow up and face reality.”

“So, have you figured out what you want to do next?” Elle asked.

She shrugged. “The first thing I am going to do is go back to college. Finish my education. My dad is a doctor. Maybe I’ll pursue sports medicine. I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll get a business degree instead, and go into marketing. But I can’t do that here, and I should really be focusing on making that decision.”

“Are you sure you want us to vote you off, though?” Elle asked. 

“I’m positive.”

Felice and Elle exchanged a look. “Okay.”

…

They filed into Tribal Council later that night, heads held high. Jeff greeted them with a smile.

“Kurt, Santana, Blaine, behind each of you is a torch. Take it and dip it into the fire. Fire is your life on Survivor. When it is gone, so are you.” He waited for them to take a seat.

“So,” he said, glancing around at the seven faces of Hillney. “Four of you have been here before, and already know how difficult the process can be. Elle, what is your thought process for tonight’s vote?”

Elle shrugged. “Well, I was asked by someone to vote them off tonight, so that has to figure into my vote. Do I grant them their wish, or do I keep them here and vote for someone weaker than them to strengthen the tribe?”

“Who asked you to vote for them?”

“Me,” Santana said. “Meeting Brittany made me realize I need to start thinking about the future. I won’t be a cheerleader for the rest of my life, and I need to decide now what I am going to do in the future. I can’t really do that in this environment.”

“So, you are giving up on the game?” Jeff asked.

“I don’t see it as giving up. I see it as making the right choice for what is best for me.”

Jeff nodded. “Kurt, what do you think about Santana’s decision?”

“I think she needs to do what she needs to do. If leaving will make her happy, then I wish her all the luck. I hope that she and Brittany can reconnect outside the game. The two of them seem very happy with each other.”

“Felice? Same question.”

She sighed. “I think she is a very strong woman, a strong competitor, and I think she could get very far in the game if she wants to, but if her heart isn’t in it, then maybe it would be better for her to go.”

Jeff nodded. “But as you said, she is a strong competitor. Would it be better to keep her around for a few more days for the sake of the tribe in competitions? Malin?”

“The question is whether she would still compete to the best of her ability if she was forced to stay after asking to be voted out. I think she would still give her all in every challenge, no matter what, so maybe voting her out wouldn’t be a good idea, which leaves the next question, who would be voted out tonight.”

“That’s what I was about to ask,” Jeff agreed. “Tao, who goes home tonight, if not Santana?”

“Honestly, most likely me. I’m surprised I’ve actually lasted this long.”

“You’ve lasted this long because you do your best every challenge,” Blaine replied. “I don’t think anyone else on our tribe could have climbed that pole as quickly as you did.”

“So the question remains, do you vote Santana out, or do you keep her and send someone else home? It’s time to vote. Kurt, you’re up first.”

Kurt took his time, thinking for several long minutes, and finally writing down a name, and revealing it to the camera.

“This vote doesn’t make me happy.”

Malin, Felice, Tao, Elle, Blaine and Santana followed him in that order. All of them seemed to take their time. Kurt leaned over to whisper to Malin after Tao went to cast his vote. “Did the other eliminations take this long?”

Malin just shook her head no.

Santana considered her vote carefully, then wrote down a name, showing it to the camera. “Take this vote as a compliment. With me gone, you are the baddest bitch on the tribe. Keep these guys in line, and kick butt in the competitions!” 

Finally, they all returned, and Jeff stood. “I’ll go tally the votes.”

He returned a few minutes later with the urn. “Once the votes have been read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave immediately. I’ll read the votes.”

He drew a slip of parchment. “First vote, Santana.” He turned the parchment to show them.

Santana reached out and gripped Kurt’s hand, giving it a little squeeze to let him know she was fine. Jeff drew another slip. 

“Santana. That’s two votes Santana.” The third slip was drawn. He turned it to show them. “Malin. That’s two votes Santana, one vote Malin, four votes left.”

Jeff reached into the urn for the fourth parchment. “Santana. That’s Three votes Santana, one vote Malin, and three votes left.”

Tao reached forward and put his hand on Santana’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. She took it and squeezed back, whispering, “It’s okay.”

Jeff reached into the urn again, looking at the vote. “Fifth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination, Santana.” He showed them the name as he spoke. “That’s four votes, that’s enough. Please bring me your torch.”

They all stood to hug her and wish her well, before she gathered up her bag and took her torch. 

“Santana, according to your wishes, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed her torch. 

“You know, Jeff, if I was straight, I’d make your wife a little jealous and kiss you right now. I’ll be nice and settle for a hug.”

She hugged him as he laughed. She gave them all a little salute as she walked out.

Jeff shook his head, smiling as he watched her go. “Well, we’ve had some dramatic exits this season, and some heartbreaking ones. You all granted Santana’s wish for a peaceful exit. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #5

Day 15:

Finn sipped on a cup of coffee from the tray of coffees and teas they’d won in the match game. For some reason it didn’t taste as good as Santana’s coffee. 

Thinking of Santana made him think about his other former tribe members. Were they still in the game, or had one of them been voted out?

They’d finished their breakfast, and Simon and Wille had gone fishing, while Nick and Charlie went to gather firewood, and Imogen and Quinn were harvesting fruit. Finn didn’t have anything to do at the moment, other than tend the fire and wash the pots in the puddle near the shelter’s entrance. Once he’d finished that, he laid them out to dry on a plank of wood they had found and had been using as a table.

The others hadn’t returned yet, and he was bored, so he picked up two wooden spoons from the cookware set Truham had won last week, and absently began drumming on the pans. It had been a while since he had been able to play the drums, and he was a little rusty, but soon, he was pounding out a Guns’n’Roses song, wishing he had a bass drum.

He was so engrossed in his drumming, he didn’t at first notice the additional beat. When he looked up, he spotted Charlie matching his rhythm on a hollow log, using a couple of thick pieces of a branch as drumsticks. Nick was standing there, grinning at the two of them.

They finished out the first song, and then Charlie started another, this one a little slower. Finn wasn’t familiar with it, but picked it up quickly and soon joined in. They were both startled when a voice joined in, singing in Spanish. Simon and Wille had returned, as had Imogen and Quinn. When Simon hit the chorus for the second time, Quinn joined him, adding harmony.

“Wow, you guys sound so good!” Imogen said, clapping when the song came to an end. “I don’t recognize that song, though.”

Charlie shrugged, looking at Simon in confusion. “It hasn’t been recorded yet. I received the sheet music a couple weeks before I came here to practice for when I record it with Omar next month.”

Simon looked guilty for a moment, and then sighed. “Okay, I didn’t want anyone to know it was me. My middle name is Omar. I use it as my stage name, so crazy fans don’t try and go after my family, which trust me, happens.”

Charlie grinned. “You’re that Omar? Wow! I’ve been looking forward to working with you in the studio. The songs I received are amazing, but I think this one is my favorite.”

“¿Puedes amarme?,” Simon supplied the title. “My sister actually is the inspiration for the song. It’s about just wanting to be loved for being yourself.”

“It’s beautiful,” Quinn said. “I can’t wait to hear the finished version.”

Charlie smiled at Finn. “You play drums too?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t really played in a few years. My fiance says I should rely more on my singing than my drumming. Rachel thinks I could make it big as a singer and actor, even though I prefer the drums. She’s an actress, and she wants to move to New York again, even though things didn’t work out for her the first time. She doesn’t seem to understand I like where I live, and I love my job.”

“No offense, but why are you engaged to her?” Charlie asked. “It sounds like she won’t be satisfied, no matter what you do. I mean, she does realize there are two of you in the relationship, right?”

Finn shrugged. “I’ve actually been wondering that myself lately. I do love her, but I’m not so sure I am still in love with her. Maybe she'd be better off with her old boyfriend. He is currently in a Broadway play, and he is getting ready to co-produce another show, and wants her to audition.”

Finn, 29. High School football coach

“I think Rachel and I are going to have to sit down and really talk when I get back home. If we want such drastically different lives, maybe Charlie is right, maybe we should call off the engagement. I know she would just be miserable living in Iowa, and I would be miserable in New York. But she is right about one thing. I think I could do something more with my life. I only need a few more classes to get my teaching certificate. I could get that in night school. I really want to make a difference in a kid’s life.”

…

Kurt was lost in thought when Blaine found him the next morning. 

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking about what Santana said last night. About the future.”

“Why, considering a career change?”

“More like a life change. You know my dad is retiring at the end of his current term, right?”

“No, I didn’t know that. I’ll be sad to see him go.”

Kurt nodded. “You know he underwent chemo for cancer last year, right?”

“Yeah, he was hospitalized for almost two weeks.”

“True, but the hospitalization wasn’t because of the chemo. We managed to keep it from the press, and only a handful of people know the truth. He was hospitalized due to a massive heart attack. It was the second one he’s had. The first one occurred when I was in high school. He almost didn’t survive that one, but he pulled through.

“This time he was lucky, it happened while he was at the hospital, and he received immediate treatment, which is probably what saved his life. He has a year and a half left on his term. He’s planning to announce his retirement during the upcoming election primaries. I’ve been thinking of running for his seat.”

“You? But I thought you lived in New York? And what about fashion design? Vogue?”

“I can design clothes from anywhere, same with writing articles. I may not have as much time for either if I get elected, but I don’t want all my dad’s hard work in congress to go to waste.”

“I’d vote for you if I lived in your district,” Blaine said, but rather than making Kurt smile he frowned. “What, did I say something wrong?”

Kurt just sighed and shook his head. “Sorry, it’s just… you know what, never mind, it isn’t important.”

Kurt, 29. Fashion designer

“Blaine is so confusing. I can’t tell if he is actually flirting, or if he’s just using the same charm he uses on Quinn and everyone else. I don’t know where I stand with him, which really sucks, because he’s really good looking, he’s smart, attentive. I know he can sing because I heard him when he was taking his shower the other day. Then again, he did get into NYADA, so that should have been obvious. But I can’t tell if he is interested in me or not.”

Malin joined them when she returned from filling the water bottles, and the three of them began making breakfast. Tao, Elle and Felice soon joined them. After they ate, Malin, Blaine and Tao prepared to go fishing, while Kurt, Elle and Felice harvested fruit and some wild carrots.

After lunch, Kurt and Malin worked a little more on the shelter with help from Blaine and Tao. They widened the sleeping platform, using one of the extra tarps they got from Hillerska after the split to extend the shelter roof. They finished just in time for dinner, and were able to relax for the rest of the evening.

…

Day 16:

Charlie woke early again, but this time he noticed he wasn’t the first up. Despite the sun not being up yet, he spotted Wille and Simon heading down to the beach. Shrugging, he picked up the water jug and headed to the well to fill it.

The sun was peeking over the horizon as he headed back, and he stopped at a bend in the path that looked out over the beach to admire the pretty shades of pink, coral, and purple that streaked the sky. He was about to continue on his way when movement on the beach caught his attention. 

At first he couldn’t make out what he was seeing, early morning shadows making it hard to distinguish forms. But as the sun rose higher, Charlie could just see Simon and Wille sitting on the same piece of driftwood he and Nick had been sitting on the other day. And they were kissing.

Charlie quickly turned away, feeling like a peeping Tom. He hurried back with the water jug, and found Imogen up and already chopping coconut to mix with rice for breakfast. Quinn was up as well, tending the fire.

"Good morning!" Imogen said cheerfully. "Nick was just looking for you. I think he is headed down to the beach."

"The beach?" Charlie asked, trying not to sound panicked after what he had just seen. "I should go stop him. I mean catch him."

He set the jug down and jogged down the path. He picked up speed once out of sight of the camp, and caught up with Nick just before he reached the curve in the path that would have given him a clear view of the beach, although not the section where Simon and Wille were.

He reached out and grabbed Nick’s arm, pulling him to a stop, putting a finger to his lip in a shushing gesture when the older man opened his mouth to speak. 

He led Nick through the trees to a point where they could see the driftwood where the other two men were seated. They were no longer kissing, but sitting very intimately, with legs entwined and arms around each other.

Nick glanced at Charlie questioningly, but he just smiled and shrugged, then led him back towards camp, stopping between the beach and the shelter so they could talk without the others overhearing them.

"Are they a couple?" Nick asked.

"Looks like it," Charlie replied. "I mean, we should have known we weren't the only ones."

Nick looked thoughtful for a moment. "Should we let them know we saw them?"

Charlie shook his head. "Not yet. We don't want to stress them out before the challenge today. And it's not like we wouldn't be doing the same thing if they hadn’t beat us to it." Charlie’s smile was playful, and Nick couldn’t help grinning back.

"Oh? Sure of yourself, are you?" Charlie smacked his arm, laughing, and Nick leaned in for a quick kiss. "You’re right though, I was thinking of dragging you off for a quick snog."

"We could take a walk after breakfast, maybe volunteer to go check tree mail?"

Nick grinned again. "Brilliant. Come on, let's see if breakfast is ready."

Simon and Wille arrived back at camp shortly after Nick and Charlie. 

“We were checking the crab pots we set,” Simon replied when Imogen asked where they had gone. Nick and Charlie just exchanged a look, and tried not to laugh.

“We’ll check tree mail,” Nick offered after they ate, indicating himself and Charlie.

No one said anything when the two men took longer than usual to return with tree mail.

…

“What does it say?” Felice asked when Malin returned with tree mail.

“Those with an appetite for winning will do well at this challenge, but don’t let it bug you if you can’t swallow defeat.”

“Oh no,” Kurt said, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. By the horrified looks on Blaine and Tao’s faces, he wasn’t the only one to figure it out. “We’re eating bugs,” Kurt explained for the three women, who didn’t seem to get the reference.

Malin just shrugged, but Felice and Elle looked scandalized. 

“For real?” Elle asked. 

“Well, bugs, or guts, or something just as gross,” Blaine said. “It’s a classic Survivor challenge, but they haven’t done it in a long time.”

“Looks like they are resurrecting it,” Tao added.

“Looks like we’re skipping lunch for now,” Malin said, reading the instructions for the challenge. “We’re to be ready to go in just over an hour.”

They finished their morning tasks and got ready. Truska was there when they arrived.

“Come on in, Hillney. Truska getting their first look at the tribe, minus Santana, who asked to be voted out last night.”

“What?” Quinn said, surprised.

“Kurt, would you like to explain?” Jeff asked.

“Santana asked to be voted out because she realized she only came here as an excuse to avoid making a decision about her future. She said Brittany helped her realize that, and with Brittany gone, there was no reason for her to remain.”

Jeff nodded. “We wish Santana well, and hope she finds what she is looking for. Meanwhile, Survivor continues, and it's time for another challenge. I'm sure you all have figured out what today’s challenge is. One by one you will compete head to head in an eating challenge that isn’t for the squeamish. 

"The first person to swallow all of what is placed before them will score a point for their tribe. First tribe to reach six points wins. Want to know what you are playing for?"

"Yeah."

"The winning tribe will be whisked away by speed boat to a private island with a beautiful waterfall, where they will be treated to unlimited milkshakes. Make your mouths water just thinking about it?" 

"Yes!"

"Okay, Truska, you have an extra member. Who are you sitting out?"

"Me," Charlie said.

"Lucky bastard," Kurt muttered.

"Okay, Charlie, take a seat at the top of the risers, the rest of you, have a seat and think about who is going in what order."

They arranged themselves on the makeshift bleachers, and Jeff took his place behind a table.

"First up, we have Kurt for Hillney, and Simon for Truska. Ready to see what you are eating?"

"Bring it, Jeff," Kurt replied. Simon muttered something in Swedish. "What does that mean?" Kurt asked.

"It’s a prayer for mercy."

Jeff laughed and pulled a tray from under the covered table. The tray had two small bowls on it. "We’ll start off with something easy."

He set a bowl before each of them, and uncovered them. "Fish eyes. Two each. These are quite common in many Asian countries, and are often a coveted treat."

"Do they have to be staring into my soul?" Kurt asked.

"Survivors ready? Go!"

Kurt gagged as he bit into the first one, which turned out to be a mistake, as the slightly larger than pea sized eyes were very brackish. 

Simon didn’t even bother to chew, simply swallowing them both whole, presenting his empty mouth to Jeff.

"Point for Truska! Good job, Simon. Next."

Kurt and Simon returned to their seats as Elle and Imogen replaced them at the table.

"Ladies," Jeff greeted. "I hope you are hungry for something a little sweet." He placed a small plate before each of them, and uncovered them.

"For you we have fresh honeycomb, including live bee larvae. Rich in protein and nutrients, this is common in many cultures around the world."

Both women looked at the one square inch piece of comb with varying degrees of disgust and fascination. 

"Survivors ready? Go!"

Both of them picked up the cube and tried to fit it all in their mouths at once. Elle managed to fit most of hers, but Imogen only managed about half. Chewing the waxy comb was more difficult than it seemed, and it was hard to swallow.

Imogen almost gagged when she felt one of the larvae squirm in her mouth. Elle ignored everything, focusing on a point over Jeff's shoulder as she chewed. She managed to finally swallow the first part and put the rest in her mouth. The smaller piece was a little easier, and she swallowed and stuck her tongue out at Jeff, showing an empty mouth.

"Hillney ties it up at one point each. How was it?" he asked Elle.

She shrugged. "Tasted like something a friend of mine from America once sent me around Halloween. What was it? Candy corn?"

Jeff smiled, and the pairs switched up again.

"For Hillney we have Blaine facing off against Wille for Truska!"

He set a small dish before each of them, and lifted off the covers. "Yuwurli, also known as Mangrove worms. They are actually related to clams, just without the shells. There are three each. You will want to chew these carefully!"

Wille sighed. "More shellfish?"

"Survivors ready? Go!"

Both men began chewing all three squirming creatures. Wille gagged when one tried to slither down his throat. Blaine covered his ears and looked away as Wille ended up spitting his back out on his plate. 

"Point Hillney! Good job Blaine. Next up, it's Felice vs Quinn. I hope you are both thirsty." He set a glass in front of each of them. The glasses contained a pinkish brown liquid. "Goat milk mixed with fresh goat blood. Bottoms up. Survivors ready? Go!"

Felice gagged on the first sip, and hesitated before trying again, but Quinn chugged it like a pro, slamming the glass down.

"And Truska ties it back up at two points each. You might want to wipe your chin with a napkin, Quinn. You've got a little blood on your face."

The women returned to their seats, and Tao and Finn moved forward. Tao already looked like he was going to vomit.

"For you we have deep fried grasshoppers, extra large." The things on the plates were huge, about the size of Tao’s palm, without the legs. "Survivors ready? Go!"

Finn finished the thing in two chews, before Tao could finish his first bite.

"Truska retakes the lead, three to two. Here comes our last pair of round one, Malin and Nick."

"Please be nice to us, Jeff," Nick teased, as the host placed a larger plate before each of them. When Jeff lifted the covers away, Nick let out a little scream and jumped back as a giant eight legged creature was revealed. 

"Damn it, Jeff, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Not a fan of tarantulas, I take it?" Jeff asked.

Nick looked embarrassed. "Arachnophobic," he admitted. 

Jeff nodded. "These are Goliath Birdeater tarantulas. They are the largest species of arachnid known to man. We've fried them for you."

Malin didn't seem phased at all as she studied it.

"Survivors ready? Go!"

The blonde woman picked hers up and took a huge bite, but Nick's hand trembled as he reached for his. The moment he touched it, he pulled away, shuddering.

He turned to look at his tribe. "I don't think I can do this."

Charlie just smiled at him. "It’s okay."

Nick straightened his shoulders, and turned back to the plate. He started to reach for the creature again, but stopped and had to take a deep breath. 

He could hear Malin chewing beside him, and the crunch as she took another bite. Sighing in determination, he reached out again, closing his eyes and snatching up the damn thing before he could chicken out again and taking a bite.

He gagged as he felt the legs tickle the inside of his mouth, but he forced himself to chew. The flavor actually wasn't too bad if he didn't think about what he was eating. He swallowed and took another bite, but it was too late, as Malin swallowed the last of hers.

"And just like that we’re tied up once more as Malin demolishes the tarantula for Hillney."

Nick threw up on the grass, and walked shakily back to the bleachers. Charlie reached forward and squeezed his shoulder.

"You did your best."

"Well," Jeff said, looking them over. "At the end of round one we are tied at three each. You don’t have to keep the same order for round two, so discuss who you are sending up first. Remember, the goal is to score six points."

After a moment, two men stepped forward. 

"Okay, we have Simon for Truska, and Blaine for Hillney. Are you ready for this?"

"Probably not," Simon said under his breath.

Jeff placed a bowl in front of each of them. When he removed the covers, it revealed large, fat grubs rolling around.

"These are silkworm grubs, considered a delicacy in many countries. And yes, they are alive."

Both men groaned.

"Survivors ready! Go!"

Both men popped them into their mouths and began chewing. Blaine choked at the taste, but Simon powered through and finished first.

"Point Truska! How did they taste?"

"Slimy, yet satisfying," Blaine quipped.

Tao and Quinn stepped forward next. Jeff presented them with giant water bugs.

"Mind the antennas, they can be sharp. Survivors ready? Go!"

Tao was determined to do better this time, but Quinn was more determined, and polished hers off as he was picking a leg out of his teeth.

"Truska now leads five to three! Up next, Kurt vs Imogen. For your gastronomic delight, we have rabbit brains in gelatin. Bon appetit! Survivors ready? Go!"

Kurt had no trouble with the slimy dish, and polished it off in four bites as Imogen gagged and almost threw up.

"Hillney narrows the gap and it is now Truska five, Hillney four. Who's next?"

Elle and Wille took their positions, and Jeff presented each of them with a balut. “Boiled duck eggs, complete with duck fetus. There are feathers, so be careful. Survivors ready! Go!”

Both of them had difficulty eating it, gagging and retching. Wille ended up vomiting, disqualifying himself, giving Elle the point.

“And Hillney ties it back up! We’re at five- five now. Whoever wins this last point brings reward to their tribe. Who will it be?”

Malin and Finn came forward. Jeff set a plate before each of them. When it was uncovered, they both looked on in confusion, not knowing what they were looking at. Whatever they were, they were battered and deep fried.

"The French call these animelles. In some places they are called sweet breads. In the US, they are more commonly known as prairie fries, lamb fries, or Rocky Mountain oysters."

Kurt, Blaine, and Quinn all snickered, although Finn didn’t seem to understand why. He just shrugged.

"Survivors ready, go!"

Finn popped half of them in his mouth, chewing hard. Malin ate two at a time, also chewing hard. It was really close, but Finn just beat her out.

"Truska wins reward!"

"Good job," Malin said, shaking Finn’s hand.

"Yeah, great job on those bull testicles," Kurt said.

"What?" Finn asked. Several people started laughing around them as they lined back up on their mats.

"Good job, Truska! A boat will pick you up from your beach later today and take you to your reward. Hillney, I have nothing for you. Head back to camp."

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #6

Day 16 cont.:

"Did I really eat testicles?" Finn asked as they returned to their beach. He sounded like he didn’t believe it could be true. "Jeff said they were oysters!"

"Rocky Mountain oysters, Finn," Quinn replied. "And yes, they are the testicles of castrated bulls."

Finn winced, one hand unconsciously reaching down to shield the front of his pants.

"What did they taste like?" Charlie asked.

Finn shrugged. "Calamari, actually. That's why I thought they were seafood!"

Imogen patted his shoulder. "At least you managed to eat both of your items. The honeycomb wasn't too bad, but the brains were just nasty!"

Charlie sighed. "I'm sorry you all had to go through that. It's a good thing we won the toothpaste and brushes the other day. I doubt anyone will be kissing anyone else anytime soon without them."

Wille almost tripped over his own feet at Charlie’s words, and Simon almost choked on his water. Nick looked at him with an expression that clearly read, 'really?'

Fortunately the other three members of the tribe seemed too preoccupied to notice the men's reactions.

"I am definitely going to brush my teeth before we go to the reward," Imogen said. "Quinn, I don't know how you managed to down that bloody milk without throwing up."

Quinn shrugged. "Mind over matter. I told myself it was just a protein shake."

"Smart," Finn said.

About an hour later, a speed boat pulled up on their beach, just as Jeff said it would. It took about twenty minutes to reach the island with the waterfall. 

When they got there, they were told to follow a marked path. It led them to a clearing below the falls, where they found a classic Airstream camper painted a whimsical blue, surrounded by balloons and topiaries. There were three picnic tables set up under an awning.

A cheerful woman greeted them and pointed out the list of flavors they had. 

Imogen and Quinn were the first to order, with the former requesting raspberry and banana, while the latter ordered strawberry cheesecake.

"I love the way British people pronounce banana," Quinn commented as they waited for their shakes. "You make it sound exotic."

Imogen laughed. "Well, if the Americans hadn't butchered the language, you'd pronounce it the same way."

"Don’t look at me, I wasn’t born back then!" Quinn laughed. 

They took their shakes and went to sit down as Simon and Wille ordered. Simon ordered a dark chocolate with cherries, while Wille ordered coffee with toffee bits. After they were served, Finn ordered chocolate chip cookie dough with extra chocolate chips on top.

Finally Charlie ordered a chocolate mocha chip, and Nick bubblegum.

"Bubblegum?" Charlie raised an eyebrow. 

"It's good! I'll let you try some!"

He handed Charlie his once it was served. Charlie took a sip, and made a face.

"Oh God no! That is a crime!" He pushed it back at Nick.

"I cannot believe you are disrespecting the bubblegum flavor in front of me!" Nick said. "Right, let me try yours!" 

Charlie handed it to him, and he took a sip. A stunned expression crossed Nick's face. "Wow!"

"See," Charlie teased. "I make good choices!"

"We should swap!" Nick suggested.

"No, you made your choice!"

"Then we’ll share!" Nick said, grabbing two extra straws. "We can pretend we're on a date."

Charlie grinned. "Are you sure you want to risk the others seeing us?"

"Why not? Everyone will figure it out eventually, when the show airs."

"What about Imogen? She might get upset."

Nick frowned. He hadn’t considered that. "Okay, maybe you're right. But I am going to hold your hand, under the table."

Charlie’s smile softened. "I'd like that."

…

Kurt chewed on some of the dried basil from Hillerska’s spice rack, trying to rid himself of the nasty taste in his mouth. The rabbit brain hadn't been too bad, but those fish eyes were coming back to haunt him.

Malin handed him his water bottle, which she had just refilled. "You did well today," she said.

"Thanks," He replied, both for the compliment and the water bottle. "You did pretty good yourself. You didn't even flinch at all at the tarantulas."

She shrugged. "I've eaten them before. The trick is to not think about it."

"That advice would have been helpful sooner," Blaine observed, taking his own water bottle.

"I don't suppose anyone is up for anything fishy for dinner tonight," Elle said. "We have plenty of eggs. I could make a vegetable frittata if you all want."

"Just make sure there are no feathers or bones in it," Tao teased. Elle elbowed him in the side. "Sorry. I can collect some mushrooms for you."

"Sounds wonderful," Kurt said. "Maybe just wait an hour or so, give our stomachs a chance to recover."

Felice agreed, and offered to go with Elle and Tao to gather vegetables and wild garlic. Kurt and Blaine went to collect more firewood. 

Blaine began humming as they worked, and Kurt recognized the tune.

"Really, Blaine? That's Amore? You're humming a song about food? Don't you think that's kind of tacky after that challenge?"

Blaine just grinned and started singing the Dean Martin classic out loud.

When the moon hits your eye

Like a big pizza pie,

That's Amore!

Kurt couldn’t help laughing. The song seemed to fit perfectly with Blaine’s dapper fifties movie star persona. He rolled his eyes, but smiled indulgently.

"You are so a-dork-able!" The words left his mouth before he could think about it. 

Blaine stopped singing and grinned. "You think I'm adorable?"

Kurt turned away to hide his blush. "That’s not what I said."

Blaine laughed. "You think I'm adorable!" he sing-songed. "You think I'm cute! Admit it!"

Kurt turned to face him again, scowling. "Fine, I think you're cute. Happy now?" He snapped angrily, shoving the armload of firewood he'd been carrying into Blaine’s arms and running off.

Stunned, Blaine called out for him. "Kurt! Wait!"

But Kurt didn't stop, just kept running.

Blaine, 28. Songwriter 

"I don't understand what just happened.  One moment we were laughing and teasing, and the next he was just running off! I don’t know what I said that upset him. Maybe he just doesn't want me teasing him?"

He headed back to camp, searching for the other man, but Malin said Kurt wasn’t there. He headed down to the beach, and finally found Kurt sitting on a rock, staring out at the water.

"Kurt?" he said softly as he approached. 

The other man sighed and closed his eyes. "I just want to be alone for a while."

"But Kurt, why did you get upset? Did I say something wrong?"

Kurt sighed again. "No Blaine, you didn't say anything wrong."

"Then tell me why you got upset and ran away?"

Kurt shook his head, but turned to study him. "You can't help it, can you? You don't even realize what you are doing, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, leaning his hip against the rock.

"You flirt with everyone, Blaine! It's so confusing, because I can't tell if you really mean it or not. My experience with men hasn’t always been the best. I mean I've dated, but most of the guys either just wanted sex, or to be associated with me because I'm in a magazine.

"I've only ever had three real boyfriends, and each of them were disasters. The first one wanted to keep our relationship secret so he could pretend to still be straight, then there was the octopus that wouldn’t even let me go to the bathroom by myself. And the last guy, he was the worst! Constantly got jealous if I so much as said excuse me to another guy! And then he went and cheated on me with at least four other guys!"

"Wow, I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Kurt. I knew Adam broke your heart, but I didn’t realize he was that bad. But I still don't understand how I upset you."

Kurt let out a frustrated growl. "Blaine, you walk around looking like a nineteen-fifties heartthrob, sing like Bobby Darin, and charm everyone until they swoon at your feet! How am I supposed to know if you actually like me or not?"

"You think I sing like Bobby Darin?"

"Not the point, Blaine! You're doing it again! You make me so confused I can't think around you! I-"

His words were cut off when Blaine suddenly leaned in and kissed him, hard, cupping his face. The kiss lingered for several heartbeats, and Kurt let out a soft moan into Blaine’s mouth, before the shorter man slowly pulled back with a grin.

"I like you, Kurt. I think I have since the first time I saw you."

"Oh," Kurt said, incapable of coherent speech at the moment.

Blaine laughed. "Come on, let's get back to camp. I'm pretty sure Elle has started making the frittata by now."

He took Kurt’s hand and they began walking back to camp, but after a few minutes, Kurt stopped. 

"Wait, how did you know about Adam? I never mentioned his name!"

Blaine looked abashed. "Well, okay, I have to confess, I did know you at NYADA, but you never noticed me. I worked in the coffee shop for a while, and I saw you come in with Adam all the time, but he always came to the counter alone and ordered for both of you.

"I knew he was a jerk when he always flirted with me even though you were sitting just twenty feet away. And he always messed up your order. I knew what your usual order was because I came in early one day to pick up my paycheck and you came alone when Stacie was on the register. I overheard you tell her that they always got your order wrong."

Kurt frowned. When he had mentioned that he'd gotten the wrong drink to Adam, the other man always blamed the barista. Kurt would even remind Adam to make sure he was ordering a nonfat mocha, and Adam assured him he remembered. And then after about a month, his order had started being right, and Adam had bragged that he had told them they had better get it right from now on or he would get them fired.

"So, when you said you liked me from the first moment you saw me, then…"

"Actually, the first time I saw you was at the Winter Showcase, when you sang Being Alive. I was there as a guest of one of the upperclassmen who owed my brother a favor. You were amazing!"

"Why didn't you tell me all this before, when we talked about NYADA?"

Blaine shrugged. "Because I wanted to learn more about the real you, and not the fantasy I made up in my head. Turns out real you is way better."

Kurt blushed, and kissed him again. "I like real you too."

…

Day 17:

Simon smiled as he woke up and found Wille looking at him. It was still mostly dark, but dawn was starting to break.

They were both well aware they weren't alone in the shelter, and they could hear someone getting up, but neither of them moved yet, just studied each other for several more minutes.

It had been nice to get to know more about Wille these last few days. He was still guarded when he talked about his family, not really saying much beyond vague references, but he talked more freely about his own personal life, his plans for his business, and what he wanted for his future.

Simon reached out and traced a finger over the ridge of Wille’s nose, then leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. He could easily fall in love with this man.

Simon, 23. Singer

"I've never had a serious relationship before. Yeah, I've had a couple of boyfriends, but none of them ever really lasted. But there is just something about Wille that makes me believe this is different. I want this time to be different. Maybe this isn't the best time to be considering a long term relationship, but I think I am ready to consider it."

"We should get up," Wille said, rolling over and sitting up to pull his shirt on. Simon followed suit. They spotted Charlie and Nick heading out with the water jug, as Imogen stoked the fire and started prepping breakfast. 

She smiled at them as they joined her.

"Good morning!" She said cheerfully. 

"God morgon, " Wille replied. "Do you need help with breakfast?"

"Actually, yes. We're out of mangoes, and this is the last coconut, if you want to gather some more?" 

"Sure," Simon replied, picking up a couple baskets. They took the same path Nick and Charlie had taken, to where several coconut trees grew. There weren't very many on the ground, but they could see dozens in the trees.

"Give me the machete," Simon said. "I'll climb up and cut some down."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Wille asked.

Simon shrugged. "You saw me climb the pole the other day at the challenge. I'll be careful."

Wille watched as the shorter man began to climb, the machete clenched in his teeth like a pirate. The image made Wille’s mind picture Simon in tight leather britches and a poofy shirt.

"Watch out!" Simon called down, having reached the top of the tree. He was clinging to it with one arm and a leg wrapped around the trunk, and the machete ready to cut down the closest bunch of coconuts.

Wille moved out of range, watching to make sure Simon didn't fall. The other man didn't even waver, though, and cut down three more bunches. He then let the machete drop after making certain it wouldn’t hit Wille. He was about to climb back down when he spotted something in the distance that they never would have seen from the ground.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed. 

"What?" Wille asked, worried, but Simon didn't reply, just quickly climbed back down. "What happened?"

Simon was wide eyed. "You can see the well from the top of the tree!"

Wille frowned. "So?"

"Nick and Charlie are there."

Wille was still confused. "And?"

Simon grinned. "They were making out!"

Wille’s mouth gaped open. "Huh…"

Simon giggled. "They are so adorable!"

Wille laughed too. "Now things make more sense. I just didn’t know Nick was gay."

"Bisexual, actually," Simon corrected. "He mentioned it when we switched tribes the first time. He, Finn and I were talking about sports, and Finn asked if we were gay. I should have realized something was up between those two when Nick said he'd only just admitted out loud for the first time to Charlie that he was bisexual."

"Should we say anything to them?" Wille asked.

Simon shook his head. "Not yet. It might lead to questions I'm not sure you are ready to answer yet."

Wille frowned again. "What do you mean, I'm not ready to answer yet?"

Simon put his hand on Wille’s shoulder. "Are you prepared to admit publicly that you are having a relationship with another man?"

Wille bit his lip. He couldn't answer him.

"Exactly what I thought," Simon said.

"I'm sorry," Wille said.

"Wille, it's okay, I get it. But you do know that everyone is going to find out when the show airs. There are cameras everywhere. Maybe we've hidden it from the others for now, but people already know what is going on between us."

Wille sighed. He knew it was true. Maybe it was because the camera people were just faceless background distractions, he didn't seem to care what they knew. But the idea of letting Imogen, Quinn, and especially Felice know terrified him.

"Come on, let's get the mangoes and head back to camp," Simon said.

…

"Tree mail!" Tao called out as he returned to Hillney's camp. "One eagle eye shall guide you to Immunity."

Felice frowned. "Sounds like the same challenge that guy from your tribe threw," she said, glancing at Elle, but Malin shook her head.

"Eagle eye sounds like someone up high. Maybe above a maze?"

"That makes sense," Kurt agreed. 

They got ready to go after lunch, and were led to the same location as the blindfold challenge, but it looked much different now. The obstacles were gone, and in their place was a walled maze.

Jeff smiled at them as they lined up. "Welcome back. How is everyone's stomachs doing today? Malin?"

She shrugged. "Fine. I'm guessing better than some on Truska’s tribe if they drank too many milkshakes."

Jeff laughed. "Well let's find out. Who drank the most milkshakes?"

Everyone on Truska pointed at Finn.

"Finn, how many did you drink?"

"Six, and I finished one Charlie couldn’t finish, so six and a half, I guess?"

"How is your stomach?"

"Okay. It was a little upset last night before bed, but it's better now."

"That’s because you passed so much gas last night," Quinn said. "We made him sleep in a hammock."

Everyone laughed.

"Other than that, how were the shakes?"

"Delicious," Nick said. "Especially the mocha chip."

Charlie blushed.

"Well, glad you enjoyed them, but now it's time to take care of business. Truska, I need to take the immunity idol back."

Charlie passed it to him, and Jeff put it back on display. "Immunity is once again up for grabs.

"In today's challenge, one tribe member will be on a platform thirty feet in the air above a maze. They will guide their tribemates through the maze to five different stations. At each station you will find a box in your tribe’s color. Inside each box is a key.

"Once they have a key, the caller will then guide them to the center of the maze. Once all five tribemates are at the center, they will attach all five keys to a pulley, and raise them up to the platform. The caller will then use them to unlock their tribe flag and raise it high. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Alright, Truska, you have an extra person. Who are you sitting out this time?"

Quinn raised her hand.

"Okay Quinn, take a seat on the bench. The rest of you I will give a few minutes to strategize, then we’ll draw lots for positions."

Each tribe member was positioned at a different entrance to the maze.

"Everyone is in position. We have Simon calling for Truska, and Malin for Hillney. Survivors ready, go!"

“Kurt,” Malin called out. “When you enter, immediately turn left and go forward to the second right! Blaine, same thing but in reverse, right and then second left!”

Simon called out instructions to Imogen. “Go straight to the second left, and then right! Finn, You take the second right and then another right!”

“Felice, yours zigzags several times before you turn left! Tao, you’re good, make two more left turns!”

“Nick, turn right and then left. Your key is straight ahead of you. Charlie, take the second right and then the second left! Your key will be to the left at the end of that row! Wille, Take the second right, then the third left!”

They continued to instruct their tribemates, the sound sometimes getting confusing.

“No, Imogen, I said the second left!” Simon called out, as Malin remained calm and continued to give precise directions.

“Truska has two keys, but no one at the center yet. Hillney find’s their first key as everyone listens patiently for instructions.”

“Elle, your key is two lefts up and to the right! Kurt, head back two rights and go straight to the T at the end. You’ll turn left and then right to reach the center!”

“And Hillney is the first to reach the center with a Key, but Truska is right behind them as Finn stumbles in. Might want to check your shoelaces before you start a challenge, Finn!”

“Imogen, just wait there. You’re still going the wrong way. Charlie, take the second left and head all the way down to the end and turn right then left and you will be in the center!”

“Tao, your key is at the end of that row to the right. Once you have it, backtrack two rights! Felice, your key is at the T straight ahead of you. From there turn left and then take the second right. Just follow that all the way to the center.”

“Hillney has all five keys, Truska now has four, but each tribe still only has one person at the center. Felice and Charlie are making their way there, but who will reach it first? Charlie does, but Felice is only seconds behind, and now Tao finds the right path without instruction and he reaches the center for Hillney as well! That’s three Hillney and two Truska at the center. Imogen still having trouble finding her key!”

“Imogen, Listen very carefully,” Simon called out, trying to be very patient. “Take the next left, and then go all the way to the end and turn left again, then immediately turn right! Your key will be straight ahead of you!”

“Elle, take the next left and then turn right at the T. That will take you straight to the center. Blaine, take a right and then the second left. Follow that to the center!”

“Wille, turn left at the T and follow it to the end. Nick, you’re almost there, take the next two rights and a left! Imogen, Yes! There, the key is directly in front of you!”

“Elle reaches the center for Hillney, Blaine not far behind her! And Hillney has all five tribe members at the center! Send your keys up! Nick running hard reaches the center, and Wille is getting close, but Imogen only just got her key! Can Malin sort the keys and unlock their flag before Truska catches up?”

“Imogen, stay calm, it’s okay!” Simon called out. “Take the right up ahead of you and then left at the T and you’ll be there!”

“Malin has the keys in hand now and is working her locks. She has the first one undone. Truska is all together in the center now and sending their keys up to Simon! Malin has a second lock undone.”

Malin swore in Swedish when the third lock refused to open, and almost broke the key. She took a deep breath, carefully removed the key, and tried again.

“Simon has the keys for Truska! Can he catch up?”

Malin could have wept in joy when the third lock opened. 

“Malin down to her last two locks, Simon just opened his first! There’s the fourth lock for Hillney! And it’s all over! Hillney wins Immunity!”

Simon hit the post in frustration, and almost instantly regretted it as pain shot up his arm. He hid his pain as he made his way back down to the ground and lined up with his tribe.

“Hillney, congratulations, come get your idol!” 

Malin stepped forward to claim it.

“Truska, you just fell short. I’ll see you tonight at Tribal Council. For now, head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #6

Simon hid his wince of pain as he pulled his purple hoodie over his head, but he couldn't hide the injury forever. For now he kept his hand in the hoodie's pocket to hide the swelling. Later he would stick his hand in the cold water of the stream that ran near the well.

He had just started towards the beach when Quinn approached him.

"I have a proposition for you," was her greeting. He just raised an eyebrow at her. "An alliance, just for tonight. You, Wille, Finn and myself vote Imogen out."

"And how does that benefit me?" he asked.

"It helps even the odds in your favor. If the merge comes this week, There are only four original Hillerska and McKinley tribe members left, while there are five Truham."

Simon knew that was true. "What if I decline?"

Quinn smiled. "Then I tell everyone why you are hiding your hand in your pocket. I saw you slam your palm against the post when we lost. Is it broken?"

Simon sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to say anything in case they all decide to use it as an excuse to vote me out."

She nodded. "Talk to Wille, and I'll make sure Finn votes for Imogen."

"Fine. I can’t make any promises for him though."

"Understood."

He watched her walk away, and continued down to the beach, where Wille was talking with Nick and Charlie. 

"What took so long? Wille asked.

"I was intercepted by Quinn. She made me an offer."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "What kind of offer?"

Simon shrugged. "A temporary alliance between her, Finn, Wille and myself. She wants us to vote out Imogen."

"What did you tell her?" Charlie asked.

"I said I would talk to Wille about it. I never said I wouldn’t talk to you two as well."

"Why Imogen?" Nick thought he knew the answer, but waited for Simon’s reply.

"To even out the numbers was her argument. It does make sense." He glanced at Nick and Charlie. "You guys do have the advantage if we merge this week."

"I just don't know if I feel comfortable voting for Imogen, though," Charlie said. "Yeah, today wasn't her best. But she's been a strong competitor up till now. What if there is no merge this week? Maybe we still need her."

"But then who do we vote for?" Wille asked. "Finn and Quinn are also very strong. Why vote for either of them over Imogen?"

Charlie sighed. He couldn't argue with that. Nick just remained silent as he thought through their options.

…

Jeff stood in front of the podium as they filed in.

"Quinn, Finn, behind each of you is a torch. Take it and dip it in the fire. Fire is life. When it is gone, so are you. Take a seat."

He studied them each for a moment. "What happened today?"

Imogen sighed. "I got confused and kept going the wrong way."

"What was causing the confusion?"

"I'm not sure. It wasn’t Simon’s fault, I could hear him clearly, but for some reason he said left and my brain said right." She shrugged. "Maybe it's just the stress of the game getting to me."

"Do you think that could be reason enough to vote you out tonight?"

"I hope not, but you never know."

Jeff nodded. "Simon, you've been here before. What do you base your vote on now? Is it for the greater good of the tribe, or what's good for you down the line?"

"I want to think it's both, but I think it's closer to what is best for me down the line. We don't know when the merge will happen. It could be this week, it could be next week or it might not be for a while. We have to keep the tribe strong as long as we can, but we also need to consider what happens after the merge."

"And how do you find the balance between the two? Nick?"

He shook his head. "It’s like juggling knives. Nerve racking, yet exciting at the same time, until you catch the wrong end. The worst part is you're so focused on the knives in the air you don't realize you've cut yourself until it's too late. Finding the balance might be impossible. "

"Finn, this being your first time at Tribal Council, how do you base your vote?"

He shrugged. "I have no clue, really."

"Quinn, same question."

"It’s always a numbers game, Jeff. Who has the numbers, and who doesn't. I have to vote for someone who has the numbers down the line to pick me off."

Jeff nodded again. "Wille, do you agree?"

"It’s Chess. You always have to be thinking four, five, six moves ahead. If I vote out this person, how is it going to affect my chances in the next challenge? If I vote out that person, will their former tribe come after me after the merge? Or if I vote out option c, will their former tribe be grateful they are gone? You can't just rely on your physical strengths in this game. You need mental strength as well."

"Charlie, you're good at solving puzzles. How do you solve this equation?"

"This is one of those infinity puzzles, Jeff. You know the ones where you think you know the answer, and you may be right, but then there are ten additional steps before it is really solved. Like the challenge with the ropes the other day. You have to solve one section at a time, while still keeping the big picture in focus."

"Well, it's time to see who has solved the puzzle for now. It's time to vote. Quinn you're up first."

She stood primly and walked to the booth. There was no hesitation as she wrote down the name.

"Sorry, it's just a matter of numbers. I'll miss your lovely accent, though!"

Nick, Simon, Finn and Wille all voted. Charlie stood and walked to the booth. He hadn’t been completely impressed with Quinn's logic earlier, but he had to vote to protect his future in the game.

He wrote the name down and showed it to the camera. 

Finally Imogen entered the booth. She had considered her vote very carefully. She knew it would weaken them as a tribe, but there was no way she could compete against them in individual Immunity.

"Sorry, but you are just too strong!"

Once she returned to her seat, Jeff nodded. "I'll go tally the votes."

No one looked at each other as they waited for the host to return.

Jeff set the urn on the podium. "Once the vote has been read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave Tribal Council immediately. I'll read the votes."

He pulled the first slip from the urn. "First vote, Imogen."

She sighed, but patted Charlie’s hand, letting him know she was fine.

"Second vote, Nick. That's one vote Imogen, one vote Nick."

Nick just shrugged it off. He knew he’d get more votes eventually.

Jeff pulled another slip. “Imogen. That’s two votes Imogen, one vote Nick, four votes left.”

She kept a brave face on.

“Fourth vote, Imogen. That’s three votes Imogen, one vote Nick.”

“Disappointing, but not unexpected. It’s fine, everyone,” she assured them all.

“Fifth vote.” Jeff paused and turned the strip of parchment to show them. “Sixth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination, Imogen. That’s four votes, that’s enough. You need to bring me your torch.”

“It’s fine, guys. It was just my time to go. It’s been fun, and I will keep in touch with all of you back in the real world!”

She set her torch in front of Jeff. “You really are the hottest guy on television, Jeff. Once again you prove the point that all the good men are gay or married.”

Jeff laughed. “Imogen, the tribe has spoken.” He extinguished her torch. She blew them all kisses as she left.

“Well, that was a truly gracious exit. You can head-”

“Jeff?” Quinn spoke up before he could finish. “Before we head back to camp, could we have a medic take a look at Simon’s hand? It’s swollen up.”

“Simon?” Wille said in concern.

The man in question sighed and pulled his hand from his pocket. “I don’t think it is broken, I think I just damaged the ligament.”

Jeff nodded and waved in the medical staff. “The rest of you go ahead and head back to camp. We’ll let you know what the verdict is when we have more information.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #6

Day 17 (18?):

Wille couldn’t sleep and kept pacing around the fire. Why hadn’t Simon told anyone he was injured? Why hadn’t he told Wille that he was injured? He knew Simon was stubborn, but not getting treated for that kind of injury right away could be dangerous.

He had no idea what time it was. Quinn had made him a cup of tea before going to bed herself. Finn was sound asleep in one of the hammocks. Nick and Charlie had wandered off to bed just a short while ago, leaving Wille alone to worry over Simon.

Wille, 24. Businessman

“I don’t know how to feel right now. On the one hand I am angry that Simon did something so foolish, but I am very worried about his hand. He is a musician. Any injury could affect his ability to play. Music is his life, and I don’t want him to lose that. Moreover, I feel like part of me is missing, and I don’t know how to find it. Is this what love feels like?”

A noise in the dark brought him out of his thoughts, and he thought he was dreaming when he saw Simon walking towards him. He was moving forward before he knew it, pulling the younger man into a hug.

"What did they say?" he asked, pulling back to study Simon’s hand, which sported a black brace.

"Nothing is broken. I did injure the ligaments. They put my hand in an ice bath, gave me a couple ibuprofen, and gave me the choice of staying or going home."

"You said you were staying, right?"

Simon smiled. "You aren't getting rid of me that easily!"

Wille smiled and kissed him. "Welcome back! Don't worry me like that again!"

Simon smiled ruefully. "I'm sorry. I just got frustrated. It was stupid, I feel like an idiot."

Wille hugged him again. "It’s okay, we all make mistakes."

They walked back to the fire to warm up, sitting in silence for a while until both men began to yawn.

"We should go to bed," Simon said.

"Just let me hold you for a few more minutes," Wille replied. 

Simon smiled and rested his head on the larger man's shoulder.

…

Day 18:

“You’re back!” Charlie greeted when he spotted Simon by the fire that morning. “How is the hand?”

Simon smiled. “It’s fine. They want me to wear the brace for about a week, but nothing is broken.”

“That’s good. Does Wille know you’re back?”

“Yeah, he was still awake when I got back last night. Or rather, early this morning. He’s still sleeping now, isn’t he?”

Charlie nodded. Both men were quiet for a moment. Charlie bit his lip, considering his next words carefully. “So, you and Wille are pretty close, huh?”

Simon seemed surprised by the comment. “About as close as you and Nick, apparently.”

It was Charlie’s turn to be startled. “How did you know that?”

Simon smiled. “I spotted you two by the well when I climbed a coconut tree. How did you know?”

Charlie blushed. “There is a section of the path that leads to the well that has a perfect view of one segment of the beach not visible from the path from camp. I stopped to admire the sunrise a few days ago.”

Both men smiled sheepishly. 

“Guess we weren’t as sneaky as we thought,” Simon said, laughing a little. And then a thought struck him. “But maybe we could be really sneaky.”

Charlie looked curious. “How so?”

“I propose an alliance within an alliance. You and me, final two?”

“You want to go to the Final Tribal Council with me?” Charlie asked, just to clarify.

“Think about it, would either of us stand a chance against Nick or Wille?”

Charlie thought about it. Simon was right. He held out his hand. “Twink alliance?”

“Twink alliance,” Simon agreed, shaking his hand.

Charlie, 23. Musician

“Simon is more of an all around athlete than I am, but he’s right, neither of us are that strong by ourselves. With Nick and Wille on our side, we could definitely make top four. Then Simon and I can take out the other two, and have a fifty-fifty chance at winning. Nick will understand it’s just part of the game.”

The rest of the tribe got up, and they spent the rest of the day just chilling around camp.

…

After breakfast, Blaine and Malin went fishing. They cast their lines, and sat on a rock.

"So, tell me about Sweden," Blaine said. "All I know is they are famous for herring, make awesome meatballs, and have some great places to ski."

She smiled. "All of that is true, although I've never been able to figure out what is so special about meatballs. There is so much more to the country. The castle that was the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet, Kronborg Slot, is in Sweden."

Blaine frowned. "But wasn't Hamlet the Danish King?"

"Yes, well, that region of Sweden has a long and sordid history that would take too long to explain. Suffice it to say that Scania is currently part of Sweden, but they were once part of Denmark, and they aren't very welcoming to foreigners, especially from certain regions of the world."

"Oh. How sad. What about the rest of Sweden?"

She sighed. "Sadly, there is an ugly side to our country. Racism and xenophobia are common in many regions. We are trying to be better, but some things take generations to eradicate." She studied the frown on his face. "I've shattered your image of this beautiful, lgbtq+ friendly country that welcomes people with open arms, haven't I? I'm sorry. Utopia doesn't exist. Not yet anyway."

Blaine shook his head. "Sorry, you’re right. We have to work harder to build a more perfect world. Maybe one day. The good news is that each generation gets a little closer, if we give them the right tools and the chance."

"True," she agreed. "So tell me something about where you live."

Blaine smiled. "I'm from Ann Arbor, in the state of Michigan. We have a lot of beautiful landscapes, famous bridges, an incredible lake, and some pretty awesome places to go fishing. Also, you haven't lived until you've tasted Mackinac Island fudge."

She laughed at that. "Sounds wonderful. Better than meatballs, anyway."

They laughed, but a strong tug on Blaine’s line reminded them of what they were doing.

It took both of them to reel in the large barracuda.

“Damn, that is huge,” Kurt said when they got it back to camp. “And it looks kind of like one of my ex boyfriends.”

“Which one?” Blaine asked.

“Adam,” he replied. “Vicious, and always on the prowl.”

Blaine laughed. “In that case, I can’t wait to cook it.”

After lunch they tidied up around camp, and just relaxed.

...

Day 19:

Tao woke up early, well before sunrise, and carefully slipped out of the shelter, not wanting to disturb anyone. He picked up a basket and the water jug and slipped away from camp. 

He filled the water jug, and harvested a few fruits and some other edible vegetation, then headed back to camp, glad no one else was awake yet.

He fed the chickens, murmuring to them softly as he collected three eggs. 

"Good girls," he praised, giving each of them a quick rub. The rooster seemed to get jealous that he was being ignored, which made Tao smile, and scratched his comb. "Sorry, you are doing an excellent job of being thoroughly annoying at sunrise."

Tao moved to the makeshift table they had made and carefully set the eggs next to his basket of fruit. He stoked the fire, adding more wood, and put the rice on to cook.

He then opened a couple of coconuts, careful to save the water, and chopped the meat up very fine. He used one of the giant clam shells to toast it lightly over the fire, then added it to the rice, which he had deliberately overcooked to make it slightly mushy. He stirred the coconut and rice mixture until it had a soft taffy like texture. 

He portioned the mixture into three parts. To the first portion he added some of the coffee cherry powder, to the second he added some mango, and the third was mixed with chopped dates and cinnamon from the spice rack. He then cut each into six servings, and rolled them into balls, which he rolled in more coconut and then steamed. He also made scrambled eggs, and coffee.

The sun was starting to rise now, and he heard movement from the shelter. He moved quickly to plate up his surprise, and carefully carried it back to the shelter, singing.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday Dear Elle,

Happy Birthday to you!

The others were just as surprised as Elle, who had tears in her eyes. 

"Tao! This is so sweet! Thank you! I can't believe you remembered."

"Of course." He handed her one of the servings of his surprise in a small clam shell dish. It was decorated with an edible orchid. He passed the rest around to the others.

"Happy Birthday, Elle," Blaine said. "If I had known sooner I would have made you a gift."

"Thank you, and it's okay. Just being here is a gift."

"Tao, this homemade mochi is incredible!" Kurt said.

He smiled. "Thanks, but technically it’s Lo Mai Chi, the Cantonese version of mochi. My mum and I make it all the time at home. Of course it's missing a couple ingredients, but I did what I could."

"You would never know the difference," Felice said. "Happy Birthday, Elle!"

"Yes, happy birthday," Malin said.

"Thank you all, this has been a wonderful start to the day."

“Hopefully we can make the day even better by winning the reward challenge,” Tao said.

Elle smiled, and hugged him. “Thank you so much. I wasn’t going to say anything about today, because I thought it would depress me not to have my family here, but you really made me feel special!”

Elle, 2526. Birthday Girl

“I’ve never had someone outside of my family go out of their way to make me feel so special. I told Tao in week one that if I didn’t get eliminated, I would be spending my birthday on the island, away from my family, and he remembered. He may be a goof a lot of the time, but he is also very thoughtful and kind. He is making it very hard not to fall in love with him.”

After breakfast, Felice disappeared into the woods for a while, as Tao, Blaine, and Elle went fishing. She returned just as Kurt came back from checking tree mail. She was carrying a basket 

“I didn’t know it was your birthday, but a birthday girl should look extra special.” She pulled something from the basket, revealing a crown of orchids and other flowers, interspersed with green leaves. She placed it on Elle’s head. "There! You look so pretty!"

Elle laughed. "I feel like a princess."

"Wait, there's more! I made a bracelet too!"

"Oh my god, thank you, you are so sweet!"

"You look beautiful," Kurt said. "You'll dazzle the other tribe so much they won't be able to compete!"

Everyone laughed. 

"Speaking of competing, what was in the tree mail?" Malin asked.

Kurt held up a small coconut with a message adhered to it. "Pass it off, hands off!"

"That's it? That's all it says?" Felice said.

"It is rather vague," Blaine agreed.

"Guess we’ll just have to just wait and see," Elle said.

…

"That’s the clue?" Quinn asked, sounding confused.

"It’s a party game!" Finn exclaimed. "You know, you have to pick things up with your chin and then pass it to someone else without touching it with your hands!"

She looked at him thoughtfully. "You could be right, but there has to be more to it than that."

"Well, whatever it is, we’ll just have to do our best," Charlie said.

"Hey, if it's hands off, at least I've got a shot!" Simon teased, raising his injured hand.

Wille looked at him like he couldn't believe he was joking about it. Simon rolled his eyes and nudged him with his elbow.

They ate lunch and headed to the challenge. 

"Come on in," Jeff called. "Hillney getting their first look at the new Truska, Imogen voted out the other night. And Truska getting a look at Hillney all decked out in flowers! What's up guys?"

After Felice had made the crown and bracelet for Elle, they all had decided to adorn themselves with smaller floral necklaces or bracelets. Malin even had flowers braided into her hair.

"It’s my birthday," Elle said. "Tao made me a special breakfast, and Felice made me the Crown and bracelet to celebrate, and things have just gotten silly since."

"Hey," Blaine said. He was wearing his flower necklace like a bow tie. "We're just making sure you have fun on your birthday!"

Elle laughed. "They really have made me feel special, especially Tao."

"Well happy birthday," Jeff said. "Are you ready for the challenge?"

"Bring it!" Kurt replied.

"Today’s challenge is a twist on a party classic. Five tribe members will have their hands tied behind their backs. They will have to use their chins to pick up coconuts and carry them thirty yards to the sixth tribe member, who will then toss them up into their tribe’s net. The goal is to be the first tribe to fill your net full enough to break the board the net is suspended from. If a coconut hits the ground, it is out of play. You may use your mouth to pick up the coconuts off the table, but I wouldn't recommend it. Want to know what you are playing for?"

"Yes!"

Jeff grinned and uncovered the display on the podium. "Just like the song says, burgers and fries and cherry pies!”

There were several excited replies.

"Okay, I'll give you a moment to strategize, then we’ll draw lots for positions."

"Okay, so who can shoot a basketball?" Simon asked.

Finn shrugged. "I was on the basketball team in high school, but it wasn’t my strongest sport."

"Can you make a basket?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, three out of five tries, but it’s been a few years."

"Anyone else who can make a basket?" Charlie asked. 

"Sorry mates, basketball is my kryptonite," Nick said.

"And I can’t with the brace," Simon replied.

"Finn it is then," Quinn said.

They took their positions, and Jeff double checked everyone’s wrists were tied but no one's circulation was impacted.

"Okay, we have Finn shooting for Truska, and the birthday girl, Elle, shooting for Hillney. Survivors ready, go!"

Tao was laser focused, determined to win this for Elle. He was the first to manage to pick up a coconut and rushed to deliver it to Elle. She took it and took careful aim, and scored.

"Hillney is the first to get a coconut in their net! Here come Malin and Blaine with two more coconuts for Hillney. Simon and Charlie each have a coconut for Truska. Can they reach the mat, and can Finn get them in the net?"

Finn missed his first shot, but sunk the second. Elle sank three in a row.

“Kurt drops a coconut and goes back. Tao has his second one already, and Felice just passed off her first to Elle. Quinn delivers a coconut to Finn, and he makes it into the net. Nick drops a coconut. Hillney has a lead with five coconuts in their net to Truska’s two. Those boards are three inches thick and very sturdy. It is going to take a lot of weight to break them!”

Kurt managed to get his second coconut to the mat and passed it off to Elle. They were moving pretty steadily now that they had gotten the hang of it. Tao was tearing through the challenge like a man possessed. Elle was making nine out of ten shots, and their net was steadily filling up.

Truska tribe was working steadily as well now. There were still a few dropped coconuts along the way, but more of them reached Finn than not. Finn was managing seven out of ten shots on average, and their net was filling up as well.

“Hillney’s board starting to dip in the middle, but Truska isn’t too far behind. Tao hasn’t dropped a single coconut yet, and is moving like he’s done this his entire life. That’s dedication right there!”

Elle wasn’t sure how long the challenge had taken so far. They had to have at least two hundred coconuts in their net by now. Her arms were starting to tire, and she missed the last four shots. Finn was having the same trouble. She took a deep breath, shook out her arms, and took her time to make the next toss. 

“Yes!” she murmured when it went into the net. She retrieved another coconut from Tao, smiling sweetly at him. He winked at her, and turned to rush back to the table for another one. Still smiling, she turned back and took aim. The coconut went into the net, and she heard a creak, and then a crack, and the board started to break, but didn’t snap in half yet.

“Hillney almost there! Just a few more coconuts should do it!”

Finn made five shots in a row, but their board had only just started to dip. Quinn kept calling out encouragement, but it was clear she was getting frustrated as the only woman left on the tribe. You would think with five men on their tribe, and only three on Hillney, they would be better at this.

Tao delivered another coconut right behind Kurt and Malin. Elle made all three shots, and the net came crashing down.

“Yes! I win!” Elle shouted, hugging her tribe, and kissing Tao on the cheek. The tall man blushed.

“Hillney wins reward! Congratulations,” Jeff said as they lined back up on their tribe mats.

“Jeff?” Elle said, tentatively. “Can I make a request?”

“What’s that?”

“Well, I talked it over with the rest of the tribe, and we were wondering if maybe, since it is my birthday, we could share the reward with Truska, and maybe have a little party at Hillerska’s old beach?”

“You want to share the reward with Truska?”

“Yes. I mean, Nick and Charlie are my friends, and Simon, Wille, Quinn and Finn are great people, and I just want everyone to be happy on my birthday.”

“And the rest of Hillney are okay with sharing?”

“Yes,” Blaine and Felice said, while the others nodded.

“Normally that isn’t allowed, but since it is a special occasion, and since Hillney all agree, I will allow it.”

“Yes!” Elle said, and Truska clapped and thanked her.

“We’ll have the food delivered to Hillerska’s former beach in an hour. You can all head back there now. And Happy birthday once again.”

“Thank you, Jeff. You should stop by the beach for a little while too!”

Jeff laughed. “Go on, get to the party!”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #7

Day 19 cont.:

“Thank you for inviting us, Elle!” Charlie said, hugging her. “And happy birthday!”

“Charlie, I’m so happy to see you!” She studied him for a moment. “Have you been eating?”

He smiled. “Yes. Quinn has a much lighter hand with the wild garlic than Imogen. I’ve been able to eat just fine. It takes me longer than everyone else, but that can’t be helped.”

“And how many milkshakes did you have?”

He laughed. “I drank one full one by myself, and split one with Nick, and then drank half another before I couldn’t drink any more and let Finn finish it. So, basically two milkshakes.”

“Good. You better eat at least one burger and a pie. I won’t make you eat the chips, or fries as the Americans call them. Unless you want to, of course."

"I'll do my best, that's all I can promise."

She hugged him again, and he went to join Nick and Tao, and the rest of the guys, while she joined the other women.

"I wonder what they are talking about?" Felice said.

"Well I'm fairly certain they aren't talking about women, since only two of them are straight," Quinn said.

"What?" Felice said. "I mean, I knew Kurt, Simon, and Charlie were gay, but who else? Surely not Finn?"

"Well, I'm not sure if Nick and Wille are gay, but they aren't straight," Quinn said.

"Nick is bisexual," Elle confirmed.

"Wow," Felice said. "That explains so much. I mean, Wille said he'd probably never want to marry a woman his mother picked out for him."

Malin shook her head. "I'm pretty sure there is more to it than that in Wille's case. I know some of the women his mother has picked out for him, and I can say he would be miserable with all of them. You might be the exception."

Malin, 35. Security

“I know exactly why Wille’s mother would be overjoyed at a union between Wille and Felice, and it has everything to do with her money. But at least she wouldn’t make him as miserable as any of the others I know about that his mother has tried to marry him off to. The two of them would make a great pairing, if he were interested, but I don’t see that happening.”

"So you know Wille's family well?" Felice asked. "I mean, all he has told me about them is that we're peers. I don't even know which family he is from. I know I recognize him from somewhere, but I can’t place him."

Malin shrugged. "I am acquainted with them, but I wouldn't say I know them well."

Quinn studied the group of men, who were all laughing about something Tao had just said. "Men are so complicated, but they claim we are the complex gender. I blame toxic masculinity. My father was a prime example of misogynistic, caveman rationale."

"I'm sorry, Quinn. That must have been hard growing up," Elle said.

The older woman shrugged. "I got pregnant at sixteen, and he threw me out of the house. Said sex outside marriage was a sin, and he didn't want a sinner living under his roof. My mother said nothing for six months. Then she found out he was cheating on her with some tattooed harlot, and kicked him out of the house. She asked me to forgive her for not standing up against him. We made up just in time for the birth of my daughter."

"That still couldn't have been easy on you. And yet here you are today, strong and proud," Felice said, admiringly.

"Thank you. I told myself I was never going to rely on anyone but myself again, especially not a man. Don't get me wrong, they do have their uses, but I refuse to let one be in a position to dictate my life."

"Good for you," Malin said.

"What about you," Elle asked Malin. "What is your family like?"

"My family was fairly typical. Both my parents worked. My father was strict, but he was never deliberately cruel. Sadly he passed away shortly after I joined the military, and never met my wife."

"I'm sorry," Elle said. "I feel so lucky to have such a great dad. He’s always making me laugh, calls me his 'Bella Ella,' and just wants me to have the best life possible."

"He sounds wonderful," Quinn said.

"Thanks."

They settled down to eat a short time later. Jeff couldn't stop by, but surprised them all by sending two bottles of champagne as a gift.

Tao made a toast. "To Elle, a remarkable woman. May she have many more happy birthdays, and may every other day in her life bring her something to smile about."

Elle laughed as they all raised their glass to her. All in all, it had been an incredible day.

…

Charlie was tipsy as they made their way back to their camp, and kept giggling as he tripped along. Nick had to keep him from falling several times.

"You only had one glass of champagne, how can you be this far gone?"

Charlie just laughed and clung to Nick’s arm. His words were slurred when he spoke. "I don't usually drink, because I'm so skinny, it goes straight to my head, and I say things I probably shouldn't, like the fact that your ass is so hot in those pants."

Nick laughed. "You really are drunk, aren't you?"

"Yep. My therapist is really going to be upset with me. Geoff says I shouldn't drink alcohol. It can affect me worse than others, and mess up my recovery. But I couldn't be the only one not to toast to Elle."

Nick frowned. "What recovery?"

Charlie put a finger to his lips in a shushing manner. "Shhh! I don’t want anyone to know I don't like to eat! Elle knows. She figured it out, but she's nice, and she won't tell anyone. She's my new big sister, just like Tori. They won't tell anyone I'm hannor… anna… anor… an or ex ic." He had to sound out the word slowly, his speech was so bad.

Nick was stunned, and was glad the others were so far ahead of them that hopefully they hadn’t heard Charlie’s confession. 

"You're anorexic?"

"Shhh! Don't let Nick hear you! It's a secret!"

Nick felt his stomach sink a little. "Why don’t you want Nick to know?"

Charlie wasn't giggling anymore. "Because then he will find out I'm not right in the head and he won't want to be my boyfriend. I really want Nick to be my boyfriend. He's so kind, and sweet, and funny, and sexy, and I just want to pull his clothes off an-"

Nick put his hand over the younger man’s mouth. "Maybe you shouldn't say anything else until you sober up. You don't want Nick to overhear you, do you?"

Charlie shook his head no, and Nick removed his hand. "Good. Come on, let's get back to camp so you can sleep this off."

"Okay."

They walked along in silence for a few minutes, then Charlie leaned heavily against him. "Nick?"

"Yes Charlie?"

"I don't feel so good." Before Nick could say anything, the younger man doubled over and vomited. 

Nick held on to him so he didn’t fall on his face. “Easy, I’ve got you. You’ll feel a little better once you get it out of your system.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Charlie repeated over and over, and started crying. “I’m so pathetic!”

“Hey! Don’t say that!” Nick said, wiping Charlie’s face with the hem of his shirt.

“I am! I’m pathetic! I can’t eat properly, and I can’t drink alcohol, and there is something not right with my head! I’m sorry I’m so pathetic!”

“Shh, Charlie, please don’t say that! You’re not pathetic! You’re beautiful!”

But Charlie didn’t hear him. The younger man had passed out in his arms. Nick fought back his own tears, and picked Charlie up to carry him back to camp.

“Is he alright?” Quinn asked when she saw them. 

Nick shook his head. “The alcohol hit him pretty hard. He threw up, and then passed out. I’m just going to put him to bed.”

She nodded. “Do you need any help?”

He started to tell her no, but paused. “Can you bring me something to clean him up with, and some warm water?”

“Of course.” 

Nick carried Charlie to the sleeping platform as she gathered the requested items. Nick gently washed his face, wiping his mouth out as best as he could without waking the man.

“I’ll make sure he has some bland rice for breakfast. Maybe with some cattail heads in it. It will help his stomach,” Quinn offered.

“Thank you. I’m sure he will appreciate that.”

She left them alone, and Nick sat beside Charlie, his back against the cliff wall, lost in thought. Did Charlie really think Nick wouldn't like him anymore because he had some kind of mental illness?

Nick, 24. Rugby player

“How could anyone think I would stop liking Charlie because he’s had some problems that he is working to overcome? How could Charlie think I would ever be that shallow? Charlie is beautiful, and perfect, and I just want to keep him safe from everything, even himself if I have to. I’ll make him believe that he is perfect just the way he is.”

…

Day 20:

Felice was the first up that morning, and went to fill the water jug. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Wille was not straight.

She had been attracted to the man from the moment she had laid eyes on him, mainly due to his resemblance to the younger prince, admittedly. She'd had a bit of a crush on Prins Wilhelm since she was about fourteen and had seen a picture of him in a magazine with the rest of the royal family.

But Wille was kind, witty, and had this kind of sideways smile that made her heart dip.

She sighed. Of course he wasn't into her. The first guy she meets who has no interest in her family’s wealth, and he isn't straight.

She paused as another thought struck her. If Quinn knew Wille wasn't straight, it meant she had some kind of evidence to have reached that conclusion, which means Wille probably had given himself away somehow, and she could only think of one possible way. Wille was attracted to someone on their tribe, and it was probably a former Hillerska tribe member, and since the only other former Hillerska tribe members besides her and Wille were Malin, a lesbian, and Simon, she was pretty sure she knew who he was pining after. 

She had to admit, they did make a cute couple, especially when they were both smiling or laughing. 

She was a little curious what it was about the other man that had captured Wille’s attention. Was it the curly hair that framed his face like some divine creature, the eyes that always seemed to be filled with mirth, or was it the delicate mouth that could look both sinful and sweet at the same time? Actually, the more she thought about it, she could understand the appeal. If she hadn’t been certain Simon was gay, she might have fallen for him too.

She sighed again and headed back to camp, more convinced than ever that all the good men were either married or gay.

…

Quinn smiled kindly down at Charlie as he finally opened his eyes. 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” she teased. “How does your head feel?”

He shook his head, but regretted it immediately. “Like someone hit me with a sledge hammer. Please tell me I didn’t say or do anything embarrassing last night?”

“Not as far as I know, but you were passed out when Nick brought you back to camp. Here, I asked medical for some aspirin, and I made you an extra strong cup of coffee. When you feel a little better, I made you a porridge of rice and cattail heads, with just a tiny bit of cinnamon to help digestion.”

“You are an angel, truly.”

She laughed, and patted his hand. “I think you may still be a little drunk if you think I’m an angel.”

He just smiled weakly, took the aspirin with a swig of coffee, and waited for the shelter to stop spinning. After a few minutes he glanced around. “Where is everyone else?”

“Simon and Finn went fishing. Wille is collecting firewood, and Nick just left to check tree mail. Do you want to try eating the porridge now?

He considered carefully. “Let me have a little more coffee first.

“Alright. I’ll be just outside the shelter if you need any help. The porridge is in the small pot next to the fire to keep it warm whenever you are ready.”

“Thank you again,” he said, before taking another gulp of the coffee. She smiled sweetly once more, then left him be. 

Charlie leaned back against the cliff wall, unknowingly sitting in the exact same spot where Nick had sat watching over him the night before, trying to recall what happened after he’d left the party, but drawing a complete blank. He had been an idiot for having drank the entire glass of champagne. He knew his metabolism wouldn’t handle it well. The anorexia had screwed up his system pretty badly, and his doctors had warned him that even small amounts of alcohol could affect him drastically, and too much could be lethal. He should have only taken a sip, but didn’t want to have to explain why he didn’t finish it.

He sighed and finished off the coffee, and then carefully rose up and went to investigate the porridge Quinn had made. She had apparently used the last of the milk from the milk and cookies in it. He could just taste the cinnamon, but it wasn’t overpowering, and he knew it would help his stomach. It actually tasted quite good, and just a few bites already had him feeling better. He made a mental note to ask her for the recipe.

He had just finished eating, managing all but the last two bites, when Nick returned.

“Hi,” the red haired man greeted, sounding slightly uncertain of himself.

“Hi,” Charlie replied, smiling nervously. “I’m sorry about last night. Not that I remember anything, but I really shouldn’t drink alcohol. It goes straight to my head.”

“That’s what you said last night,” Nick said with a nod.

“I did?”

“Yeah, and then you mentioned how hot I looked in these pants.”

Charlie blushed. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to say sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Sorry.”

“You say ‘sorry’ an awful lot. Please don’t say it again.”

Charlie fought back a grin. “I kind of want to say it.”

“Don’t! You aren’t allowed to say the ‘S’ word!”

They both smiled at that.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Nick asked.

“Better. Quinn made me a porridge that really helped. I was just thinking I should get the recipe from her so I can make it at home if my stomach gets upset again.”

Nick nodded. “What about your head? Any dizziness or headache?”

“A slight headache, but Quinn gave me some aspirin as well, and it’s starting to fade. She also made me a strong cup of coffee. I should be fine by the challenge today. Did you get the tree mail?”

“Yeah, Quinn just went down to the beach to let the others know.”

Charlie nodded. “I’m just gonna use the loo, and clean up a little, and change my clothes.”

Nick nodded. “Be careful. If you get dizzy, just shout and I’ll come give you a hand.”

“Okay.”

…

"We have tree mail!" Tao called out, holding out an oar with a tag tied to it. "Not everything is as it seems. Find the right parts to win Immunity."

"So basically we have to find something real among a bunch of fakes?" Felice suggested.

"Or more than one something," Malin agreed.

"But why an oar?" Elle asked.

"Maybe we'll be rowing a boat during the challenge?" Blaine suggested.

"That’s a possibility," Kurt said. 

They arrived at the beach where their first challenge had occurred, noticing many items floating in a large marked off section of the bay, as well as two floating docks.

“Come on in guys. So how was the party?”

“It was awesome, Jeff!” Elle said. “Thank you so much!”

“Glad you all had fun. For now though, we have business to attend to. Hillney, I need to take back the immunity idol.”

Felice passed it to him, giving it a little pat on its head before releasing it, 

“Immunity once more up for grabs. In today’s challenge, as you can see there are three-D puzzle pieces floating out in the water. There are one hundred yellow pieces, and one hundred navy blue pieces. One by one you will swim out and search among your tribe’s colors for twelve pieces with the Survivor logo on them. Only pieces with the logo will fit in the puzzle. You will bring your pieces back to shore and place them on your tribe’s mat, and then the next person will go. Everyone must swim out and retrieve a puzzle piece at least once! After that you can go in whatever order you like!

“Once you have all twelve pieces, you will assemble them to make a boat and two oars. Once the boat is assembled, you will place your tribe’s flag in the bow, and two tribe members will row out to their tribe’s dock and place their flag. First tribe to place their flag wins Immunity. The other tribe will have a date with me at Tribal Council later tonight. Everyone understood?”

They replied in the affirmative.

“Okay, I’ll give you a few minutes to strategize, and then we’ll draw lots for positions.”

They talked over who would swim in what order, and Tao looked worried. “I can swim, but I’m not that strong. The swim after the abandon ship was grueling. I mean, you guys saw how slow I swim during the challenge after the first swap.”

“You’ll do fine,” Blaine said encouragingly. “This isn’t even a third of the distance of the abandon ship, and you only have to go once. You go first, and let the rest of us worry about the rest, okay?”

Tao nodded, but still looked nervous.

“I’ll be one of the two rowers,” Malin said.

Kurt nodded. “Blaine can be the second, unless Elle or Felice has experience?” Booth women shook their heads no. 

“I can swim multiple times if I have to,” Elle volunteered.

“Okay then, I think we’re all sorted,” Kurt replied, and they took up their positions.

“Everyone is set. For Truska we have Finn swimming first, followed by Charlie, Nick, Wille, Simon, and Quinn. Hillney has Tao, Felice, Blaine, Kurt, Malin and Elle in that order! Survivors ready? Go!”

Finn and Tao both ran out and dove into the water, swimming for the area of floating puzzle pieces. Finn immediately took the lead as Tao did his best, but remained at least two body lengths behind the taller man.

“Finn reaches the puzzle pieces first and begins searching for one of the marked puzzle pieces. Remember, there are only twelve pieces out of a hundred with the Survivor logo in each tribe’s colors. That is a lot of puzzle pieces to search through. Tao reaches the playing field now and also begins searching.”

Tao grabbed the first piece he could reach, what looked like a part of an oar. He could have shouted in joy when he spotted the logo. He’d gotten it on his first try! He held onto it and headed back to shore.

“And Tao finds Hillney’s first piece right off the bat! Finn still searching for Truska’s first piece.”

“Great job!” Elle called out, as the rest of Hillney clapped and cheered Tao on as he slowly but steadily made his way back to shore. He staggered slightly as he hit the beach, but made it back to the mat and dropped his piece. Felice immediately dashed out into the surf.

“Felice swimming out now, Finn still searching for a marked piece. Look carefully, Finn, make sure you check all sides of each piece for a logo!”

Felice reached the zone and began searching. She didn’t have the same luck as Tao, and actually had to search several pieces before finding a marked one on her tenth try.

“And Felice has Hillney’s second piece! Finn needs to step it up for Truska!”

Kurt, Blaine, and Elle were all cheering and jumping up and down, while Malin and Tao clapped and called encouragement. Felice also struggled slightly as she dragged the large, oddly shaped boat section ashore. Once she had it on the mat, Blaine patted her back and took off.

“Blaine out now for Hillney, as Finn finally finds a piece for Truska and starts back. He is struggling a little after spending so much time searching. Remember there are emergency divers in the water in case anyone is struggling too much, but Finn seems to be doing well enough.”

Blaine searched about fifteen pieces before finding a logo, and was on his way back with it by the time Finn got his piece to the mat.

“Finn brings back Truska’s first puzzle piece, and sends Charlie out as Blaine is heading in with Hillney’s third piece. Truska has a lot of ground to make up!”

Blaine dropped his piece and Kurt hurried out. Charlie had found another piece as Kurt began his search. It only took a few tries for Kurt to find another oar piece and start back.

“Both Charlie and Kurt heading back in with pieces, Charlie with Triska’s second, and Kurt with Hillney’s fourth!” 

Charlie dropped his piece on the mat and Nick raced forward just as Kurt reached the beach and headed to the mat. Malin was ready to go as he dropped his piece. Malin was a strong swimmer, and caught up with Nick as they both reached the marked zone at the same time. Nick was the first to find a marked piece, however, and headed back while she had to search for another couple minutes. The moment she spotted the logo on a piece she was headed back.

“Nick beats Malin back to shore with piece number three for Truska, but Malin returns not too far behind with Hillney’s fifth piece. Wille and Elle are out now, practically neck and neck!”

Elle pulled on her years of competitive swimming to take the lead, and reached the puzzle pieces first. She knew they had a pretty big lead, so instead of just looking for one marked piece, she found four and moved them to the edge of the field, and then noticed a fifth not far away. She swam over and grabbed that one, and started back to shore. Wille had also found a piece and was heading back.

“Elle thinking strategically and places several of Hillney’s pieces within easy reach before heading back. They now have six pieces to Truska’s four as Wille drops his piece on the mat. Simon takes off and spears through the water, using his incredible speed in the water to make up ground as Elle heads back out for Hillney.”

Elle simply had to grab one of the pieces she had already found, but Simon took some time looking and found several of Truska’s pieces, following Elle’s example and moving them to the edge where the others could just grab them. He then headed back with their fifth piece just as Elle dropped their seventh on the mat. Malin went back out this time.

“Malin heading out to grab Hillney’s eighth piece, as Simon drags Truska’s sixth ashore and back to the mat, sending Quinn out. Quinn showing what a strong swimmer she is, nearly catching up with Malin. Both women grab one of the puzzle pieces already found by their tribemates and head back. They’re dead even on the return to shore, and Malin just drops her piece a half a step ahead of Quinn. Kurt heading back out for Hillney, Quinn makes a u turn and goes right back out for Truska, Score is eight for Hillney, six Truska.”

Kurt grabbed another of the marked pieces Elle had pulled aside and headed back, Quinn right beside him, They hit the mat in a virtual tie.

“Elle goes in for Hillney, who still need three more pieces, one of which they’ve already found. Quinn in once more for Truska, she looks like she is starting to tire. Truska has found all but one of their pieces, they just need to get them back to shore.”

Elle ignored the piece at the edge and searched for the final two pieces, both of which were parts of an oar. She found one quickly, but the second one eluded her. As she searched, Quinn grabbed another piece and headed back to shore.

“Truska narrows the gap as Quinn drops their eighth piece on the mat, and Simon dives back in. Elle finds the final piece for Hillney, moving them to the edge, and heads back with the larger of their three pieces. Simon has another piece for Truska, and is only two body lengths behind her and catching up!”

Once Elle returned, Malin went back out for another piece. Simon dropped his and went back in again. Simon was slightly faster than the older woman in the water, and managed to grab his piece before her, but Hillney was still up one piece on them, and he had no idea where their last piece was.

“Elle goes back in for Hillney’s last piece, and Simon heads back in for the third straight time! Elle reaches the zone, but she’s slowed down and is clinging to the buoy. She signals the rescue divers and they swim in to check on her. She seems to be indicating her calf. It looks like her leg is somehow tangled in some seaweed! The divers cut her free, and she heads back with the last piece, Simon now ahead of her as he drops the next to last piece for Truska on the mat. Quinn takes off to search for Truska’s last piece, but with nearly ninety pieces to search through, can Truska catch up?”

Elle dropped the final piece on the mat and almost collapsed as her leg gave out. 

“Are you alright?’ Tao asked as Kurt, Felice, and Malin began to assemble the boat, while Blaine assembled the oars.

She nodded. “Charlie horse in my leg, and I think the seaweed twisted my ankle a little.”

Tao massaged the back of her calf and the ankle for her as the others finished the boat and put the pins in to hold it together. Blaine grabbed their flag and placed it in the slot on the bow, and picked up the oars. He and Malin dragged the boat into the surf and climbed aboard.

“Quinn finds the last piece for Truska and is headed back, but Hillney has their completed boat in the water and is heading out to their doc! Looks like Hillney is about to hand Truska their third loss in a row!”

As the rest of Hillney cheered them on, Blaine and Malin made steady progress towards their dock. Quinn brought Truska’s final piece ashore, and Charlie and Simon set to work assembling it, not giving up no matter how hopeless it seemed.

“Truska completes their boat, but Hillney only a few yards from their dock now. Nick and Wille head out with their flag anyway. I like that they aren’t giving up without a fight, but Hillney is at their dock, and Malin plants their flag! Hillney wins Immunity!”

Once the rest of the tribe returned to shore, they lined up on their mats.

"Great work from both teams, but Hillney you blew Truska out of the water." Jeff handed the idol to Elle.

"Truska, once again I will see you tonight at Tribal Council."

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #7

Day 20 cont.:

Quinn puttered around camp trying to think of a way to keep both her and Finn in the game. Right now the tribes were evenly split, with four members of each of the original three tribes, but Wille, Simon, Nick and Charlie were all pretty close, and she was almost certain they had an alliance. Her only hope was for them to vote Finn out instead of her, and pray they won the next immunity challenge. 

She had watched the show enough to know that the merge would be in the next few days. If not the next reward challenge, then the one after that. Very rarely do they go below ten players before the merge. It had happened before, of course, but she would bank on it happening sooner rather than later. She just had to hold out until then and take her chances with Individual Immunity.

She made dinner, as Finn collected fire wood, and the others went down to the beach to ‘fish,’ although she was certain they were discussing who to vote out.

After dinner, she sent up a quick prayer that she would survive another vote as they headed to Tribal Council.

They filed into the Council area quietly, and Jeff studied them thoughtfully.

“You’re back,” was his greeting.

“We’re back,” Nick agreed.

“Simon, how is the hand?”

He shrugged, holding up the braced hand. “It’s fine. It was a little stiff before the competition today, but the cold water helped.”

“No more hitting things in frustration?” Jeff teased.

Simon grinned. “Yeah, I learned my lesson.”

“Well, it didn’t seem to affect your performance at the last two challenges. So, what do you think it is about Hillney that they just keep pulling out these wins? Quinn?”

“I really don’t know. I mean everyone on this tribe has done everything right, so maybe they’ve just been incredibly lucky?”

“So how do you motivate yourselves to beat them? They’ve won the last three challenges, that has to be bringing down tribe morale. Charlie?”

“It is disheartening to lose constantly, yes, but I don’t know how we can do any better when we are all doing our very best. We just have to take each challenge as it comes.”

“So how do you base your votes tonight? Is it still based on numbers? Finn?”

“Yeah, I guess. I mean, right now things are pretty even as far as I can tell, so yeah, you gotta take someone out before they take you out.”

“Wille, who do you vote for in this situation?”

He sighed. “I know who I am voting for, and it is about numbers, but it’s also about performance. I have to keep people in the tribe that have the strength and the focus, to keep us competitive.”

“It sounds like you are ready to vote. You’re up first.”

Wille stood and walked to the booth. There was no hesitation as he wrote down the name and showed it to the camera. “Sorry, I really like you, but I need people on the tribe who are more focused.”

Nick, Charlie and Finn went next, and then it was Quinn’s turn. She took a moment to consider her vote. She showed it to the camera with a sigh. “I’m so sorry, it really is about the numbers.”

Finally, Simon got up and entered the booth. “Wille is right, you have to stay focused.”

Once he returned to his seat, Jeff stood. “I’ll go tally the votes.”

Quinn shifted in her seat as she waited. To her it seemed to take far longer for Jeff to return than usual, but she knew it didn’t take any longer than normal. The host returned and set the urn on the podium.

“Once the votes have been read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave immediately. I’ll read the vote. First vote,” he reached into the urn. “Nick.”

Nick just nodded, and Jeff drew the next slip of paper.

“Second vote, Wille. That’s one vote Nick, one vote Wille.” he reached into the urn again. “Third vote, Finn. That’s one vote Nick, one vote Wille, one vote Finn, three votes left.”

Several people exchanged nervous looks as Jeff reached for the fourth vote. 

“Finn,” Jeff said, showing them the parchment. Quinn sighed in relief. “That’s one vote Nick, one vote Wille, two votes Finn, two votes left.”

He reached into the urn and pulled another vote. “Seventh person voted out of Survivor: World Domination, Finn. That’s three votes, that’s enough. You need to bring me your torch.”

Finn stood and picked up his torch. “I can’t argue with that. I wish it was different.”

“Finn, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed the torch.

“Well, at least I’ll be able to take a shower and have a bedtime snack tonight.”

They laughed at his parting shot, and waved goodbye.

“Another hard decision made, and it continues to get harder. Head back to camp."

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #7

Day 21:

Felice managed to wake up first, though she wasn’t sure how. She had always had trouble getting up in the mornings, although she wasn’t as bad as some people. She never hit snooze more than twice, and then only on weekends if she didn’t have plans. She wasn’t one of those people who couldn’t function until she’d had at least one cup of coffee, either. She just had trouble finding motivation to get out of bed sometimes.

This morning she got up, refilled the water jug, put rice on to cook, and went down to the beach to check the crab pot. She came back with three crabs and a fish that got caught in the tide pools when the water had receded. By then Kurt and Malin were up, and the other three were stirring.

“Good morning!” she said as she set the basket with her catch in it down.

“Wow, you’ve been busy this morning,” Kurt said.

She shrugged. “I just felt motivated today. I think I’ve finally realized that I don’t need to prove myself to anyone else. Always trying to live up to other people’s expectations wore me down and left me exhausted. But I’ve exceeded everything I expected I could do out here, and now I want to know what else I am capable of when it’s what I choose.”

Felice, 24. Student

“I’m tired of trying to win my mother’s approval. Or that of anyone else. This is my life, I should live it how I want. From now on, I will be my own motivation. If I want to try something, I will do it. If there is something holding me back, I will cut it from my life. But I will be the one to determine what is best for me from now on.”

“Good for you!” Blaine said, joining them.

“I’m happy for you,” Malin said. “But what about your mother?”

Felice shrugged. “She’s just going to have to deal with the fact that I’m not a child anymore, and from now on, I will be making decisions about my future. I’m going to start by dropping out of university, and going to art school. And I won’t be dating anyone for a while, regardless of how much she wants to marry me off. I will decide if and when I am ready to marry. Right now, I need to focus on me.”

“I wish you the best with that,” Elle said, hugging her. 

“Everyone should have the chance to be themselves,” Tao agreed.

Felice smiled, hugging Elle back, as Tao’s words echoed through her mind. Maybe there was something else she could do that would benefit others as well. She needed to talk to Elle some more.

After breakfast she asked the other woman to help her harvest more fruit, while Blaine and Tao went fishing, and Kurt and Malin collected firewood.

Felice and Elle had a long talk, getting to know each other a lot more, learning more about each other’s lives, their goals for the future, and what they want in a relationship. The conversation was very enlightening for Felice, who felt she now had a better idea of what she wanted to do with her life.

…

Simon was humming as he filled the water jug, a new song forming in his mind. He had a few lyrics he was trying out, but he didn’t want anyone else to hear them yet. Writing songs wasn’t really his strong suit, and he was feeling a bit self conscious about it.

He smiled at Quinn when he returned to camp. She was making breakfast. 

“Good morning,” he greeted. “How are you today?”

She shrugged, but smiled. “I’m here. I guess that’s the best I can hope for for now.”

“I hope you know it’s nothing personal, it’s just how the game works, right?”

“Yes, I know, and I don’t hold it against you guys. I kind of figured you four have an alliance. Can I ask one question, though?”

“What’s that?” he asked, curious.

“Well, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, because it’s none of my business, but if you do answer it isn’t going to affect my attitude in any way, but, are you and Wille a thing? I mean, I’m pretty sure Nick and Charlie are a thing, the way Nick hovers over him so protectively, but what about you two?”

“Oh, uh. Well…”

She smiled. “That tells me everything I need to know. You two make a good pair. You compliment and balance each other.”

Quinn, 27. Lawyer

“They really do make an adorable couple. Nick and Charlie, too. They make me feel so old, even though they are only a few years younger than me. Maybe I should start dating again. If I can find a guy who doesn’t freak out over my daughter, and who doesn’t try to dictate my life. Does a guy like that even exist?”

Simon blushed. “Thanks.”

The others joined them, and after breakfast, Simon and Wille went fishing, while Nick and Charlie collected wood. Quinn harvested more fruit and wild vegetation, and made flatbreads for their lunch with the wild carrots, leeks, and fennel she had found.

After lunch they just relaxed around camp, talking about their families, and their work. Eventually Simon coaxed Quinn into singing for them, which evolved into a sing along, with Nick and Charlie also taking turns with Simon and Quinn in leading them in a song. Wille attempted to sing as well, but it quickly became apparent that he most definitely could not sing to save his life.

…

Day 22:

“Tree mail!” Blaine called out, holding up a length of rope with a three pronged hook attached. “Escape is key to winning reward. Think carefully how to proceed.”

“That’s pretty easy,” Tao said. “We’re escaping, but from what?”

“My guess would be cells, but I could be wrong,” Malin said.

“So, we’ll probably be using a hook like this to try and snag something and pull it towards us,” Felice said. “Most likely a key?”

Kurt shrugged. “It’s possible we’ll have to escape from more than one type of confinement. It says to think carefully how to proceed. I think there may be multiple steps to this.”

After lunch they were led to the same field where they had held the blindfolded challenge, and the maze. Once again it had been transformed. Two parallel rows of cells were set up about thirty feet apart. Each progressive cell was further apart than the one before it, meaning there was only about fifteen feet between the first and second cell, and about twenty feet between the second and third, and so on. At the far end of the row was a twenty foot tall pyramid with a flat top large enough for both tribes to stand on.

“Come on in,” Jeff called out, waving them over. “Hillney getting their first look at Truska, minus Finn, who was voted out the other night.” He noticed Kurt and Blaine exchange a glance at that news. “The number of Survivors keeps shrinking. For some of you that is a good thing, it means you are one step closer to becoming the sole Survivor. For others it means you are just that much closer to being eliminated next.

“Let’s get right into the challenge. Each tribe member will be locked in an individual cell, and some members will also be shackled, either by the wrists or the ankles. The person in the first cell will use a rope and hook to try and get the first key and drag it to them. Once they have the key, they must then figure out how to pass it on to the tribe member in the second cell, who will use it to unlock their wrists. In and around each cell you will find items that you can use to aid in passing the keys on. How and if you use them are up to you. You may also pass the items along if you think the other person can use them, if you can figure out how to get them to them.

“The second person will try and figure out how to reach a second key hanging from a post ten feet away. Once they have it, they will then once again have to figure out how to get it to the third tribe member, who will be shackled by the ankles. Once they have used the key to free their legs, they must try and reach the key hanging from the roof of their cell, and pass it on to the fourth tribe member, who will once again be chained by the wrists.

“Once the fourth tribemate is freed, they will dig in the sand of their cell for the next key, which they will once again need to get to the fifth tribe member. This key will unlock their cell only. They then must break open coconuts marked in their tribe’s colors until they find the final key, which will unlock the other four cells. Once all tribe members are free, they must all climb up the pyramid and be the first to have all tribe members on their mat. Any questions so far?”

“No.”

“Good, want to see what you are playing for?”

“Yes!”

Jeff smirked and uncovered the display beside him. “Barbecue ribs, baked potatoes, and ice cold lemonade! All of which will be served on board a sixty foot yacht, where you will have a chance to shower and get clean as you cruise around the harbor. After you eat you will get to relax on deck as you watch the sunset. Worth playing for?”

“Yes!”

“Hillney, you have one extra player. Who are you sitting out? Keep in mind you can not sit out the same person in back to back challenges!”

“I’ll sit out,” Blaine said.

“Okay Blaine, take a seat on the bench, the rest of you, I’ll give you a few moments to strategize, and then we’ll draw lots for positions!”

“Malin has to be in the first cell,” Tao insisted. “She was the one with the best accuracy trying to snag stuff when we practiced on the beach.”

“Agreed,” Kurt and Elle said. Malin just nodded.

“I’ll go last,” Felice offered. “I can break open the coconuts.”

Once again the suggestion was generally agreed on.

“And I think Elle should be the one with the key in the cell above her, since she is the tallest,” Kurt suggested. “Tao and I can rock paper scissors for the last two spots.”

Jeff checked all the locks and the shackles to make certain everyone was comfortable and that they weren’t too tight, while still restraining them.

“Alright, everyone is in position. On Hillney, we have Malin in cage one, Kurt in cage two, Elle in cage three, Tao in four, and Felice in five. For Truska we have Wille in the first cage, Quinn second, Simon third, Charlie fourth, and Nick last. “Survivors ready, go!”

Malin immediately swung the hook out to where the key ring lay inside a painted circle. Her first toss was just short. Wille’s first throw was also off, just a little too far wide to the right. They both hastily pulled the rope back and tried again. Wille got closer this time, within an inch or two, but Malin once again fell slightly short. 

Again they reeled in the rope and tried again. Both of them managed to snag the key on the third attempt.

“Third time's the charm for both tribes, as Wille and Malin both carefully drag the key back towards them. Ooh! Malin hit a snag and lost the key. Wille is channeling his best tortoise impersonation, slow and steady. Will it help win the race? Malin recaptures the key and starts reeling it in once more, but Wille has his key in hand. Now how does he pass it on to Quinn, who has her wrists bound and is fifteen feet away.”

Wille reached outside his cage for a pole laying just within reach. The pole was only about ten feet long. He tied the rope to the end of the pole, leaving about five feet of rope dangling with the hook. He placed the key carefully around two of the three prongs of the hook, then extended to pole through the bars, towards Quinn. Once it was out as far as he could reach, he rocked the pole back and forth, allowing the key to swing out. Quinn reached between the bars and tried to catch it.

“A little more, It’s just a little out of reach!” she called out calmly.

Meanwhile, Malin had taken more time to tie two shorter poles together to make one longer pole. The result was a little flimsy, and she had to move it slowly.

“Quinn just snags the hook from Wille, and drags the pole and rope into her cell. Malin still about four feet short of where Kurt can reach, inching it forward, but the pole is starting to dip in the middle as she extends it more. Will she make it? Quinn is now unlocked, and removes the hook from the rope and ties it directly to the end of the pole, which is long enough to reach the post to get the second key. Kurt now has the first key for Hillney, but the pole fell apart and is just out of his reach.”

Quinn carefully fed the pole through the bars, and after a little fiddling, managed to capture the second key and draw it in. She quickly reassembled the hook on the rope, and used the same technique Wille had to pass the key off to Simon, who was about twenty feet away. It was a little more difficult, both because of the distance, and because Simon was forced to sit on the ground, so she had to try and not arch the rope too high.

“Kurt assembles a second pole from parts around his cell to reach the key, but again he is moving very slowly in order not to drop the key, which is just hanging precariously by the tip. And he’s got it, but Simon now has the key for Truska and is freeing himself.”

Simon freed his ankles and stood up, pulling the pole into the cage. He used the end without the rope to reach up and try to push the key off the hook it was hanging from, but it was tied on with twine, which caught on the little spurs on the edge of the hook. He dropped the pole and glanced around his cell. The bamboo bars were vertical with one crossbeam just above his waist, making climbing difficult, but not impossible.

“Simon stops to consider his next move, as Kurt adds another section to his cobbled together pole, and uses it to slide the key across the ground to Elle, who is laying down and reaching out as far as she can to grab it, but it’s still an inch or two out of her reach. Simon takes a couple steps back, then rushes forward, taking a flying leap, pulling himself up on the crossbeam in the opposite corner. He’s still not high enough to reach the hook, though.”

Simon carefully turned around. After a moment to make a few quick calculations, he braced his right foot on one of the vertical bars, then pulled himself up, bracing with both feet. He pulled himself up another four feet. He could now reach out and grab the key, although doing so would test his balance. He took a breath, reached out and grabbed the key, holding on tight, and let himself fall forward, putting all his weight on the twine. As he hoped, the twine snapped, and he dropped to the floor with the key in hand.

“That was an impressive move by Simon, who has the third key for Truska, as Elle also begins to climb for Hillney. Simon now has to figure out how to pass the key to Charlie, who is twenty five feet away. Charlie’s hands are bound outside the cage, above the cross beam, with two vertical bars between his arms. Will the hook on a rope on a pole method work for Truska once again? Elle now has the key for Hillney as well!”

Simon knew that trying the same method again would be a long shot, and grabbed a six foot pole from just outside his cell, untied the rope from the longer pole, using a portion of it to secure the shorter poll to the longer pole, then reattaching it to the hooked end, leaving enough rope to swing the hook. The pole wasn’t as steady now, but he had made it as secure as he could, and swung the key towards Charlie. It took two tries before the younger man caught it, pulling the entire length into his cell before unfastening his wrists.

“Charlie now unchained for Truska as Elle works on sliding the key across the ground towards Tao, but her pole falls apart! Can she fashion a new one in time? Charlie digging for the next to last key for Truska! I can tell you it is not close to the surface!”

Charlie didn’t pay attention to what Jeff was saying, or what the other tribe was calling out to each other. He just focused on digging, moving as much dirt as possible. At about a foot and a half, he felt something metallic, and quickly dug around it, freeing the key. He then disassembled the pole, and removed the hook. He found some loose twine in his cell, and used it to tie the hook to the longer of the two poles, and to tie the key to the hook, he then tied the rope to the back end of the pole, just in case. He stood up and tested the balance.

“Charlie creating what looks like a cross between a javelin and a harpoon for Truska. He needs to get the key to Nick, who is thirty feet away, and unbound. He takes his time, judging angle, wind velocity and distance. Elle has a new pole ready for Hillney, slightly shorter than the last one. Will it be enough to push the key to where Tao can reach it with his foot? Remember, his hands are bound above the crossbeam!”

Charlie took a deep breath, then took three steps forward and threw his makeshift javelin. The heavy hook made it fly awkwardly, and it fell just a couple feet from Nick’s cell.

“I think I can reach it!” Nick called out, getting low to the ground and reaching out. His finger just brushed the ring the key was attached to, but he couldn’t get a grip on it. “Hang on!” he called out, searching his cell. There was a short, three foot long pole in one corner. He grabbed it up, and used it to pull the pole closer until he was able to pick it up. “Great job Charlie!” Nick called out, even as he unlocked his cage.

“Nick is free and searching through the coconuts, smashing them apart as he searches for the final key. Keep in mind there are one hundred coconuts on each side! Tao now has the key in his toes, but how is he going to get them into his hand to free himself?”

Tao managed to pull himself up so he was standing on the crossbeam, the key still grasped firmly between his toes. Carefully squatting down, he grabbed the key in his left hand, then jumped back down as he unlocked his shackles.

“Tao shows incredible flexibility as he frees himself, but he still has to find the buried key and get it to Felice. Nick literally ripping through the coconuts, using his bare hands to crush some of them open, or slamming them together to open two at once!”

Nick was hyper focused on his task, and just hoped he didn’t miss the key in his rush. The sound of metal clanging against metal broke through his concentration, and he spotted the key by his foot.

“Tao also makes a javelin and throws the key to Felice, but Nick has already found the key for Truska and is rushing to free them. Hillney’s chances of catching up are slipping away as Nick, always the gentleman, frees Quinn first!”

Nick’s first instinct was to free Charlie first, but Charlie was closest to the pyramid, so Nick left him for last, freeing Quinn, Wille, and Simon before freeing the younger male. They ran to the pyramid, which had wide ladders on each side to climb up. Nick made sure the others had no problems climbing, before starting up himself. He could hear Felice cracking coconuts behind him, heard her shout in triumph when she found the key, but he blocked it all out as he reached the top, giving Quinn a little boost, and reaching back to pull Charlie up the last few steps, and then herding everyone on to the mat.

“Truska wins reward, finally breaking Hillney’s winning streak!”

They waited for the other tribe to free themselves and line up on their mat.

“Truska, you finally cracked the code that allowed you to defeat Hillney. Congratulations! A boat will pick you up at your beach in a little while to take you to your reward. Hillney, I’m sorry, I have nothing for you. Head back to camp!”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #8

Day 22 cont.:

"That javelin was brilliant, Charlie!" Simon said. "And Quinn, good job on hooking that key!"

"You did pretty good yourself on that leap," Nick said, clapping Simon on the back. “We all did great, and we deserve this reward!”

Quinn just smiled. The reward hadn’t even started yet, but she already felt like a fifth wheel on a double date. The four men all seemed so happy. She knew there would be no cracks in that alliance, and if they didn’t win the immunity challenge tomorrow, she would be gone. 

She had known coming into the game that her chances of winning were small, but she had hoped to get further in the game. She had told herself she was doing it for Beth, to set an example for her as a strong, independent woman, telling herself she didn’t need anyone in her life to support her.

But maybe that wasn’t how she felt anymore. She had come here, determined to show that she didn’t need help from anyone, but had learned that she did need help, whether it was catching fish to survive, or competing in challenges. She hadn’t gotten this far on her own. Others had helped get her here. And if she wanted to stay, she had to work with these men to win the Immunity Challenge tomorrow.

Quinn, 27. Lawyer and Single Mother

“I’ve always thought of myself as an independent woman, even before I got pregnant at sixteen. I never asked for help from anyone. But now, as I think back over my life, there have always been people willing to help me, even if I didn’t ask for help. From the friend who let me live with them when my dad kicked me out and I couldn’t stay with the father of my baby’s family, to the choir coach who convinced me that it wasn’t the end of the world being pregnant at sixteen. Maybe it’s time I stop pretending that I don’t need people, and actually start helping others.”

…

Malin sat alone on an outcropping of rocks as she cast her fishing line. She wasn’t avoiding the other members of the tribe, she just wanted some time to think. She’d been listening to these younger players talking about their futures and what they want next in life. They all seemed to have had different motivations for being here, but the experience seems to have had similar effects on each of them.

She thought about why she was here. Talia had asked her to come. Their line of work was often full of stress, and there were times when they didn’t see each other for days, or even weeks when one or the other were on assignment. Talia was especially under a lot of stress, being the leader of a large detail of bodyguards in charge of a very important client. A few years back there had been a scare, her client was involved in an accident, and Talia herself had been injured, breaking her hip and her collarbone.

That had put more of a strain on their relationship than any long term separation had. Malin had feared that Talia could have died, and left her by herself. She had asked Talia at that time about adopting a child, so that if something ever did happen to one of them, the other wouldn’t be left alone. Talia had said that they didn’t have time for a child with their work. 

Now Talia was almost forty, and Malin had just turned thirty five before coming on the show, and she was beginning to realize the restlessness she was feeling was the ticking of the proverbial biological clock. She wanted a child. Not a baby, that would be too stressful for both of them, and Malin just couldn’t picture herself changing diapers or getting up at two in the morning to feed an infant. But maybe a child who was old enough not to need so much care, but still needed someone to love them and guide them.

Talia was going to be promoted soon, and take on an administrative position, no longer working in the field. It was the perfect time to bring it up again. But now Malin wondered if that was why Talia had asked her to come on the show, to avoid talking about it. She loved Talia, but her wife was very stubborn sometimes, and it could be so frustrating.

She reeled in her line, feeling the tug of resistance telling her she had a bite.

…

“Oh god, these ribs are so good!” Charlie said. “We don’t have ribs like these on the Isle of Mann. These sauces are amazing! What did you say they were called again?”

“Carolina Honey barbecue sauce,” Quinn said, licking her fingers before pointing out the first bottle. “It has a vinegar base, so it gives that sweet and sour taste. The second one is Kansas City style, which is sweeter because it is made with molasses. The Memphis sauce is made with tomato sauce and mustard, so it is tangier. I wouldn’t recommend the last one, the Cajun Fire, unless you are used to a lot of spice.” As she spoke, she dipped one of her ribs into the spicier sauce.

Simon also tried the Cajun sauce, as Quinn wiped sweat from her forehead. He shrugged. “It’s nice, but it could be spicier.”

Wille and Nick decided to try it as well, but Charlie stuck with the sweet and sour Carolina and the tangy Memphis. Nick immediately grabbed for the lemonade, but Wille seemed unphased, same as Simon.

“We do have three spicier sauces,” the steward said, overhearing their conversation. He brought out the other three sauces. “We have Jamaican Jerk and brown sugar, Szechuan Dragon, and Reaper’s Revenge. We don’t usually bring these out unless requested.”

“Have you tried any of them?” Quinn asked.

The man smiled at her. “I’ve tried the Jamaican Jerk, but I’m not brave enough to try the other two.”

Quinn, Simon, and Wille each tried the Jamaican sauce, but Nick waved the white flag. “Sorry, I don’t think I have the stomach for anything spicier.”

Quinn almost choked on her piece, but Simon and Wille just shrugged. “Too much salt,” was Simon’s comment.

“I dare you to try the Szechuan,” Nick said. Wille shrugged while Simon nodded.

“I should warn you, I have seen people cry after trying the Szechuan,” the steward warned.

“I’ve had spicy Szechuan food before,” Wille said.

Wille and Simon glanced at each other as they dipped their ribs into the next sauce. Simon had a challenging glint in his eye, and Wille knew that if he so much as flinched, Simon would tease him about it. They both took a bite at the same time. It was spicy, and it burned, but it was tolerable, mostly thanks to the sweet teriyaki base of the sauce.

“Wow, I’m impressed,” the steward said. “Care to try the Reaper’s Revenge?”

“I will if you will?” Simon challenged. 

Wille gave him a cocky smile in return. “Bring it!”

“If I had money I’d bet on Simon not flinching, while Wille begs for a piece of bread,” Charlie said.

“Fifty bucks, due after we get back home, says both of them beg for mercy after,” Quinn said.

“I don’t know, I think both of them will handle it,” Nick said.

“A hundred bucks,” Charlie said, eyeing the other two.

“You’re on,” Quinn said.

“I’m in,” Nick said.

Wille and Simon both rolled their eyes and shook their heads, but dipped their ribs into the hottest of the hot sauces.

“On the count of three?” Wille said. 

Simon nodded, and Quinn counted them down. “One…two…three!”

Both men bit into the meat. At first Wille couldn’t taste anything but honey and vinegar. Then suddenly the spice kicked in, and his eyes began to water just the slightest. He looked up at Simon, and saw that the other man’s eyes were teary as well. 

Wille tried to keep chewing, but every chew released more of the spice, which was definitely clearing his sinuses to the point he was worried he might have snot dripping from his nose, but he fought not to react. He couldn’t swallow, though. The piece of meat was still too large to go down his throat without choking. He was sweating, trying to chew. 

Other than the moisture in his eyes and a tiny trickle of sweat at his forehead, Simon seemed to be having no problem chewing. Wille chewed a little more, just wanting to get it small enough to swallow, but chewing now brought on actual pain from the spice burn. 

He spit out the piece of meat and grabbed at a baked potato, shoving half of it into his mouth, hoping to ease the burn.

“I’ll expect payment from both of you by the time we’re all home,” Charlie said, finishing off his own potato.

Nick noticed that Charlie only ate half of his ribs, but the younger man had eaten two baked potatoes. He wondered if he should try to coax Charlie into eating more of the meat, but decided against it for now. Maybe Charlie would finish more before they left the yacht.

He still needed to talk to the younger man about what he had said the other day, but didn’t know how to bring it up. He was worried if he brought it up at the wrong time, it would distress Charlie and make things worse, but he didn't want to wait too long. He didn’t like the idea that Charlie thought he wouldn’t like him anymore if he found out about his mental health issues. Nick wanted to tell him about his own struggles with anxiety and depression, but again, he didn’t know how to start that conversation.

Nick, 24. Rugby Player

“Why is there such a stigma about mental health? Why can’t we just say, ‘hey, I’m feeling depressed today,” or, ‘hey, my anxiety is acting up today and I just want to stay home and hide under the covers?’ Why can’t we talk about it? We talk about your eighty six year old gran with cancer, your uncle Bruce, who has gallstones, and your sister, who just had a cyst removed from her ovaries, but we can’t talk about our mental well being. How stupid is that?”

Later that night, long after they watched the sun set from the bow of the yacht, long after they’d been returned to their camp, and after the others had gone to sleep, Nick stared at Charlie, sleeping next to him, and thought about how fragile and vulnerable he looked. Nick just wanted to wrap him up in his arms and protect him from everything.

Charlie shivered slightly in the breeze, and Nick pulled the blanket up around him, and moved closer to share his warmth.

…

Day 23:

“Tree mail,” Elle said as she joined the others on the beach. “Aim for victory, but be careful or you will be the one to fail.”

“As cryptic as ever,” Kurt snarked.

Malin just shrugged. “Again, we’ll have to wait and see.”

When they arrived at the field for the challenge later that day, it was one they hadn’t been to before, slightly smaller than the clearing where they had had the maze and other challenges before. Laid out on the ground and strung between poles in the air were two sets of clay tiles, one set for each tribe, no doubt. Each tile was about a foot square. The tiles on the ground lay flat, and were suspended above the ground by about six inches by stakes. 

“Come on in guys,” Jeff called out. “Truska, how was the barbecue?”

“It was really good,” Simon said. “Especially once they brought out the spicier sauces.”

“So I heard. I heard you didn’t even flinch at the Reaper’s Revenge, which is the hottest barbecue sauce ever created, using reaper, scorpion, and ghost peppers, among others.”

Simon shrugged. “You know what they say about hot Latin blood.”

Jeff laughed. “Wille, how’s the mouth? Still burning?”

“I’ll live,” Wille said, smiling.

“Alright, let’s get on with the challenge. Hillney, first things first, I need to take back Immunity.”

Tao passed over the idol, and Jeff placed it on the podium. “Immunity is back up for grabs. In today’s challenge, tribe members will go head to head, using a stationary slingshot to try and break tiles with the opposing tribe’s names on them. Each person will have three tiles with their name on them on the upright posts. Once all three of their tiles have been shattered, they are out of the competition. 

“The catch is, below those tiles are more tiles. Some of those tiles have a black X on them. If you break one of those tiles, your opponent will get an extra shot at breaking one of your tribemate’s tiles. The goal is to knock out everyone on the opposing tribe. Now when I say you need to shatter the tiles, I mean that the tile must be completely destroyed, not just one part broken off. Are we clear so far?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Hillney, you have one extra person. Who are you sitting out?”

Tao raised his hand. 

“Okay Tao, come stand beside me for a moment.” Tao moved forward. “Tao, since you are sitting out this challenge, I have something for you.” He handed the younger man a yellow envelope. “This is for you to hang on to until the next Immunity Challenge, should you still be here then. Do not open it until then, understood?”

“Um, okay…”

“Good, take a seat and we’ll get started. The rest of you, decide in what order you are going to go, and line up.” He gave them a few minutes to organize themselves. “Okay, up first we have Malin for Hillney, and Nick for Truska. Remember, you want to thoroughly smash the tiles with names on them, while avoiding the tiles with black Xs below them. Your ammunition for this challenge is coconuts! Survivors ready? Go!”

Nick aimed carefully, taking his time. Malin did the same to his left about three yards away. She was the first to release her shot, Nick a couple seconds behind her.

“Malin takes her shot, and her military background shows as she shatters the first tile, taking out one of Nick’s tiles. Nick’s aim is just as accurate, taking out one of hers in return, and they both avoid breaking one of the Xs. Up next, Felice goes head to head with Quinn.”

Both women patiently lined up their shots, and fired almost exactly at the same time. Quinn hit another tile with Malin’s name on it, but only broke one corner of it. Felice swore as her shot fell completely short and slammed down on an X, shattering it.

“Felice shatters an X, giving Quinn a second chance to shatter a second tile for Truska. Will she try for the same tile, or go for another? She does go for the same tile, but once again it only does minimum damage. Up next, Charlie and Elle.”

Again, both Survivors took their time, but both of them fell short.

“You both missed, but Charlie, you broke another X, which means Elle, you get another shot.”

She took a deep breath, and lined up her shot again, pulling back a little more on the slingshot. This time the coconut flew through the air and hit her target.

“And Elle delivers a second blow to Nick, taking out his second tile, leaving him with only one life left. Next up is Simon and Kurt.”

Simon took out the rest of the tile Quinn had tried to take out, while Kurt took aim at Nick’s final tile, shattering it.

“And Nick is out of the game! Malin still has one tile. Everyone else still fully in play! Wille now up for Truska, Blaine for Hillney.”

Blaine’s shot shattered one of Quinn’s tiles, even though he was aiming for Wille’s tile above it. Wille took out one of Elle’s tiles.

“Okay, round two! Starting out with Malin for Hillney, and Quinn for Truska. Ladies, fire when ready!”

Quinn aimed dead center on the target she had chosen, pulling back as far as she could, letting her coconut fly at almost the exact same moment as the other woman. Both of them hit their marks.

“And Quinn finishes off Malin, but not before Malin takes out Quinn’s second tile! Both tribes down a member! Quinn has one tile left, Elle has two, everyone else at full lives! Here comes Felice facing off against Charlie.”

Charlie took a minute to consider his target, as Felice took aim.

“Felice knocks Quinn out of the competition. Charlie still working out his shot, and there it goes! He hits one of Kurt’s tiles, but doesn’t shatter it! Right now Truska is down two tribe members, Hillney only out one. Elle is down to two tiles, and she will face off against Simon!”

They both studied the remaining tiles before setting up their shots. Simon released first, smashing his target, but the coconut came down on one of the black Xs.

“Simon takes out Elle’s second tile, but gives her a second shot before she’s even taken her first. She’s aiming carefully. Who is she going for? She lets her coconut fly and knocks out Simon’s first tile! Now she’s lining up again. And that’s a second tile down for Simon! Both Elle and Simon down to their last tiles as Kurt and Wille face off now!”

Wille finished off Kurt's first tile that Charlie had hit earlier, as Kurt smashed one of Charlie’s. Blaine then proceeded to smash another of Charlie’s tiles, while Charlie took out Kurt’s second tile. Elle knocked out Simon’s final tile moments before Wille knocked her’s out.

“Truska down to Charlie and Wille. Hillney still has Felice, Blaine, and Kurt. Kurt and Charlie each only have one tile remaining, and will face off together. Both men line up their shots, and release! And they knock each other out! Wille is the only one left on Truska! He will face off with Blaine now!”

They each took out one of each other’s tiles. Wille lined up again as Felice switched out with Blaine. She missed her shot completely, as Wille took out a second tile of Blaine’s. Blaine came back up as Wille set up his next shot. They both missed.

“Felice tries once again to finish off Wille, as he takes aim and lets fly, finishing off Blaine, but it makes no difference as Felice’s shot takes out Wille’s last tile to end the challenge! Hillney wins Immunity once more!”

Hillney shared a group hug in celebration, before gathering back on their tribe mats.

“Great job everyone! Hillney, you pulled out another win and are Immune for another day!” He passed them the idol. “Truska, you know what this means. I will see you tonight at Tribal council.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #8

Day 23 cont.:

Quinn held her head high as she prepared for Tribal Council that night. She figured she would go out with dignity and grace. As they ate dinner, the guys all seemed to be leery of talking to her.

“Look, we all know I am the one going home tonight, so you don’t have to walk around on pins and needles,” she finally said. “Besides, when I’m gone, all you four have to worry about is who gets the sleeping platform and who gets to make out in a hammock!”

Charlie almost choked on his food at her words. Simon rolled his eyes as Nick and Wille also gaped at her. “Relax, guys, she’s known for a few days now. We haven’t exactly been very subtle.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Quinn said. “Imogen was still convinced Nick is hung up on either Felice are me.”

“Sorry, you're not really my type,” Nick said. “Felice, maybe. She does bear some resemblance to the first girl I ever kissed. But Charlie just ticks all my boxes.”

Charlie’s face was crimson now.

“Aww, he’s so adorable when he blushes!” Quinn said. “And I can see why you really like him. I wish only the best for both of you. And Simon and Wille as well. I think you are good for each other.”

“Thank you,” they all replied with varying degrees of earnestness and embarrassment.

They were laughing as they filed into Tribal Council a couple hours later, which definitely had Jeff curious.

“Well, you all seem to be in a good mood, considering where you are. What has you all smiling?”

“Quinn has been teasing us all mercilessly,” Simon said. “I think it is her form of revenge.”

“Revenge?” Jeff asked.

“For being voted out tonight,” Quinn said with a shrug.

“So, you already know you are going home, and instead of being angry, you are making them laugh in punishment?”

“No point in getting angry,” Quinn replied. “These four have a solid alliance, of which I’m not a part. I’m not mad at them for it, it’s part of the game, and my fault for not trying to get in on it sooner. Although I think under the circumstances I probably wouldn’t have made much progress with any of them.”

“What circumstances would those be?”

“You’ll have to ask them that. Not my stories to tell.”

Jeff glanced at the four men to see if any of them would elaborate. He noticed Nick reach out to take Charlie’s hand, giving it a little squeeze. Wille cleared his throat, glancing at Simon, who gave him a slight nod.

“She’s referring to the fact that Simon and I are exploring a relationship,” Wille supplied.

Simon, Nick, and Charlie all nodded.

“You and Simon? And Nick and Charlie?” Jeff asked, just to clarify.

“Yes,” Nick said, and Charlie smiled so brightly, Jeff would swear the sun had re-risen.

“Well, good luck to all of you. But back to the vote, Quinn, you seem fine with knowing you are going to be voted out tonight. Why aren’t you upset, pleading your case to remain?”

She shrugged once more. “I could argue, sure, but I’m not sure I want to. These guys are really close, and they’ve each found something I’ve only begun to realize has been missing from my life. I don’t want to get in their way.”

“Then I see no reason to prolong this. It’s time to vote. Quinn, you’re up first.”

She stood and walked to the booth. She hesitated only a moment before writing down her vote and showing it to the camera. “You are a fierce and dedicated competitor. I really do hope you take this all the way to the end!”

Simon, Nick, Wille and Charlie all voted, and returned to their seats.

“I’ll go tally the votes,” Jeff said with a nod.

He returned a few minutes later. “Once the vote is read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave immediately. I’ll read the votes. First vote, Simon.”

Simon smiled, accepting the vote as what it was, an admission that someone believed he was a strong player.

“Second vote, Quinn. That’s one vote Simon, one vote Quinn, three votes left.”

He pulled another parchment from the urn. “Quinn. That’s one vote Simon, two votes Quinn, two votes left.”

No one moved as he reached into the urn once more. “Eighth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination, Quinn. That’s three votes, that’s enough.”

“It’s fine guys, really. Just enjoy it while you have it,” Quinn said, rising with her bag and hugging each of them. She placed her torch in front of Jeff. “The only thing I regret is that I am finally open to dating, and the only guy worth going out with is already married. Your wife is one lucky lady, Jeff.”

Jeff actually blushed as he laughed. “Quinn, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed her flame.

“Bye guys,” she said once more, waving as she exited.

“A classy lady to the end. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #8

Day 24:

Charlie smiled and stretched as he woke up, careful not to tip the hammock he was sharing with Nick. They had graciously given Simon and Wille the sleeping platform, preferring to lay beneath the crystal clear sky and watch the stars glide slowly across the sky.

Of course, all they had done was talk about their families more, and what they wanted to accomplish in their lives. Okay, there had been some kissing as well, but nothing else.

Charlie really liked Nick, but he was still self conscious about being intimate with him. He wasn’t blind. He knew how good looking Nick was, and as soon as the world learned he was bisexual, men and women would be coming out of the woodwork to try and get Nick’s attention, and chances were probably really good that eventually Nick would realize he could have anyone he wanted, and forget Charlie existed.

Charlie, 23. Drummer

“Nick is sweet, and kind, and gorgeous. I know he says he likes me, but he’s never really taken the chance to meet anyone else. I know he won’t be mine forever, but I will savor every minute I have him.”

He heard stirring from the shelter, and felt Nick stretch beside him. 

“Good morning,” Nick said.

“Morning,” Charlie said, smiling back at him. “We should get up. It sounds like Simon and Wille are awake. I can make breakfast after someone gets the water.”

They carefully maneuvered out of the hammock. Simon emerged with the water jug as they headed towards the shelter entrance. They all smiled, slightly awkwardly, as they all thought about what the other couple might have been doing the night before.

“Good morning,” Simon said. “I was going to fill the water jug and collect some fruit.”

Charlie nodded, fighting not to blush again. “If you get some dates, I can save the rice for later and make date bread with the last of the cattail flour. We have plenty of eggs, too. I never thought I would say this, but I am really getting tired of coconut.”

“Me too,” Wille said, joining them.

Nick nodded. “I would kill for one of my mum’s cinnamon pecan buns right now.”

Simon shook his head. “Last night I dreamed my mama was cooking Majarete.”

Charlie looked at him in confusion. “Isn’t that just corn and coconut pudding?”

“You’ve had it before?” Simon asked.

“My father’s parents are from Spain, but I have relatives in South America too. My cousin made it once when we visited them. How can you want anything with coconut in it by now?”

Simon shrugged. “I think I am more tired of the rice than the coconut. The ribs were nice, but I really just want a home cooked meal. Majarete, empanadas, sopapillas.”

“Okay, no more talking about food,” Charlie said. “Now I am craving my friend Tara’s eggplant parmesan.”

“What are you craving?” Nick asked Wille.

He shook his head. “We don’t really do home cooked meals at home, but when my brother and I were younger, we used to sneak into the kitchen on Sunday morning, and the chef would let us help him bake bread and pastries. My brother got really good at making my favorite cherry tea ring pastries. I would love one of those right now.”

“Okay, we’ll never finish anything if we just stand here all morning talking about food we can’t have,” Charlie said.

“Right. I’ll be back in a bit with the water and dates,” Simon said.

…

Kurt looked perplexed when he returned to camp after filling the water jug.

“Um, guys? We have tree mail.”

“What?” Elle said. “But it’s not challenge day. What does it say?”

Kurt showed them the scroll. “Follow the path on the east end of the beach.”

“It doesn’t sound like a challenge,” Malin observed. “Maybe something has happened and they need to tell us about it?”

“Like what?” Blaine asked. “And why not just come to camp to tell us if something had happened?”

“Maybe it’s the merge?” Felice said, not sounding very certain.

They all exchanged a look. 

“That would make sense,” Tao said. “Whatever it is, we’ll learn soon enough. It says we need to leave as soon as we finish eating breakfast. Should we take our bags, just in case it is the merge?”

“It wouldn’t hurt,” Kurt said.

They ate, gathered their things, and Tao fed the chickens just before they left. They followed the path indicated, and after a while, Tao and Elle exchanged a look.

“This is the path from Truham camp to Tribal Council,” Elle said. “There is a turn off just ahead to the camp.”

Sure enough. around a curve, there was an arrow indicating for them to turn into the camp. The first person they encountered was Wille, who appeared to be collecting firewood. To say he was startled to see them was an understatement.

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked.

Kurt handed him the tree mail they had received. “You guys didn’t get a message?”

“I don’t think anyone looked,” Wille replied. 

“Maybe we should check before heading into camp,” Elle suggested. Wille nodded, and they followed him to where tree mail was located. Sure enough there was another scroll there. “What does yours say?”

Wille unrolled it and read out loud. “Company coming. Meet Jeff on the beach as soon as they arrive.”

“Guess that means now,” Blaine said.

“Do you have any idea what is going on?" Wille asked them as he led them back to camp.

“As best we can figure, it’s the merge,” Felice said. “I’m glad you are still in the game. Is Simon here, too?”

“Yeah, Nick and Charlie, Simon and me.”

They entered camp and found the other three men in the process of preparing a net for fishing.

“Hey guys, we have company, and fishing is gonna have to wait. We’re to meet Jeff down on the beach, immediately.”

Charlie smiled when he saw Elle, who rushed forward to hug him. “What’s going on?”

“We think it’s the merge, but we don’t know for sure. I’m so happy to see you!”

Charlie laughed. “Thanks, I’m happy for you as well!”

They all made their way down to the beach, and found Jeff waiting for them on the far end, near the driftwood pile where Nick and Charlie first kissed.

“Come on in guys!” he greeted them. “I guess you all are wondering what you are doing here. Any guesses?”

“Merge?” several people said.

Jeff smiled. “Drop your buffs! You are now one tribe.” He tossed a sack over to Nick. “Take one and pass them around. Your new tribe color is charcoal gray. You will be remaining here at the former Truham beach for the rest of your time here. We’ll have the rest of the items from Hillney brought over shortly. For now we’ll let you all get settled and get reacquainted. You’ll also need to come up with a new tribe name. I will stop by later this evening to see how things are going.”

“Thanks Jeff,” several people said.

“Oh, and one more thing, we’ve left a little surprise for each of you back at your shelter. Just a little reward for making it out here for twenty four days. Just a small taste of home.” He waved them off, and they returned to the shelter. 

Inside, each of them found a small box with their name on it. Each box was about four inches square. They all glanced around at each other, waiting to see who was going to open theirs first.

Elle shrugged, and pulled the lid off hers. “Ooh! Basbousa!”

“What?” Tao asked.

She smiled. “Egyptian pastries! My mum’s family is from Egypt, and she always makes these for special occasions! And look! There is a note from my mum!”

That had everyone scrambling to open their own boxes, and exclaiming about their treats.

“Cherry tea ring cake!” Wille said, grinning. “I was just talking about this earlier!”

Nick was laughing as he pulled out the cinnamon pecan roll from his box, and showed it to the others. “What did you get?” he asked Charlie.

The younger man smiled and held up a handful of homemade toffees. “My sister knows my greatest weakness!”

“So does my mom,” Blaine said, showing off the pale white pastillas de leche his mother had made.

“Okay, I’m not even going to bitch that this is obviously store bought,” Kurt said, laughing as he retrieved a slice of cheesecake from his box.

Tao grinned, showing them the three pieces of Lo Mai Chi. “Mine is definitely homemade, and most likely has all the correct ingredients!”

Elle smiled. “I bet they aren’t as good as the ones you made for my birthday.”

Tao blushed. “What did you guys get?” he asked, glancing at Felice, Malin, and Simon.

Simon smiled and tipped his box towards him, showing the sopapillas inside.

Felice rolled her eyes. “My mother sent me several of her favorite chocolates, which she knows I don’t like.”

Malin didn’t reply, lost in the letter from her wife. She tried to hide the tears in her eyes as she reread every word twice.

“Malin?” Felice asked with concern.

The older woman flinched and looked up at her, startled. “Sorry. My wife wrote to remind me of the first time we met, and how hard it had been the first time we were separated because of work. She says she is very proud of me for making it this far.”

Felice smiled and hugged her. “You’re so lucky to have someone like that in your life.”

Malin smiled. “Talle sent me some of her homemade divinity.”

“Sounds delicious,” Felice said.

“Felice, would you like to trade one of your chocolates for a piece of toffee?” Charlie offered.

She smiled, and accepted the trade. They all ended up sharing their treats, regardless how small some of them were.

“So, what should we name the new tribe?” Blaine asked later, after everyone had finished reading their letters.

“McTruhill,” Charlie suggested.

“I like it!” Felice said. “It blends all three tribes together.”

“All in favor?” Kurt said, raising his hand. They all agreed. “Great, now the next question, is there enough time today to expand the sleeping platform? Or is there somewhere to string up the hammocks under the overhang? This shelter is amazing, but it’s a little cramped with ten people.”

They were in the middle of expanding the sleeping platform when Jeff returned.

“How is everyone doing? Do you have a new tribe name?”

“We do,” Felice said. “It was Charlie’s idea to combine the three original tribe names. We are now McTruhill.”

Jeff smiled. “I like it. It has a nice flow. I see you are all working well together, getting things done. But right now I need you all to take a break. I want each of you to fill out these questionnaires, separately, do not share your answers. We will use them in tomorrow’s challenge. When you finish filling yours out, just drop them into tree mail. You are all working on the honor system here, okay?”

They all agreed and took one of the questionnaires.

“Good. Now, one more thing before I leave you all alone to fill those out. Tao, you do still have the envelope I gave you yesterday?”

“Yes,” he responded.

“And you haven’t opened it or peeked inside?”

“No.”

“Good. Don’t lose it, you will need it for the Immunity Challenge in a couple days.”

Tao nodded, and Jeff bid them farewell.

“I almost forgot about the envelope,” Elle said. “I wonder what it is?”

“Hopefully it’s not something that will eliminate me from the Immunity Challenge.”

“Maybe it’s an advantage?” Felice offered.

Tao just shrugged. “We won’t find out until the Immunity Challenge. For now we should just concentrate on the questionnaire.”

They separated, each finding a spot to fill out the twenty questions. One by one they dropped them into the tree mailbox, then returned to their work on the sleeping platform, or consolidating everything brought over from Hillney’s camp.

“Should we have a couple of the chickens for dinner?” Kurt suggested. “There are eight chickens and three roosters. We really don’t need three roosters.”

“I’m fine with that,” Nick said, and everyone else agreed. They decided to cook two of the roosters and one of the chickens. Malin, Simon, Nick and Tao carried them out of sight to dispatch them, and Malin and Nick plucked them. Tao foraged for some mushrooms, and Elle found some wild potatoes. Charlie made flatbreads, with help from Felice and Kurt.

Their first night as a single tribe turned into a party, as they celebrated making it to the merge, There was singing, and dancing, and laughing.

…

Day 25:

Simon found the tree mail when he went to fill the water jug. 

“A test of knowledge about your tribemates awaits. Surprises for the winners, too.”

“Winners? As in more than one?” Kurt said.

“That’s what it says,” Simon replied, showing them.

“Well, we knew the challenge today would have to do with the questionnaires we filled out,” Blaine said. 

“We need to be ready to go as soon as we finish breakfast,” Wille pointed out, reading the rest of the instructions.

They ate quickly, and got ready for the challenge. They were led to the same clearing where they had held the eating challenge a few days back, only this time, part of the clearing had been partitioned off with twelve foot tall screens that they couldn’t see over or around. The set of bleachers had been replaced with one long bench, and instead of the table where Jeff had served up the disgusting array of delicacies, there were nine podiums, each one just large enough for a person to stand on.

Jeff was standing just in front of the podiums.

“Good morning guys. Come on in. Take a seat. How was the first night as a united tribe?”

‘It was good,” Felice said. “It was nice getting to spend time with old friends, and making new ones.”

Jeff smiled. “That’s great. So, as you all know today’s challenge is all about what you think you know about your tribemates. I will ask a series of questions based on the answers you gave on the questionnaires. Your answers will be based on who you think the majority of the tribe will say gave the specified answer to the question. Any questions so far?”

They shook their heads no.

“Good, want to know what you are playing for?” There was a round of affirmative responses, and Jeff grinned. “Well, today I’m not going to tell you what you are playing for. You’ll just have to wait and see. There is a chalkboard under each of you, go ahead and pull them out and we’ll get started.”

He waited until they all had their boards and chalk and were settled in as comfortably as possible.

“Ready? Okay, first question. Who do you think said that their father was their biggest hero? Remember, your answer should be what you think the majority of the people are going to answer. A couple people still thinking about their answers, Wille, Nick, we need answers.”

He waited another moment for the two men to write down their responses. “Okay, reveal! Blaine, Kurt, Elle, Malin and Tao all say Kurt said it. Nick said Charlie, and Wille, Charlie, and Simon all say Blaine. Kurt, the majority say you gave the response. Go ahead and come forward and take a seat on the first podium.

“Next Question. Who called themselves a proud mama’s boy?”

Simon, Wille, Nick and Charlie wrote down their answers fairly quickly. Malin wasn’t far behind. It took Kurt, Blaine, Felice, Elle and Tao a little longer.

“Okay, reveal!” He looked over the responses. “So Simon, Wille, Charlie, Nick, Malin, Elle and Tao all said Simon. Kurt, Blaine, and Felice said Nick. Simon, take a seat on the second podium and we’ll move on to the third question. Who do you think said the first person they want to see when they return home is their brother?”

Simon, Wille, Nick, Charlie, Malin, Felice, Elle and Tao all responded Wille, while Kurt and Blaine said Charlie.

“Wille, go ahead and take a seat on the third podium. Next question. Who is most looking forward to a home cooked meal when they get home?"

Everyone voted for Nick on that one.

“Who said their sister and friends were their biggest supporters?”

Nick, Charlie, Simon, Wille, Malin, Elle and Tao all voted for Charlie.

“Who said they missed their wife’s voice more than anything?”

Malin was the unanimous vote.

“Who said the first thing they were going to do when they get back home was Netflix and chill?”

Most of them voted for Tao.

“Who said they were most looking forward to ignoring the rest of the world for at least a week when they got home?”

Felice was the most common answer.

“Who said they are most looking forward to sharing their experiences here on the island with their parents?”

Elle took the final podium, leaving only Blaine.

“Blaine, come over here and stand beside me. Since you weren’t picked for any of the categories, I am going to give you an opportunity to change any of your fellow players’ choices. You can switch any of them you want, or you can leave them as they are.”

Blaine considered for a moment. “I am going to leave them as is, I think.”

“Okay, Survivors, go ahead and stand up behind your podiums. When I count to three, I want you to step up onto your podiums, but only if you were the person who made the statement you were voted as saying. Understood? Good. One… two…three!”

Everyone stepped up onto their podiums. “Good job! Most of you know your tribemates very well. Kurt, you called your father your hero. Tell us about him.”

Kurt smiled. “My dad and I have been close since my mom died when I was eight. He’s been my greatest supporter since I can remember, ready to fight every battle with me. He ran for congress just to fight for me.”

“He sounds like a great man,” Jeff replied. “Simon, tell me about your mom.”

“She’s an angel, taking care of my sister and I, raising us practically single handedly. She works herself to the bone just to make sure we never want for anything. I just want to give her the life she deserves, so she doesn’t have to work anymore.”

“Wille, tell us about your brother?”

“He’s older than me by six years, and he’s always tried to shield me from the burdens of being associated with our family. He sees me as myself, not part of the unit like almost everyone else. He has always encouraged me to follow my own path.”

“Nick, who are you looking forward to making you that home cooked meal?”

Nick smiled. “My mum. She’s raised me and my brother pretty much alone as well. Fortunately we didn’t have to struggle like a lot of single parent homes. She was always there when I needed someone to talk to, and when I needed a cheerleader.”

“Charlie, why do you say your sister and your friends are your biggest supporters?”

“Tori has always been an over protective big sister. When I scraped a knee, she was the one who would bandage me up, and when the bullying got too much to bear, she stood up for me. Darcy and Tara came along a little later. I met Darcy in year ten, and she just bulldozed her way into my life. She dragged Tara in a few years later. They all just encourage me to get through life, one day at a time.”

Jeff nodded and moved on to Malin. “What is your wife like?”

“She’s older than I am, thinks she knows everything, is very stubborn, and is the most beautiful person I know.”

“Tao, tell us about your family.”

“It’s just my mum and me, and my cat, Bean. My mum is very traditional Chinese, so we eat a lot of Chinese food, mostly Mandarin and Cantonese. All homemade, of course. Most of the vegetables we use, my mum grows in her own garden, and we forage for mushrooms and other edible plants often. Sometimes I get the feeling she just wants me to find someone and settle down. Not necessarily get married, just find someone to take care of me, as if I can’t take care of myself.”

Several people laughed about that.

“Felice, talk about your family.”

“Well, my family is pretty wealthy, and my parents are pretty well known in Sweden. My mother and I tend to clash about the way I dress, and what I want for my future, but I know she loves me. She’s not perfect, but neither am I.”

“Elle, what about your family?”

Elle smiled. “They’re the best. They always just want me to be happy, and will do anything in their power to make that happen. They’ve supported me every step of the way through my transition, and with my career choice. They hope one day I’ll meet someone who accepts me as I am, and who will love me and make me happy for the rest of my life.”

“That’s wonderful,” Jeff said, before finally turning to Blaine. “Now Blaine, we didn’t get to hear your response to any of the questions, so tell us a little something about your family.”

Blaine shrugged. “Well, I grew up in the shadow of my older brother, whose ego is only matched by his talent for bad accents. He’s nearly ten years older than me, so he wasn’t around much when I was a teen, fortunately. But my mom has always been my biggest supporter. My dad does his best, too, but it’s mostly been my mom.”

“Well, it sounds like family means a lot to each one of you. Which is why all of you win today. Come on out guys!”

From behind the screen, several people emerged. The first was a man in jeans, a flannel shirt, and a ball cap.

“Dad!” Kurt cried out, rushing forward.

“Hey, kiddo! Glad to see you looking so good! I knew you’d make it pretty far into the game!”

As more people came from behind the screen, Wille began to panic as he realized they were people’s family members. Simon was currently hugging two Latina women, while Nick was swinging an older woman around in a hug. 

This couldn’t be the family visit. It was too soon! Wille could feel a panic attack coming on. If people recognized his brother, they would know who he was, and they would vote him out! And if Simon found out the truth…

Wille pushed down his panic, hiding it, just like always. Felice had almost given him away already, but he had managed to deflect her questions. Maybe he could just say it was a coincidence?

That was when he saw his brother, but almost didn’t recognize him. Erik had grown out his beard and a mustache, and had let his hair grow out. It looked like he had also added blonde tips to his hair. The sunglasses he wore hid a good portion of his face as well. He leaned heavily on his cane as he walked over to greet Wille.

“Hey there, little brother! Breathe, Wille.” Erik hugged him tightly. “I promise, I won’t do anything to draw attention to you.”

Wille relaxed, and took a deep breath. He knew Erik would never give away his secret. He pulled back to get a better look at Erik, taking in his disguise, unable to believe it really was his brother standing there. He was about to comment, when someone else caught his eye.

Malin was hugging a taller brunette woman with hazel green eyes. He turned his gaze back to Erik, only now they were full of accusation. “Tell me you didn’t!”

Erik didn’t even pretend not to understand. “Mother insisted.”

“Damn it Erik! How could you? You could have told mother no! I didn’t need a babysitter!” Wille took a step away from him. “Damn it, Felice was right, and she didn’t even realize it! I knew I was right to vote for her!”

“Wille, calm down,” Erik tried to say.

“At least you could have used Joakim, instead of going behind my back! What, you didn’t think I would recognize Talia? She’s only been your head of security for the past fifteen years! And Malin is her wife?”

“Wille, calm down or you will cause a scene, and I know you don’t want that.”

Wille glanced around, thankful that everyone else seemed too preoccupied with their own families to notice. Even Felice was being coddled and fussed over by Poppe and Smysan. Which brought another thought to Wille’s mind. 

“The Ehrencronas didn’t recognize you, did they?”

“They thought I was one of mother’s third cousin’s grandsons. I didn’t dissuade them from believing that.”

Wille took a deep breath. He was still angry to learn his brother had placed a bodyguard on the show with him, but at least his cover hadn’t been completely blown just yet. 

He glanced over to where Simon was laughing with his mama and sister. What would Simon think when he found out Wille was Prince Wilhelm?

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #9

Day 25 cont.:

“Simon, your manager called a few days ago. I told him you were taking a vacaciones,”  Linda said. “He said to tell you, el tour ha sido aprobado!”

Simon straightened up in surprise. “Really? Did he say when? And who? All he told me before I left was that he was working on getting me into a tour with a major artist, but he wouldn’t tell me who until he had the arrangements all set!”

“He mentioned a couple of names, but I don’t remember them off hand. He’ll have all the details for you when you get back. The tour starts in a little over a month, so you have plenty of time to talk to him when you finish here.”

Simon sighed. His mama was always like this, playing down just how important this was to him. She wasn’t being mean, she just didn’t understand what this could mean for his career. He hugged her again, and even hugged Sara.

“Come on, I want to introduce you to someone.” He led them over to where two men were talking.

“Wille, this my mama, Linda, and my sister, Sara.”

Wille smiled, but Simon noticed the strained look around his eyes. “Hello, It’s nice to meet you. Simon has told me so much about both of you. This is my brother, Erik.”

“Charmed,” Erik said, giving them a nod of the head.

Before anyone else could speak, they were joined by Felice and her parents. 

“Wille, my parents wanted to meet you. This is my mamma, Smysan, and my dad, Poppe Ehrencrona.”

“Wille, it’s so nice to meet you!” Smysan said, her smile just a little overly friendly. “We had such a lovely time on the flight getting to know your darling brother, I just had to meet you as well. Felice tells me you two are getting along wonderfully.”

Wille glanced at the younger woman, who gave him an apologetic look. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Simon shrink in on himself a little.

“Yes, Felice has been a good friend and confidant out here.” He emphasized the word friend. “Have you met Simon?” He drew their attention to the other man, reaching out to take his hand, an obvious display of possessiveness. “Simon is a singer, just starting to make his mark on the charts in Sweden, and starting to become well known around the world, as well!”

“Oh, how do you do?” Smysan was taken aback, but recovered her manners quickly. “What a lovely young man.”

Wille could see Felice trying to hide her grin at her mother’s obvious attempt at matchmaking being so thoroughly thwarted. He could also see the knowing smile on his brother’s face.

“Thank you,” Simon said, and introduced his mother and sister.

…

Kurt fussed over his dad, making sure he didn’t exert himself too much.

“I’m fine, kiddo! The doctor checked me out before I left, and the medical crew here are aware of my condition. I ain’t gonna die on you just yet!”

“Don’t even joke about that!” Kurt said. “I am happy you are here, though, and there are a few people who would like to meet you.” Kurt caught Blaine’s eye and waved him over, along with the taller man with him.

“Blaine, this is my dad, Congressman Burt Hummel.”

Blaine smiled. “It’s an honor to meet you sir!”

“None of that sir, crap, please. Just call me Burt.”

Blaine smiled and shook his hand. “I’m a huge fan of your work in congress, and only wish you were my representative. The LGBTQ+ community has made great strides thanks to your work.”

“Well thank you, but there is still a lot of work to do. I only regret that I haven't been able to do more sooner.”

The tall man with Blaine cleared his throat.

“Oh, this is my brother, Cooper. You can ignore him, I usually do. My mother is here somewhere, too, but I think she got sidetracked talking to Elle’s mum.”

“Squirt!” Cooper said, only pretending to be offended. “I promised I would be on my best behavior!”

“First off, I’ve told you repeatedly not to call me Squirt, and second, you already insulted the one Swedish lady with your really awful cliche accent. You’re lucky all she did was ignore you! She’s a trained bodyguard! She could have put you in a chokehold.”

“Are you talking about the tall brunette woman, Talia?” Burt asked. “She seemed really nice. She and my Secret Serviceman, Charles, were having an interesting conversation about security while we waited behind the screen. Is that blonde woman she’s talking with now her wife?”

Kurt nodded. “That’s Malin. She’s nice, but she doesn’t really talk a lot. She is a hard worker, though.”

Just then they were approached by Elle and her family. “Kurt, would it be okay to say hi to your dad?”

“Of course. Dad, this is Elle Argent. She has been looking forward to meeting you ever since your visit to London last fall, but her train was late and she missed you.”

Burt smiled and reached out to shake her hand. “How do you do, young lady?”

She smiled and shook his hand. “I’m very good, thank you. I just wanted to say how grateful I am for all the hard work you’ve done to promote Trans rights in the US. Even the trans community in the UK knows and respects what you’ve done to support us.”

“Well, everyone deserves to live however they want, without government sticking their noses into it. Sadly we still have a long journey before people learn that lesson.”

“With people like you leading the charge, I’m sure it will happen sooner than later. Oh, by the way, this is my dad, Richard, and my mum, Mariam.”

There were quick introductions all around, as Pam Anderson also joined them, as well as Tao and his mum, Yan. After a bit they were also joined by most of the others, although Nick and his mum and Malin and Talia were each still absorbed in their own conversations.

…

Nick needed advice, and who better to ask than his mum? But talking to her about Charlie meant having to tell her the truth about himself.

"Come on, Nicky, whatever is on your mind can’t really be all that bad. What has you frowning, and your forehead all furrowed?”

He sighed. “Mum, I’ve met someone, and I really like them, but I don’t think they believe me when I tell them how beautiful they are. They didn’t want me to know they had an eating disorder, and think that if I knew they had mental health issues that I would leave them.”

“Oh, Nicky. I’m very happy you’ve met someone, and I can’t wait to meet them. As for the rest of it, I don’t know what to tell you. Have you tried talking with them about it? Let them know that you won’t leave them over such a silly reason?”

He shook his head. “They were drunk when they blurted it out. They don’t remember saying anything to me about it. I just don’t know how to talk to them about it without embarrassing them.”

“Who is it? Is it someone here on the show?”

Here it was, the perfect opportunity for Nick to tell her, before she saw it on the telly. “It’s Charlie. I’m bisexual, mum.”

“Charlie? The young man with the lovely hair? I should have known. I had a lovely conversation with his sister and his friends on the flight.”

“Did you hear what I said, mum? I’m bisexual.”

“I heard you, Nicky. I see nothing wrong with that. It just means you have a greater capacity to love. Did you think I wouldn’t accept that you aren’t straight?”

Nick sighed in relief and hugged her. “Have I told you how lucky I am that you’re my mum?”

She just smiled and patted his arm. “Now tell me more about this Charlie?”

…

Malin was very happy to see Talia, of course, but she could feel Wilhelm glaring at her. She knew he would recognize Talia. She had been certain he had figured her out when he voted for her at Tribal Council. Now that he knew the truth, she was certain he would find some way of getting her out.

“I can talk to the prince if you want,” Talia offered. “Make him understand that I was the one who asked you to come here to watch over him.”

“I doubt that would do me any good. We both know how stubborn he can be.”

Talia smiled. “He gets it from his Mother. Those two are much more alike than they realize.”

Malin laughed. “Don’t ever let Wille hear you say that. Don’t worry about him right now. If he manages to get me voted out, there is nothing we can do about it. We knew that from the start. Right now we have other things we could be talking about. Like what I asked you before I left.”

Talia’s smile softened. “I know how much you want a child. I know you will make a wonderful mamma. Which is why I went ahead and sent in the papers right after you left. I was going to wait to tell you when you got home, but I can see you aren’t going to rest until then.”

“You sent in the papers?” Malin said, shocked.

Talia grinned. “Yes. I’ll be officially taking over the administration position at the end of the month, so I will be home more often, and you will be taking over Joakim’s position as he moves up to take my place as head of Crown Prince Erik’s security detail. That means you will only accompany his highness when he travels out of country, which you know isn’t as often as his mother. So you will be home a lot more as well.

“Besides, the woman at the adoption agency said there were a pair of twins in need of a home. A boy and a girl, ten years old. They would like to find a home for both of them together.”

Malin smiled and hugged her tightly. “ Jag älskar dig! ”

Talia laughed. “ Jag älskar dig, mitt hjärta. ”

…

Charlie was so happy to have Tori, Darcy and Tara here. Of course the first thing Tori had asked was had he been eating enough. He replied honestly, telling her that there had been a few days where he had had difficulty eating the rice, but only because of the excess of wild garlic. 

“Once Elle figured out the situation, she made certain to keep a portion separate for me with less garlic. And then when I wasn’t feeling well, Quinn made me a porridge of rice and cattail heads that really helped, and made me feel better.”

“Which ones are Elle and Quinn?” Tori asked. 

Charlie shrugged. “Quinn got voted out a couple nights ago, but I’ll introduce you to Elle. Don’t get jealous if she calls herself my big sister. She’s been very good to me, and I want you all to be friends.”

“I wouldn’t dream of being jealous,” Tori replied in her very blunt way. “I just want to thank her for being here for you.”

“You really are doing so well, Charlie!” Tara said. “We’re so proud of you for making it this far.”

“Yes,” Darcy said. “And when you win the one million dollars, don’t forget us!”

Charlie laughed. “As if anyone could possibly forget you, Darcy Olsson, the human torpedo!” They all laughed at that. “Really though, thank you all for being here, and for supporting me through everything. Come on, I’ll introduce you around.”

They joined Elle and Tao and their families, who were talking with Kurt’s dad, who was apparently an American Congressman, something Charlie hadn’t known. Then again he really hadn’t had a chance to spend much time with Kurt and Blaine. 

Charlie almost had a heart attack when he recognized Blaine’s brother, Cooper Anderson. “You’re that freecreditscore guy!”

Cooper grinned. “That’s me! Have my commercials made it all the way across the pond?” he added with a bad British accent.

“No, I saw you on YouTube on this channel that makes fun of American commercials. You made their top ten most overly exaggerated commercial actors’ list.”

Blaine burst out laughing, and fist bumped Charlie. “Thank you! Cooper always lets his fame go to his head!”

Charlie smiled. “Well, he is good looking at least. If they just had him keep his mouth shut, he could be a leading man!”

Blaine laughed even harder at that.

Eventually they were joined by the Swedish contingent. Poppe, Erik, and Burt chatted about world politics. Linda, Simon, Blaine, and Charlie talked about music. Smysan, Felice, Kurt and Elle talked about fashion. Tao and Elle’s parents traded recipes. Everyone else just chatted about generalities, before Malin and Talia and Nick and his mum joined them.

“Nick?” He looked up when he heard his name, and was shocked by the speaker. “Oh my god, Nick Nelson, is it really you?”

“Tara?”

Charlie looked between the two of them. “You know each other?”

Nick blushed as Tara laughed. “Nick was the first and last guy I ever kissed!”

“Yes, and I must have been really bad at it back then, because you decided you were a lesbian after that kiss.”

She laughed and slapped his arm. “How have you been? The last time I saw you was a little over a year ago. You said something then about trying to figure out your life.”

“Yeah, I had a lot to think about at the time. So, you’re friends of Charlie’s?”

“Yeah, we’ve known each other about ten years now. Isn’t it funny how life works out sometimes?”

“Yeah,” Nick said. “Oh, Charlie, this is my mum, Sarah Nelson.”

Sarah smiled sweetly. “Nicky has been telling me all about you. I’m so happy for you.”

Tara raised her eye at that. “Is there something between you and Nick?”

Nick smiled and reached out to take Charlie’s hand when the younger man floundered to respond. “Yeah. I’m kind of hoping Charlie will agree to be my boyfriend.”

“Charlie!” Darcy exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because he’s Charlie, of course,” Tori said. “Always bottling things up inside and letting them get to his head. Nick, it’s nice to meet you. Just keep in mind, if you hurt him, I will hurt you.”

Nick smiled at her. “I promise to do my best never to hurt him intentionally or accidentally.”

“Good. I think you’ll be good for him. Just don’t let him get too all up in his head, and keep him happy.”

Jeff reappeared then. “I hope you all are enjoying your visit with your loved ones, but there is another part to this reward. Your family and friends have prepared a surprise for you.” The screens were removed, revealing a super long picnic table, laden with food. “A potluck feast to celebrate making it to the merge. Enjoy it while you can. Once the sun begins to set, it will be time to say goodbye to your loved ones and head back to your camp to prepare for tomorrow’s Elimination Challenge.”

It was an international feast. Elle’s mother had made lamb kebabs, and more of the Basbousa. Tao’s mum had made steamed pork buns, and more of the Lo Mai Chi. Tara had made eggplant parmesan, while Tori had made Charlie’s favorite toffees. Pam Anderson had made Sisig and pastillas de leche. Linda and Sara had made Majarete and sopapillas. Talia had made Äppelfläsk (a dish made with pork and fried apples,) and divinity. Smysan provided a fish stew and chocolates, while Erik had brought an assortment of breads and pastries. Sarah Nelson had made bangers and mash and cinnamon pecan rolls. Even Burt had made an effort, and baked three perfect souffles, and brought a store bought cheesecake. They were also provided an assortment of beers, wine, and fruit juices.

Blaine was sitting between Kurt and Charlie’s sister, Tori. She asked him what he did for a living.

“I write music,” Blaine said, smiling his most charming smile. 

“Who have you written for?” Tara asked. She was sitting across from them, between Charlie and Darcy.

“I’ve written songs for several major artists. Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and most recently, Mercedes Jones.”

“Mercedes?” Charlie said. “I worked with her in the studio on her last two albums! She’s a real sweetheart.”

“I know!” Blaine said, laughing. “I just finished a new piece for her that she’s going to debut on her upcoming tour with Starchild.”

“Mercedes Jones is going on tour with Starchild?” Simon asked. “When?”

“Next month,” Kurt said, overhearing the conversation. “Tickets were supposed to go on sale today, actually. Fortunately for me, I have backstage VIP access to any concert of hers I want to go to.”

“How did you manage that?” Elle asked.

Kurt smiled. “Mercedes and I go way back. We went to school together. She’s been my best friend since my sophomore year of high school. I designed her Grammy gown last year, and the one she’s going to wear this year.”

“Mercedes Jones?” Linda said, looking at Simon. "Ese es uno de los nombres que olvidé!"

“What?” Simon said, heart racing.

“Tu gerente, mencionó Mercedes, and someone else. Star something?”

Simon went pale as the realization dawned on him.

“Simon?” Wille said, noticing the other man’s shocked expression. “Is he okay? He looks like he is going to faint!”

“Mi amor? ¿Qué está mal? "

Simon could only shake his head.

"I think he is just in shock!" Sara said. "Mama, maybe you should have waited to tell him when he got home!"

"I don't understand," Linda said.

Simon stood up and took his mother's arm, leading her away hastily.

"¡Mamá, no puedes decir eso frente a todos! ¡La mayoría no me conoce! ¡Si se enteran de la gira, me expulsarán!"

"I'm sorry, mi amor. I wasn’t thinking!"

Simon sighed and clasped his hands behind his head. "It’s fine. I'm sorry I reacted like that. What exactly did my manager say about Mercedes and Starchild?"

Linda thought carefully. "He said everything was taken care of, and that you would be opening for Mercedes Jones and Starchild, who will be touring together for nine months."

Simon thought he was going to faint again. "Mama, do you know what this means?"

"¿Qué? ”

“It means that everyone is going to hear my music! Mercedes Jones is only the hottest artist on the charts right now! And Starchild’s last tour broke records for attendance!”

“Oh, mi amor, I am so happy for you!” She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

He smiled. “Thank you, mama. Just don’t say anything about it to anyone else, okay?”

“I promise, Simon. But after you come home, I am bragging to everyone that my son is a superstar!”

…

It was hard for them to say goodbye to their loved ones and head back to camp, but the game must go on. As they approached camp, however, Wille pulled Malin aside.

“I should have known something was up when I found out you were a bodyguard. You could have at least told me, instead of wasting our time.”

“Would you have voted me out first?” Malin asked, calmly.

Wille crossed his arms over his chest. “No, I probably would still have voted Alexander out first. But I would have tried to convince the others to vote you out instead of Madison. The bad thing is, Felice figured it out before I did.”

“Is that why you gave me that vote?”

Wille shrugged. “It was just a suspicion then. I couldn’t prove it, but my gut told me to vote for you.”

“So what now?” Malin asked, matching his posture.

“I suggest you do your best during the Immunity challenge tomorrow,” he said, and walked away.

He found Nick and Charlie, and asked to speak to them in private, catching Simon’s eye and indicating for him to join them.

“We need at least two more votes if we want this alliance to make it to the end,” he said.

Nick nodded. “Who are you thinking?”

“What about Kurt and Blaine?” Simon suggested.

Charlie considered it for a moment. “It does make sense. Who should approach them?”

Wille knew in his current mood, he probably shouldn’t be the one to talk to anyone. “Simon? You put this alliance together. You should be the one to talk to them.”

He nodded. “Okay, I can do that. But who are we voting out first?”

“Malin,” Wille said, no hesitation. “She’s the strongest player out here, besides Nick.”

Simon studied his face, obviously aware that something was up with the other man, but held his tongue for now. Nick and Charlie both agreed, and headed back to camp before anyone else could get too suspicious. Simon waited until they were alone.

“What’s going on, Wille? And don’t tell me it’s just strategy. You were upset earlier when you were talking to your brother."

Wille turned away from him, grabbing his hair in frustration. "You know how I said my family has always smothered me and kept me under close scrutiny?"

"Yes," Simon said, moving around to look at him.

"Yeah, well even halfway around the world they're keeping tabs on me!"

Simon’s forehead furrowed as he tried to understand. And then it hit him. "Malin?"

Wille nodded. "I recognized her wife. Talia has been one of my brother's security personnel for years. He said mother put them up to this, but Erik didn't even try to stop them. Hell, he probably was the one to recommend Malin in the first place."

"And that is why you want to vote Malin out?"

Wille sighed and pulled him in to rest their foreheads together. "Does that make me sound like a bad person?"

Simon draped his arms over Wille’s shoulders. "Maybe a little, but I get it. And strategically, voting her out is the right move. You're right, she is the strongest competitor after Nick. I'll stand by your judgment on this. Just talk to me when something is bothering you, okay?"

Wille nodded, then leaned in to kiss him. He told himself it would only be a quick kiss, but the moment their lips met, he pulled Simon in tighter, desperate to assure himself that Simon was real.

…

Day 26:

Simon woke early the next morning, and found Kurt already up and tending the fire. 

“Good morning,” he greeted the auburn haired man. “I’m not used to someone getting up before me.”

Kurt smiled. “Oddly enough, in the real world, I’m never the first one up, but out here, I just can’t seem to sleep in.”

Simon nodded. “I was going to go fill the water jugs. Want to join me?”

“Sure. I didn’t know where the well was, or I would have done it myself.”

“Well, I thought maybe we could talk as we walk.”

Kurt arched an eyebrow at him. “Color me intrigued.”

They grabbed the water jugs and headed out. “So, I was talking with Wille, Nick and Charlie last night. We’ve had this little alliance going for a while now, and it’s worked fine for us. But now with the merge, we need more numbers, and we were wondering if you and Blaine want in on the deal? We’ll guarantee top six, after that, it’s every man for himself.”

“Have you spoken to Blaine yet?”

"Not yet, this is the first chance I've had to speak with either of you.”

Kurt nodded. “I’ll talk to him and let you know after the challenge. Anyone in particular you are looking to vote out tonight? Assuming they don’t win Immunity?”

Simon shrugged. “Malin is a strong competitor. She’s almost as strong as Nick.”

Kurt nodded again, and they finished the journey to the well in relative silence.

…

“Tree mail!” Charlie called out. “Who has the strength to carry them through the challenge?”

“So it’s a strength challenge,” Tao said. “Nice to know I have zero chance at Immunity.”

“You and me both,” Charlie said. “But you still have the mystery envelope. Maybe it’s a get out of jail free card.”

“You think it might be an extra Immunity situation?” Elle asked.

Charlie shrugged. “It’s a possibility. At the very least I'm positive it is some kind of advantage.”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Simon said, as he passed around the fish he’d made for lunch.

A short while later, they were led to yet another field, this one overlooking the beach. Jeff greeted them with his amicable smile with the obligatory dimples. “Come on in guys. How was the meal?”

“Amazing!” Kurt said. “I will definitely be requesting multiple recipes when we get back home.”

There were several agreeable replies.

“Good, I’m glad you all enjoyed your reward. But now it’s time to get back to Survivor. I need to take back the Immunity idol from the former Hillney.” He retrieved the idol from Blaine. “Tribe Immunity is no longer in play. From now and till the end, you are playing for Individual Immunity.” He uncovered a display on a podium. On display was an elaborate necklace made of large pieces of turquoise and beads, and adorned with short feathers. “If you want to Survive until the Final Tribal Council, you are going to want to have this around your neck.

“In today’s challenge, you will each be holding on to a lever, which will have weights attached to the other end. You will want to keep the lever at a level height as best as you can. If you pull the lever down too far, you will ring a bell, and you will be out of the game. If you let the lever rise too high, the weights will fall off and smash a vase, and you will be out of the game. 

“Tao, you still have the yellow envelope I gave you?”

“Yes.”

“I assume you haven’t opened it yet?” Tao shook his head. “Good. Go ahead and open it now and read it out loud.”

Tao did as instructed. “Congratulations, you have earned an advantage. You may choose one person to begin with fifty extra pounds of weight.”

Jeff nodded. “Nine of you will start with fifty pounds. One of you will begin with one hundred pounds. Every twenty minutes we will add another twenty pounds to each of you. The last person standing wins Immunity. So Tao, you have to make a decision.”

Charlie leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Choose Malin.”

Tao frowned, but nodded. “I’ll give Malin the extra weight.”

Jeff nodded. “Okay. We’ll draw lots for positions.”

They lined up with their backs to the ocean view, each under a simple structure with the lever that resembled the shoulder bar on a roller coaster, except it extended out further, and a beam that extended out behind them with a bell like the one you would see at a boxing match attached to it. Below that, on a small platform, was a clay vase.

They each grabbed onto the lever, testing it’s mechanics.

“If you are all ready, we’ll go ahead and add the first fifty pounds for most of you, first hundred pounds for Malin.”

They all braced as the weight was added.

“And the clock is ticking. In twenty minutes, we’ll add another twenty pounds.”

“I doubt I’ll be able to hold it for twenty minutes,” Tao muttered.

“I have faith in you,” Elle said from his right. Tao puffed out his chest a little at her encouragement, and braced himself a little better.

It was silent as the Survivors focused on keeping the lever at an angle that wouldn’t ring the bell or drop the weights on the vase. Everyone was sweating, and the temperature was only getting warmer.

“Ten minutes have passed, and so far the Survivors are holding steady. How much longer can they keep it up? Are you feeling the pain yet?”

“Not really,” Nick said. “Fifty pounds isn’t much yet.”

“Speak for yourself,” Kurt replied. “Fifty pounds is like an entire bolt of lace.”

Jeff chuckled. More time passed. “One more minute and we’ll add another twenty pounds. You might want to prepare yourselves.”

Charlie shifted his weight. His arms were already starting to burn.

“Take a deep breath,” Nick suggested. Charlie just nodded.

“Okay, here we go, more weight coming in five…four…three…two…one!”

“Oomph!” Tao said as the extra weight settled on the end of the lever. He fought to keep his balance, and came awfully close to letting the weights drop.

“You are now bearing seventy pounds of weight. Except Malin, who is holding one twenty. How are you doing, Malin?”

“So far so good, Jeff. This is nothing compared to what I carried in the military.”

“I really wish I had peed before we started the challenge,” Felice said.

“Same,” Elle replied.

“Another ten minutes have passed. I can see some of you are struggling already. Just imagine when we add the next twenty pounds.”

“Do you get off on being a sadist, Jeff?” Kurt snarked.

“It’s just one of the perks of the job,” Jeff replied, deadpan.

“Bite me,” Kurt said, smiling.

“Sorry, I don’t swing that way.”

“Ooh!” Several people laughed, including Kurt.

“Such a shame.”

Kurt’s response was such a distraction, Tao laughed and accidentally pulled his lever down, ringing his bell.

“And we have our first victim with only five more minutes to go before the next round of weights. Take a seat Tao.”

Simon tried to block everything out, focusing his gaze on a single branch of a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. He knew what most people thought about twinks, that they were skinny and weak, but Simon was determined to prove the stereotype wrong.

“More weight incoming in five…four…three…two…one!”

Charlie cursed under his breath as the weight tugged at his muscles, and fought to control the lever.

“That’s what ninety pounds feels like. Malin is now carrying more than the equivalent of Charlie’s body weight.”

Felice groaned as the lever slipped through her sweaty fingers, and the weight crashed down on her vase.

“Felice takes a seat as she can’t hold out any longer. Nick, Malin, Wille, Elle, Simon and Blaine all holding steady. Kurt and Charlie both look a little shaky.”

“Appearances can be deceiving, Jeff,” Elle said. “I’m just trying not to move because I really have to pee now.”

“You want Immunity that bad?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

Jeff just chuckled. Twenty more minutes passed, and another twenty pounds was added.

“One hundred and ten pounds are now pulling on your arm muscles, putting stress on your back and neck.”

“Thank you for that unnecessary information, Jeff,” Kurt replied.

“You’re welcome Kurt. Always ready to help out when I can.”

Another twenty minutes, another twenty pounds added. 

“One hundred thirty pounds. Malin is up to one eighty.”

“Damn it!” Charlie said, dropping his weights on the vase.

“And Charlie is out. Take a seat with Tao and Felice.”

Tao patted his shoulder, and Felice squeezed his hand as he joined them. 

“You did good,” Felice said.

“You lasted much longer than I did,” Tao said.

Charlie just sighed and closed his eyes.

“Three down, seven still in it. Malin, Wille, Nick, Simon, Elle, Blaine, and Kurt pulling on reserves of strength from somewhere.”

“Screw it,” Elle said, letting go. “I can’t hold it any longer!” She rushed into the woods to relieve herself.

“And another one bites the dust!” Jeff remarked. “Five more minutes and we’ll add more weight.”

Blaine’s muscles were beginning to cramp as the next round of weight was added.

“Five of you are holding one hundred and fifty pounds. One of you is carrying two hundred pounds.”

“Gee, I wonder which one, Jeff,” Malin said, speaking for the first time in a long while.

Simon was still focusing on the tree limb, trying to convince himself that his arms weren’t actually being pulled out of their sockets. Wille was also hyper focused, determined to outlast Malin.

Twenty minutes and twenty pounds later, Kurt couldn’t take it any longer, letting the lever go. Blaine wasn’t far behind.

“We’re down to four. Nick, Malin, Simon and Wille powering through. Simon basically carrying his own weight right now.”

“How much do you think I weigh, Jeff? I’ve been carrying more than my own weight for almost an hour now! Charlie and I are about the same weight!”

“Sorry, touchy subject. I apologize!”

“Never ask a woman or a twink how much they weigh, Jeff,” Kurt said.

“My bad!”

More time passed, more weight added. They were now at two hundred and twenty pounds for the three men, two seventy for Malin. Simon tried to hold out, but his hands were so sweaty, and his muscles burned worse than they did during the first challenge. He swore as the lever pulled out of his grasp. He joined the others on the bench. He was proud of himself for holding out as long as he did.

“And then there were three.” The sound of another vase shattering interrupted Jeff. “Make that two, as Wille lets go.”

Wille was pissed with himself, swearing in Swedish as he took his seat next to Simon, who put an arm around him comfortingly.

“We’re down to Nick and Malin. One of them will win the first Individual Immunity.”

Wille sat with his arms crossed, glaring at Malin. Twenty more minutes passed, and another twenty pounds were added. Malin seemed as solid as ever, but then she made direct eye contact with Wille. They held each other’s eyes for a few moments, and then Malin let go.

“Malin is out, and Nick wins individual immunity!”

Nick let out a sigh of relief as he let go.

Jeff placed the Immunity Necklace around Nick’s neck. “Congratulations, you are safe from the vote tonight. The rest of you are in danger of being voted out. I’ll see you all at Tribal Council. Until then, head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #9

Day 26 cont.:

“You let go on purpose,” Wille said when he and Malin were alone on the way back to camp.

“I don’t know what you mean, your highness.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Why not? You’re finally acting like the spoiled little prince everyone expects you to be! Throwing a tantrum because you didn’t get your way!”

Wille looked taken aback. “Because I don’t want a babysitter? In case you and my mother hadn’t noticed, I’m twenty four years old! I can take care of myself!”

“No one has ever disputed that. Security isn’t here to wipe your nose and bottle feed you. It’s to protect you from harm, even if the person trying to harm you is yourself!”

“When have I ever placed myself in harm's way? Certainly not since I was six and learned the hard way that falling out of a tree is very painful. But I learned from that experience! Just like any commoner who didn’t grow up with security people surrounding them night and day. How am I supposed to experience life and learn from it if I’m not allowed to try new things?”

Malin sighed. “No one has ever told you you can’t try new things, Wille. The only thing anyone has ever asked of you is to remember that until your brother weds and has an heir, you still have a duty to your family and your country.”

Wille glared at her. “I never asked for this! I didn’t choose this life! No one asked me what I wanted! I just want to be treated like anyone else! And before one more person tries to talk to me about duty, perhaps they should remember that I’m not the heir who got drunk and totaled his brand new sports car!”

He turned and walked away, needing to calm down before he faced anyone else. It wasn’t until that moment that Wille realized just how angry he was at his brother for the accident. Yes, Erik survived, but he had come very close to dying and leaving Wille the burden of his station. Wille had only been sixteen at the time, only just getting his first real taste of life outside the palace, out from under his mother’s thumb and the constant scrutinization from Jan-Olaf, Farima, and the rest of the royal court. And then the accident happened, and the realization that he was just one heartbeat away from being dragged back into that stifling life. It had felt like a noose around his neck.

Even after Erik had recovered, the scars and the cane were a constant reminder to Wille that Erik had almost died. That Wille had almost become the crown prince. He still woke in the middle of the night with nightmares, gasping for air, in the throws of a panic attack.

That had been why Wille had fought so hard to distance himself from the palace and the family. He had used his familial name instead of his title when he opened his business, insisted on using the more relaxed Wille rather than Wilhelm, and rarely spent money on himself. He dressed differently when he was away from the palace, wore his hair differently in public, did everything he could not to be Prince Wilhelm.

Simon didn’t look at him like he was the prince. Simon saw the real Wille. But Simon didn’t know the truth. Would he see Wille differently when he found out?

…

Kurt and Blaine gathered firewood as they talked about Simon’s offer.

“An alliance is a good idea,” Blaine said. “If it guarantees us a spot in the final six, I think we should take it. It just means that when it gets down to the six of us, you and I will have to try even harder to get Immunity, because you know those four will vote us out in a heartbeat.”

Kurt nodded. “True, but it improves our odds of getting to the end.”

“I say we go for it. Who did they want to vote out tonight?”

“Simon mentioned Malin. She’s a strong competitor, physically and mentally, but I think there is more to it. Did you notice the way Wille has been acting towards her since yesterday?”

Blaine nodded. “It looked like the two of them had had a falling out or something, although I don’t know what about.”

“Whatever it was, it happened during the family visit. They seemed fine the day before.”

“Maybe separating them would be good for tribe morale.”

“Maybe,” Kurt said, still not sounding thoroughly convinced.

…

They filed into Tribal Council as the sun sank in the west. Jeff stood stoic as ever as they took their seats.

“So, first tribal council as a united tribe. How does it feel to have made it this far?”

“Considering I expected to be the first one voted off, I consider this a victory,” Tao confessed.

Jeff smiled. “A lot of people have come on this show thinking they would be the first to go, only to end up in the final two. A couple even won, so never say never. Speaking of winning, Nick, you won the first individual Immunity Challenge. How does it feel?”

“Good, I guess. I’m just glad it ended when it did. Not sure I could have held on with another twenty pounds.”

Jeff studied everyone for a moment before continuing. “So at this point in the game, strategy is very key to moving forward, because now, you’re not just voting someone out, you are placing someone on the jury who may hold your fate in their hands at the Final Tribal Council. It’s a delicate balance. You want to remove players who can beat you in challenges down the road, but you don’t want them to be angry at you when you do. How do you do that? Kurt?”

He shrugged. “I guess by just trying to get along with everyone, and making sure they understand it’s nothing personal, it’s just how the game is played. Personally, I don’t understand how people can come on the show and claim to be a fan, but then get angry when someone else out plays them. It’s literally in the show’s motto; ‘outwit, outplay, and outlast.’ If someone votes for me at this point, I’ll take it as a compliment that they think I am better than them. Any true fan of the show should feel the same way.”

“Nice sentiment,” Jeff said. “So how do you base your vote now? There are no other tribes to compete against, only each other. You don’t need to hold onto the stronger players to keep your tribe strong. What factor do you use to decide who you vote for? Simon?”

“I think now is the time to remove those who can beat you out for immunity down the road. Maybe not physically the strongest, but the player who is all around a strong player.”

“And yet we’ve seen on numerous occasions the strong overall players make it to the final two, only to lose out in the final vote. Why do you think that happens? Elle?”

“It’s usually because a lot of the time the strong players get cocky and overconfident and mistreat the people they put on the jury, who are then disinclined to vote for them. I think the exception to that are players like Yul, who outsmarted so many people, but still treated them well, which is why he won.”

“So what I am hearing is that being respectful is key to victory, at least for some people. But can respect help you win an immunity challenge?”

Charlie grinned. “It’s not about how you win, it’s about how you lose, I think. Today, going into the challenge, I knew there was no way I could win, and when I couldn’t hold on anymore, I didn’t complain about the challenge being unfair, geared towards the more physically fit competitors, because I know that at some point there will be a challenge that is more geared for those with stronger minds than bodies. I’m pretty sure I might have an advantage in those challenges.”

That brought a few chuckles.

“Definitely an advantage over me,” Kurt replied. “I thought I was great at math, but Charlie is Einstein compared to me.”

The younger man blushed. “Not really.”

Jeff smiled. “So, do you know who you are voting for tonight? Blaine?”

“I do, and as Kurt said, I hope they take it as the compliment it should be.”

“What about you, Wille? Do you know who you are voting for?”

“Yes.” The answer was short and somewhat clipped.

Jeff noticed the tension between Wille and Malin. “Care to elaborate?”

Wille shrugged. “I’m voting for someone I see as a strong overall competitor.”

Felice turned and looked at him, also noting the odd tone to Wille’s voice. “You sound angry about it.”

“He is angry,” Malin said. “But not just because I outlasted him in the challenge. He’s upset because he found out that my wife, Talia, is head of his brother’s security detail.”

Felice frowned, but didn’t respond.

“So, your wife works for Wille’s family?” Jeff asked.

“Yes.”

“And you knew that from the start?”

“I did.”

“And she didn’t tell me.”

“I see, so there is a bit of bad blood over that?”

“I’m upset over it, yes. Maybe I’m projecting my anger on her, and I’m sorry for that, I’m trying to get over it, but there is more to the story that I’d rather not discuss right now, but suffice it to say she has admitted that my family asked her to keep tabs on me while I was here.”

“Is that true?” Jeff asked.

Malin shrugged her shoulders. “Yes.”

“What was their concerns?”

“I’m not allowed to discuss that. Wille knows why.”

“Yes, because my brother was a reckless idiot, so of course I must be too, despite me never having done one reckless thing in my life.” He turned to Malin. “I’m sorry I’m taking my anger out on you, I know you’re just doing your job, but you can tell my mother to back off!”

The others were looking on in confusion, and things were escalating, so Jeff decided to redirect things.

“I think it’s time to vote. Malin, you’re up first.”

The blonde woman stood and went into the voting booth with her back straight. There was no hesitation when she wrote down a name. “Thank you for apologizing, and for acknowledging that your anger is misplaced. I hope once we return to the real world, we can work things out.”

Wille was the second to vote. “I am sorry. I know it’s your job, but you came here under false pretenses. Maybe once things return to normal, we can talk about it.”

The others filed in one at a time and placed their votes. Jeff stood as Felice took her seat. “I’ll go tally the votes.”

While they waited, Wille turned to Malin again. “I’m sorry. You were right, I was acting like a spoiled brat. But you know why I reacted the way I did.”

He wasn’t sure if she would acknowledge him, but after a moment, she nodded. "I’m sorry too. I told Talia this is how you would react if you found out.”

Wille offered her his hand in a peace offering. She accepted and held it as Jeff returned with the urn.

“Once the votes are read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave the area immediately. I’ll read the votes.”

The room was still tense as Jeff pulled the first slip. “Wille.”

Wille squeezed Malin’s hand to show there were no hard feelings.

“Second vote, Malin. That’s one vote Wille, one vote Malin, eight votes left.” He pulled another slip of paper. “Wille. That’s two votes Wille, one vote Malin. Next vote.”

Wille caught Simon’s eye, and smiled.

“Malin. That’s two votes Wille, two votes Malin. Six votes left.”

The Tribal Council chamber was so silent, you could hear the breeze blowing through the glassless windows.

“Next vote, Malin. That’s two votes Wille, three votes Malin.” Jeff reached for another parchment. “Malin. That’s two votes Wille, four votes Malin.”

“I’m sorry again,” Wille whispered, still holding Malin’s hand. She squeezed his hand in acknowledgment.

“Malin,” Jeff read the next vote. “That’s two votes Wille, five vote Malin, Three votes left.” He paused as he looked at the next vote. “Ninth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination, and first member of our jury, Malin. That’s six votes, that’s enough. You need to bring me your torch.”

Malin stood, pulling Wille to his feet with her. “I forgive you, and I do understand. I’m sorry I said what I did.”

Wille nodded, and hugged the older woman. “Thank you.”

Malin picked up her bag and placed her torch before Jeff.

“Malin, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed her flame.

“Before I go, Talia asked me to give you something, in case I got voted out tonight.” She handed Jeff a piece of divinity, and then kissed the back of his hand. “A divine kiss.”

Jeff laughed, and Malin walked out without a backwards glance.

“Well, the night started with drama, and ended in a reconciliation. You get a little bit of everything on Survivor. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #9

Day 26 cont.:

They were silent as they walked back to camp, but once the fire had been stoked and they all began to get ready for bed, Wille spoke up.

“I need to apologize to all of you as well. My personal life shouldn’t have been brought into Tribal Council like that. If you voted for me because of that, it’s okay, I understand.”

Everyone but Felice expressed their sympathy for him. Felice remained silent and went to bed. He knew he needed to talk to her, but figured he’d let her be for tonight.

As the others began to disperse, Nick approached Elle. “Can I talk to you about something?”

She looked at him curiously, but nodded. They walked down to the beach, the full moon lighting the way.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I need to ask your advice about something. The night of your birthday party, Charlie was pretty drunk after drinking one glass of champagne. He said something that I don’t think he really meant to say out loud, and I can’t stop thinking about it, and he doesn’t remember saying it, and I don’t know how to talk to him about it.”

She studied his face. “What did he say?” She thought she already knew, but wanted to be certain.

“Well, he said he had anorexia, and was worried that if I found out he wasn’t right in the head, I probably wouldn’t want to be with him. But I really like him, and I don’t know how to tell him it’s okay, and that I won’t leave him because of it. He said some other stuff too, but that was the important part.”

Elle smiled. “First off, I am really happy for both of you. You really are good for him, and I think he’s good for you, too.”

“He’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“Tell him that. Then tell him you know about his eating disorder, and that you aren’t disgusted by it, and that you just want to make him happy.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

She smiled and patted his arm. “It is that simple. Why do men have to make everything so complicated? Just tell him!”

Nick laughed a little. “You’re right. I guess I was just overthinking it.”

“No, really?” she teased. “But seriously, talk to him sooner rather than later, before he starts getting too all up in his head. I can see he’s already getting himself worked up. He hasn’t eaten very much since we got back from the family visit.”

“He hasn’t?”

“I think all he had to eat before the fireworks at Tribal Council tonight was half a serving of rice. At lunch he mostly picked at his fish. I’m worried he’s on the verge of a relapse.”

“What would happen if he does relapse?”

Elle shrugged. “He’d start eating less and less, until he stopped all together, or just ate the bare minimum. He’d slowly grow weaker, until his organs began to shut down, and he could die, or at the very least do a lot of damage to his organs. 

“We’ve talked a little bit about how bad it got before he sought treatment the first time. He said it was really bad, it affected his metabolism, which is probably why the alcohol affected him so bad the other night.”

Nick nodded. “If I talk to him and tell him how I feel, will that be enough to stop his relapse?”

She shrugged again. “I can’t guarantee that. It depends on how far in his head he’s gotten, and if he has the motivation to make the effort.” She studied his face. “He’ll be okay, Nick. We won’t let anything happen to him. I’m sure medical is aware of his condition and are monitoring it. If it starts to look like he has stopped eating, they will pull him from the game and get him into treatment.”

Nick sighed in frustration. “If they pull him from the game, it could make his condition worse.”

“Talk to him first thing tomorrow,” Elle said. “Maybe it isn’t too late.”

Nick nodded, and she hugged him. “It will be okay.”

…

Day 27:

Kurt and Blaine were the first to rise that morning, and headed out to fill the water jugs and gather some fruit.

“So, last night’s Tribal Council was interesting,” Blaine said.

“Very. I wonder what the backstory on that is. Whatever it is, it sounds like Wille’s family doesn't trust him. I don’t know what my life would be like if my dad didn’t trust me to the point he had the Secret Service follow me everywhere.”

Blaine seemed lost in thought for a moment. “Why does his family have that kind of security, anyway? I mean, I would understand that for you, with your dad being in politics and all. But what kind of pull must Wille’s family have to require bodyguards?”

Kurt shrugged. “Maybe his family is in the Swedish Parliament? I think Felice mentioned something about the nobility as well. That could be the reason for the security.”

“Do you remember when the tribes shifted the second time, and we were talking about gay marriage, and Felice said that Malin hadn’t mentioned the fact that she was married before then? Do you think that was because she knew Wille would realize who she was sooner?”

Kurt shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe it really just never came up in conversation.”

Blaine was silent again for a moment as they collected dates and mangoes.

“So, you are looking forward to being able to get married someday?” he asked after a few minutes.

“Of course,” Kurt replied. “When I find the right guy, and I’m ready to settle down. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”

“What if you’ve already met the right guy?”

Kurt smiled and looked at him. “Are you asking me to marry you, Blaine Anderson? I hardly know you!”

Blaine laughed. “Maybe not marriage yet, but what about a date?”

“And how exactly would that work, with me living in New York, and you living in Michigan?”

Blaine shrugged. “I’ll be in New York for a few months when we get back. I was originally only going to be there for a week for a friend’s wedding, but an opportunity came up to collaborate with a composer on the score for a new Broadway musical. I’ve already found a rental apartment.”

“Oh really?” Kurt said.

“Yes. And you said you may be moving back to Ohio when your dad retires. Lima is only a few hours away from Ann Arbor.”

Kurt smiled. “A date, huh? When we get home?”

“Yeah,” Blaine said, grinning.

“Okay.”

Blaine grinned wider, then leaned in to kiss him.

…

Nick filled two coconut shells with the rice and cattail head mixture he’d made for breakfast, following the recipe Quinn had invented, substituting coconut water for the milk. He carried the shells carefully to where Charlie was straightening up the sleeping platform.

“Come on,” Nick said, taking Charlie’s arm and gently pulling him out of the shelter.

“Nick! Where are we going?”

“I thought we’d sit on the beach and eat breakfast together.”

“But-”

“No buts,” Nick interrupted. He led them to the pile of driftwood and settled down, holding out one of the coconut shells to the younger man.

“Oh, I’m not really hungry,” Charlie said.

“Are you sure? I tried making it the way Quinn did, but I had to substitute coconut water for the milk. And I know you like to eat on the beach.”

Charlie hesitated, but finally took the offered food, but just stared at it for a few minutes.

Nick took a bite of his as they sat in silence, watching the waves roll in and out. 

“I like it here,” the rugby player said after a few minutes of silence. “It’s so peaceful. I can understand why you like sitting out here so much. There’s no pressure from anyone, no expectations. I haven’t had an anxiety attack the entire time we’ve been out here.”

Charlie turned to look at him. “Anxiety attack?”

Nick nodded. “Yeah. My doctor said I have social anxiety disorder, and occasional bouts of depression.”

“Really?” Charlie sounded skeptical.

“Yeah,” Nick shrugged. “He suggested I talk to a therapist, and it really has helped, especially in the last year as I was coming to terms with being bisexual. Of course we never talked about that, but we talked about how I have this fear of letting people down, and how I would have anxiety attacks when we lost a game, or if I had to change plans with someone.

“Talking with the therapist really helped me out. I don’t understand why there is such a stigmatism about talking about your mental health. I think if more people admitted they need help and went to therapy, or a psychiatrist, there would be a lot more happy people in the world.”

Charlie turned to stare out at the ocean. Nick watched him out of the corner of his eye as he ate his porridge. Charlie glanced down at the food in his bowl, and sighed heavily.

“I’m anorexic,” he finally admitted. “Sometimes I get so all up in my head, I just can’t eat.”

“Is that why you aren’t hungry right now? You’re all up in your head?”

Charlie shrugged, but nodded.

“Want to talk to me about it? What’s got you all up in your head?”

Charlie didn’t reply right away, staring into his porridge, as if seeking answers in the lumps of rice and bits of cattail heads.

“You said you wanted me to be your boyfriend. The other day at the family visit. I guess I still can’t see why you would want to be with me. When the world finds out you’re bisexual, there will be so many people who will want to be your boyfriend or girlfriend. You can probably date anyone you want, people who don’t have so much baggage. Normal people who aren’t going to have issues all their lives. I’m a recovering anorexic, but I’m still going to be anorexic for the rest of my life. Why would you want to deal with that?”

Nick set down his coconut shell. “Charlie, didn’t you hear what I said a few minutes ago? I have social anxiety disorder and depression. I will probably have them for the rest of my life too.”

Charlie nodded. “So why would you want to burden yourself with someone with more baggage? What if my anorexia triggers your social anxiety?”

“What if my social anxiety triggers your anorexia?” Nick countered. “It’s not about the baggage we carry, it’s how we distribute the load, Charlie. That’s what my therapist told me. Yeah, there will be days where my anxiety will be so bad I won’t want to get out of bed. But those days shouldn’t detract from the good days.”

“But why me? You could date anyone. I’m nobody.”

Nick reached out and cupped Charlie’s face and made him look at him. “Charlie, you aren’t nobody! You’re Charlie Spring! You’ve played drums for several big name acts! You’re on Mercedes Jones’ last two albums! You’re going to play drums on Omar’s next album! You’re the Mario Kart Champion of the Northern Hemisphere! 

“You’re funny, smart, kind, and absolutely beautiful! I love your hair, your eyes, and especially your lips. I really like you, Charlie, and I love liking you. I don’t know how I can convince you that there really is no one else I would rather be with. You’re perfect, Charlie. Baggage and all.”

Charlie’s eyes were full of tears, but he leaned in and kissed Nick. “You’re perfect too. Baggage and all.”

Nick smiled, and kissed him back. When they finally pulled apart, Charlie picked up the mussel shell spoon and began to eat the porridge. Nick wanted to shout in triumph, but just finished eating his own food.

…

Elle smiled as she saw Nick and Charlie return from the beach a while later. Charlie was smiling again, even laughing at something Nick was telling him.

“You know, when you smile, your entire face shines?” Tao said, handing her her water bottle.

She blushed, but didn’t stop smiling. “I’m happy. I have a feeling today is going to be a good day. The weather is perfect, there are no challenges, we really don’t have a lot to do around the shelter, and Simon just brought back a net full of smelt, we have lots of food, including nearly a dozen eggs. It’s a good day.”

Tao smiled. “I love you-r optimism. I love how you look for the good in everything.” He hoped she hadn’t noticed that awkward pause in the first part of his statement. He tried to cover it up by acting like he was swatting away a bug in his face.

She just smiled and took a long drink from her water bottle.

Tao, 24. Movie Buff

“I can’t believe I almost just said that! But I think it’s true. Elle is such a special person. She’s strong, smart, gets my sense of humor, and isn’t afraid to be silly now and then. Maybe Blaine is right. Maybe I just never met anyone with the right personality before. Maybe that is why I’ve never felt interested in relationships before.”

…

Felice had been mostly quiet all morning, avoiding almost everyone but Elle. Wille waited until after lunch when everyone else had gone down to the beach to relax to approach her.

“I’m sorry about last night.”

“It’s fine,” she said, not looking at him. Her tone was clipped, and he could tell she was still upset.

“Are you mad we voted out Malin? I know you were the other person who voted for me.”

“I’m not mad about who you voted for. That’s your business.”

“Then why are you still mad? And why did you vote for me?”

“I’m mad that you don’t trust me, Wille. Or should I say Prins Wilhelm!”

He looked like she had struck him. “I never said I wasn’t him.”

Felice crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You never said you were, either. When I mentioned it before, you acted like it was a ridiculous notion and changed the subject.”

He couldn’t argue with that. “When did you figure it out?”

“I think I’ve always known, but then your brother visited, and his name is Erik. Crown Prince Erik. That’s too much to be coincidence. And he was walking with a cane. Everyone knows about his accident eight years ago. My mother thought you were the Duchess of Ostergotland’s grandsons, but she forgot I went to school with both of them, and their names aren’t Wilhelm or Erik, and both of them have strawberry blonde hair.

“But last night it really clicked when you told Malin to tell your mother to back off. Your mother, the Queen. Everyone knows she has a reputation for keeping a tight grip on the family. Image is everything in her eyes.”

“You’re telling me. Do you see why I didn’t want anyone to know who I am here?”

“I can understand why you kept it from everyone else, but not why you kept it from me. You don’t trust me to keep your secret?”

He sighed. “It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you. I just didn’t want you to treat me any different than anyone else. The minute anyone realizes they are talking to The Prince, they stop seeing Wille. It’s like I said before, I don’t know who I really am. Well, I didn’t. But I think I’ve figured it out, finally. At least for the most part. There are still things I need to figure out, but I think I’ve got a much better idea than I did when I first got here.”

She sighed. “I get that, I guess. I’ve come to some conclusions about myself as well. I finally know what I want to do with my life. I don’t want to just follow tradition and get married to carry on the family line. I want to use my money to help people. What’s the point of just letting it sit in the bank and grow? There’s so much of it, there is no way I could ever spend it all before I die.”

Wille laughed. “And that is why my mother really pushed for me to marry you. I’m certain she would put the money to good use, restoring the various palaces, and spiffing up the carriage her great great grandfather used in his wedding procession.” He rolled his eyes.

She laughed and bumped his shoulder.

“So, are we good now?” he asked.

She sighed. “Yes, Wille, we’re good. Why don’t you go find Simon and drag him off somewhere for some alone time.”

Wille was stunned. “You know about me and Simon?”

She smiled. “Quinn clued me in at Elle’s birthday party. I’m happy for you. He’s gorgeous. If he wasn’t gay I might have made a play for him myself!”

Wille let out a bark of laughter at that. “He’s just as beautiful on the inside, too.”

She gave him a knowing look. “You’re already so far gone on him, aren’t you?”

Wille didn’t reply as he spotted Simon walking towards them, a curious expression on his face.

…

Day 28:

“It’s that time again!” Tao said, holding up a tiny coconut with a tag attached to it. “Tree mail!”

“What does the clue say?” Elle asked.

“Winning reward is as simple as finding a needle in a haystack, or your name among hundreds.”

“Okay, but what does the coconut have to do with it?” Felice asked.

“My guess is we’ll be searching for baby coconuts with our names written on them,” Blaine offered.

“That sounds way too easy,” Charlie said.

“Depends how many tiny coconuts we have to search through,” Simon replied.

“That is a lot of tiny coconuts,” Nick said when they entered the challenge area that afternoon.

"Still think it sounds easy?” Wille murmured behind Charlie.

There were nine piles of coconuts. Each pile was about three feet tall, each coconut about the size of a plum.

Jeff stood in the center of the piles, grinning at them. “Come on in guys. How are things back at camp now?”

“Calmer,” Wille said. “I promise, no more drama from me, at least.”

“That’s good to hear. Are you all ready for the reward challenge?”

“Yes!”

“Well as you can see, you will be searching through piles of coconuts, searching for six with your name on them. Once you have all six, you will take them to your bench and use a mallet to break them open. Inside each coconut will be a flag with a letter on it. You will then unscramble the letters to make a six letter word by clipping them in the correct order, from the top down, and raising them up your flagpole. Everyone understand?”

“Yes!”

“Want to know what you are playing for?”

“Yes!”

“The winner will immediately be whisked off to The Survivor Coffee Shop, where they will dine on unlimited sandwiches, pastries, and coffee, tea or handcrafted sodas. Sounds good doesn’t it? Okay, take your positions.” He waited until everyone was in their marked positions. “Survivors ready, go!”

They began searching through their piles, tossing away the unmarked coconuts, praying they didn’t accidentally toss one away with their name on it. Blaine was the first to find one of his marked coconuts.

“Blaine has one of six now, still searching for the other five. Charlie finds one next, followed by Elle and Kurt. Blaine has a second one now, too. Simon, Wille, and Felice all on the board now with one each. Nick and Tao still looking.”

Blaine blocked out all noise around him, focusing only on finding his name.

“Charlie now has his second marked coconut, and Tao finally finds his first. Blaine has a third one now, as Kurt, Wille and Elle each find a second. Nick on the board now too, and everyone has at least one.”

Blaine worked faster, and after a few minutes found two more. He just needed the last one.

“Blaine has five out of six! Kurt just behind him with four. Tao, Elle, Simon, and Felice each have three, everyone else still only has one.”

Blaine shouted in triumph as he found the last marked coconut, and carried all six to his workbench.

“Blaine has his coconuts and is cracking them open. Felice and Elle now have five each, Kurt still has four, Tao, Simon and Charlie at three apiece, Wille and Nick two each!”

Blaine gathered the six flags and laid them out before him: R R W D E A. He began placing the flags on his small flag pole.

“Blaine thinks he’s got it, as Kurt and Elle find their last coconuts and rush to their benches, but it’s too late. Blaine has correctly spelled REWARD!”

They lined back up on the mat.

“Blaine, go ahead and grab your stuff and join me over here.” Blaine moved to stand beside him. “So Blaine, a trip to the coffee shop is nice, but it’s always better when you go with someone else. Pick one person to join you on reward.”

Blaine smiled. “That’s easy. Kurt, how about we move that date up a few weeks?”

Kurt smiled. “I’d like that.”

“Kurt join us over here. The rest of you, I’ve got nothing for you. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #10

Day 28 cont.:

Blaine and Kurt were taken by Jeep to another part of the island they’d never been to before, a lush oasis with a gentle stream running through it and several date palms providing shade. Exotic flowers were blooming in bright shades of red, orange, and yellow, while humming birds and other colorful avian creatures flitted about. 

The ‘coffee shop’ was basically a bamboo shack with a trellis that had blooming vines trailing from it. They were greeted by two smiling baristas, both of which Kurt took an instant disliking to as they sized Blaine up like a slab of prime rib.

It was bad enough that the Asian girl batted her eyes, and giggled coquettishly as Blaine asked about the various sandwiches. The meerkat faced male barista was much more explicit with his flirting, and completely ignored Kurt’s request for an iced grande nonfat mocha.

Blaine finally managed to disengage himself from the pair and joined Kurt under the trellis, carrying a tray with two sandwiches, several pastries, a watermelon Italian soda, and Kurt’s iced mocha.

“Sorry about that,” he said, looking chagrined. “That was very awkward.”

“Yes, it was,” Kurt replied, feeling a little bitchy. “If CW hair had tried to touch your ass one more time, I might have had to dust off my martial arts training. I wish I had my sais.”

Blaine almost choked on his sip of soda as he pictured Kurt performing a roundhouse kick. “Sais?”

Kurt shrugged. “A hobby I picked up my junior year of high school. I’m actually quite good at flair with them.”

Blaine shook his head. “You really are full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Kurt shrugged. “I’m not a box, I have more than six sides.”

Blaine laughed. “So, singer, designer, writer, Sai wielder, Whovian, and politician Kurt Hummel. Did I miss anything?”

Kurt thought for a moment. “You forgot Diva and gourmand. What about Blaine Anderson? Singer, songwriter, dweeb, and?”

Blaine laughed again. “LGBTQ+ activist, aspiring actor, Filipino food connoisseur, loyal friend.”

“Impressive. Is the love of Filipino food from your mother? Her sisig was to die for.”

“Yeah, I keep telling her she should open her own restaurant, but she just laughs it off. She says cooking is just what she does to relax.”

They talked more about their families and plans for the future as they ate and sipped their drinks. Other than a few interruptions from the two baristas, it was a rather pleasant date.

…

Felice observed her fellow Survivors as she made dinner that night, and wondered how anyone could not realize what was going on. The way Nick always seemed to have one eye on Charlie, always ready to step in and help the smaller man. The way Wille didn’t even have to look at Simon to know where the man was. The way Tao always seemed to know exactly what Elle needed before she asked for it. Hell, Blaine and Kurt were literally out on a date right now. They might as well change the name of the show to The Love Connection.

She sighed and flipped the fish on the skewer over the fire. She wasn’t really interested in dating right now, but it would be nice to meet someone who truly cared about her, and not her wealth. Someone who she had such a deep connection with that she didn’t even have to look to know they were behind her, and lean into their touch, like Wille had just done with Simon.

Felice, 24. Currently questioning her life

“I used to think soulmates were just a trope in fanfictions, but after seeing all these couples here on the island, I’m starting to think they are real. How else would you explain it? Hopefully one day I’ll find mine.”

She sighed, and removed the fish from the fire.

…

Later that night, after everyone else had settled down for bed, Wille and Simon lay in a hammock, stargazing. Wille played with one of Simon’s curls, as Simon rested his hand over Wille’s heart. Neither of them spoke, just content to be in each other’s arms, lost in their own thoughts. 

Wille just wanted time to stop so he could stay here on the island forever, with Simon. He knew once the show aired, his life would never be the same. He’d never had a normal life, and he never would, no matter how hard he fought for it. Once the show aired and the truth came out…well, he’d be out too, and people would want to stick their noses in his private life even more than before. 

There would be demands for interviews, paparazzi stalking him, trying to get pictures of intimate moments between him and Simon, random people on the streets wanting selfies with the prince and his boyfriend…

Simon shifted beside him. “You’ve gone tense all of a sudden. What’s wrong?” he asked.

Wille sighed, and tried to relax his shoulders. “Do we have to go back?”

Simon looked at him in confusion. “To the shelter?”

Wille shook his head. “To the rest of the world. Can we just disappear together? We can bring your mom and sister, I know you’d never leave them behind, but we can leave everyone else and just start over again.”

“Wille, I can’t just disappear. My career is just getting started, I can’t walk away now.” Simon sat up carefully to sit on the edge of the hammock, and turned to look at him. “Remember I told you about the concert tour my manager was working on? Well, mama told me my manager called and told her that everything was set. I’ll be leaving in a month to tour with Mercedes Jones and Starchild for nine months. It’s a world tour, Wille. If I walk away, I’ll never get that opportunity again.”

Wille sighed. He knew Simon was right, and he didn’t want to rob Simon of this opportunity. 

“Mercedes Jones? Well, how can I compete with that?” He tried to tease, but inside he could feel a panic attack coming on. “And Starchild, too. Isn’t the lead singer, Elliot something or other, pansexual?”

Simon fought a smile. “Jealous?”

“Should I be?”

Simon leaned down and kissed him, hard and deep, staking a claim, making a promise. “Nope. He’s not really my type.”

“You have a type?” Wille asked, curiosity getting to him.

“Doesn’t everyone?”

Wille shrugged. “I never really thought about it. I guess.”

“What’s your type?” Simon asked, teasingly.

“You.” Wille pulled him in for another kiss, but almost ended up dumping them both on the ground, causing Simon to laugh.

“Come on, we should go to sleep,” Simon said. “The immunity challenge is tomorrow.”

Wille sighed, but allowed the other man to lead him back into the shelter and carefully climbed onto the sleeping platform, trying not to wake anyone else.

…

Day 29:

“Tree mail!” Elle called out. “Who has what it takes to go the distance? Under, over, and through, the winner will be the one whose aim is true!”

“Okay, that really doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Blaine said.

“Probably some kind of obstacle course,” Nick replied.

“I think so too,” Simon said, rereading the clue. “I’m not sure about the ‘go the distance’ part, though.”

After lunch they were led to the clearing where they had the challenge where they had to unravel the ropes. It looked fairly similar to how it had then, except the obstacles had been rearranged, and there was a mud pit now.

“Come on in, guys,” Jeff called out. “First things first, Nick, I need to take back the Immunity Necklace.”

Nick slipped it off and handed it over.

“Once again, Immunity is up for grabs. Today’s challenge will have three stages. In stage one, You will crawl through the mud, under the crossbeams, twenty feet, to the pole at the end. Tied to the pole will be an arrow. Only the first five Survivors to reach the arrow and untie it and cross the finish line will move on to stage two.

“In stage two, the five Survivors will need to search a climbing tower maze for a second arrow, and then make their way to the zipline at the top of the tower and slide down to the finish line. Only the first three to cross the finish line will move to the final stage.

“The third stage will require the Survivors to unravel a very large ball of rope until they find a third arrow. Once they have all three arrows, they will move to the line, and take aim with a crossbow. First Survivor to hit the target with all three arrows wins Immunity. You do not have to get a bullseye, you only have to hit within the red circle, understood?”

Everyone answered in the affirmative.

“Good. We’ll draw lots for positions.”

They lined up at seven foot intervals along the start line for the first stage. Kurt eyed the mud with distaste.

“Why did I sign up for this show again?” he muttered to himself.

“Alright, remember, only the first five move on to stage two! Survivors ready? Go!”

The nine Survivors dropped to their bellies and began elbow crawling through the mud, Kurt cursing the entire way.

“Tao and Simon take early leads, with Nick, Wille, Charlie and Elle not far behind them, Kurt and Blaine both struggling, while Felice is stuck! Tao the first to reach the post! Can he get his arrow untied before Simon catches up?”

Tao was pretty good at knots, usually, but his hands were covered in mud, and he was having a little trouble getting a grip, but he eventually managed to untie it and stood, running to the finish line.

“Tao is the first to finish, Simon second. Only three more spots in stage two! Charlie and Elle are both working on untying their arrow, Nick and Wille almost to their posts! Kurt, Blaine, and Felice still struggling through the mud! Charlie has his arrow untied and runs to the finish line. Wille and Nick still working on the knots as Elle frees her arrow and takes off! And we’re down to one more! Who will it be, Nick or Wille?”

Nick pulled his arrow free and jumped up to rush to the finish line.

“That’s five! Tao, Simon, Charlie, Elle and Nick all moving on to the second stage. Wille, Kurt, Blaine and Felice, take a seat!”

They were allowed to towel off some of the mud before lining up for the second stage. The climbing tower mazes were exactly that, five vertical mazes with five stories, with a couple that were only tall enough to crawl through on hands and knees. There were various obstacles to get through as well.

“Survivors ready, go!”

The five of them ran into their towers. Charlie seemed to have a bit of an advantage here, easily getting through the first floor and finding the ladder to the second floor, where he had to crawl on hands and knees, searching for the arrow and trying to find the ladder to the next level.

“Charlie making his way up to level three now, Tao just starting level two with Simon just behind him. Nick and Elle just now reaching their ladders to the second floor! And Charlie found his arrow! He just needs to get to the top of the tower and slide down the zipline! Tao on the third level now!”

Kurt, Blaine, Wille and Felice called out encouragement to the other five inside the maze, with Kurt calling encouragement to Tao and Elle, Blaine rooting on Charlie, Felice shouting encouragement to Nick, and Wille calling out to Simon.

“Charlie reaches the top and clips into the zipline, and makes it into the final leg! Which two remaining Survivors will join him? Tao has his arrow, but Simon seems to be lost! Elle now on the third level as well, but Nick is hung up on level two! Elle passes Simon as she finds her arrow, and searches for the way up! Tao at the zipline now, and Simon course corrects and now has his arrow as well! 

“Who will reach the top first and take the third and final spot in stage three? Elle takes a wrong turn on the fourth level and has to go all the way back to the ladder and try again, giving Simon the chance to catch back up! And he finds the ladder to the next level, but so has Elle! It’s going to be close, both of them just need to get to the final ladder now! Simon reaches it first and flies up it, clips in and it’s all over! 

“Elle and Nick, you did your best. Take a seat with the others. Charlie, Tao, and Simon move on to the final stage!”

They reset once more, and lined up for stage three. Before each of them was a balled up rope that was two feet in diameter, the rope itself half an inch thick, and rested inside a metal ring to keep it from rolling away.

“Survivors ready, go!”

Tao grabbed the end of the rope and began pulling as fast as he could, arms flying as he unraveled the ball, ignoring the other two Survivors as he worked.

“Tao working fast, already has a third of his ball unraveled! Simon is close behind, but Charlie seems to be tiring after the first two stages. Can he catch up? And Tao can see his arrow now, a few more feet should do it!”

Tao pulled the arrow free and moved to the line, knocking his first arrow into the crossbow, taking aim. His first shot missed. He knocked a second arrow as Simon joined him at the line.

“Tao scores his first arrow on his second shot, Simon makes his first shot. Charlie still working to unravel his last arrow.  Simon’s second shot is just outside the target, while Tao’s third is dead center! He retrieves his first arrow as Charlie lines up his first shot, and Simon takes aim for the third time. Charlie makes his first shot, but Tao shuts them both out, winning Immunity with his fourth shot!”

Elle cheered and hugged him, as the others congratulated him before lining up on the mat.

“With an incredible display of archery skill, Tao wins immunity and cannot be voted out tonight,” Jeff proclaimed as he hung the Immunity Necklace over Tao’s neck. “The rest of you aren’t safe, and one of you will be joining Malin on the jury. I’ll see you tonight at Tribal Council. Until then, head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #10

Day 29 cont.:

Felice joined Elle at the shower after the challenge.

“I want you to know, if you write my name down tonight, I will understand completely,” Felice said. “We both know it’s going to be either you or me being voted out tonight. If you go with the majority vote, at least it might buy you more time in the game.”

“What about you, though?’ Elle asked. “Don’t you want to stay in the game?”

Felice shrugged. “Would I like to, yeah, of course. But if I get voted out tonight, it’s not that big of a deal. I didn’t come here to win. I don’t need the money. I come from the wealthiest family in Sweden. I came here to prove I’m not just some pampered princess, and I did that. But you came here with a purpose. You want to win the money. So if you vote for me tonight, I promise, we’ll still be friends.”

Elle hugged her. “I’m glad you came on the show. I never would have met you otherwise, and I wouldn’t have made such a wonderful friend. I hope you don’t get voted off tonight, but if you do, I definitely still want to be friends.”

They finished scrubbing off the mud, and headed back to camp. Tao was making dinner when they got there. He’d mixed overcooked rice with cattail flour, eggs and left over fish and chopped mushrooms to make fish balls. He fried them with a little bit of the olive oil from the combined spice racks.

After dinner, they set out for Tribal Council. Felice brought up the rear, watching the others as they inevitably paired off. Once again she felt a bit wistful as she watched them.

They filed into Tribal Council and took their seats. Jeff studied them for a moment before he spoke. “I’ll now bring in the first member of our Jury, Malin, voted out at the last Tribal Council.”

Malin entered, dressed in clean black jeans and a floral print slashed sleeve blouse,  and silently crossed the room to the jury box.

“As always, the jury is here to observe only and will not speak. So Tao, how does it feel to have that necklace around your neck tonight?”

Tao sat up a little straighter. “I keep saying I expected to be the first one voted out, so to actually have won an individual Immunity challenge is definitely unbelievable. I keep waiting for someone to wake me up and tell me it’s time to go to the challenge.”

Several people chuckled, and Blaine reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

“So Tao is safe tonight. Who isn’t safe?”

“Me,” Felice said, raising her hand, and Elle nodded, also raising her hand.

“Felice and Elle, why do you think you aren’t safe tonight?”

Felice shrugged. “Well, technically, Tao is the only safe one tonight, but we all know there is an alliance in control of this game right now, and Elle and I aren’t part of it.”

Elle nodded again. “We know we’ve been outplayed, but we both really still want to be here, and we will continue to fight to remain, despite the odds against us.”

“What alliance are you referring to?” Jeff asked.

“Wille, Simon, Nick, Charlie, and most likely Kurt and Blaine,” Felice replied. “I don’t know which of them is going to win, but my money is on either Nick or Simon.”

“Nick, Felice thinks you can win this. Why do you think she said that?”

He shrugged. “I’m physically a strong player, so people expect me to do well in the immunity challenges, I guess.”

“Simon, same question.”

“I’m not as strong as Nick, but I am physically capable of completing hard challenges, especially if they don’t involve lifting anything too heavy. I take it as a great compliment that she thinks I can win.”

“Charlie, how do you base your vote tonight?”

“It’s hard to say, Jeff. Even with an alliance, you always have to worry if they really have your back, or if they are going to blindside you. I have to trust my alliance, and vote for the person who can be a surprise threat later on.”

“Kurt, what about you? How do you base your vote tonight?”

“Charlie is right, we have to vote for the one who could be a threat to the alliance later. This person has shown they have the potential if given the right circumstances.”

“Blaine, do you agree with Kurt?”

“Yes, although I will definitely be sad to see this person go.”

Felice leaned over and whispered to Wille. “I’m ready to go. I’ve proved my point.”

He glanced at her, and nodded, smiling softly.

“It’s time to vote,” Jeff said. “Felice, you’re up first.”

She rose and walked to the booth. There was no hesitation as she wrote down the name, and showed it to the camera.

“I finished what I came here to do. I hope you have too.”

Nick, Simon, Elle, Blaine, Tao, Charlie, Kurt and Blaine all voted, and then it was Wille’s turn.

“I’m happy you found what you were looking for. I’ll be joining you soon, I think.”

Once he sat back down, Jeff stood. “I’ll go tally the votes.” He came back fairly quickly with the urn. “Once the votes are read, the decision will be final, the person will be asked to leave Tribal Council immediately. I’ll read the votes.”

He opened the urn and reached inside. “First vote, Wille.”

Wille shrugged it off. He knew Felice would vote for him. There were no hard feelings.

Jeff drew a second parchment. “Felice. That’s one vote Wille, one vote Felice, seven votes left. Next vote, Felice. That’s one vote Wille, two votes Felice.”

Elle reached out for the other woman’s hand and held it as Jeff pulled another paper from the urn.

“Felice. That’s one vote Wille, three votes Felice, five votes left.” He reached into the urn again. “Felice. That’s one vote Wille, four votes Felice, four votes left.”

She leaned over and gave Elle a kiss on the cheek as they waited for the next vote to be read.

“Second member of the jury and tenth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination, Felice. That’s five votes, that’s enough. Please bring me your torch.”

They all stood and hugged her goodbye before she picked up her bag and set her torch before Jeff.

“You’re probably the only guy I know who doesn’t care how much money I have, Jeff. Your wife is one lucky woman.”

Jeff laughed, snuffing her torch. “Felice, the tribe has spoken.”

“Bye everyone! Kick butt, Elle!”

They waved and laughed as she walked out.

“Well, you’re down to eight now, but only two will make it to the end. Will the alliance of six last? Head back to camp.

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #10

Day 30:

Kurt wasn’t too surprised to find Simon awake when he got up that morning, although he was a little surprised to find him talking with Charlie. They smiled at him as he approached the fire, but he got the distinct feeling he’d interrupted something, as they’d been speaking in Spanish. He was a bit rusty, but he understood enough to get the gist of what they were talking about. He pretended not to understand though.

“Good morning,” he greeted them.

“Good morning, Kurt,” Charlie replied.

“I didn’t know you spoke Spanish, Charlie. You sounded pretty fluent.”

“My paternal grandparents are from Spain. I grew up speaking Spanish with them.”

Kurt studied him for a moment. “Castilian?”

Charlie grinned. “You know your history and geography. Most people’s first reaction when learning I’m half Spanish is, ‘you don’t look Spanish.’ Yes, my Abuela is Castilian.”

Kurt shrugged. “I visited Spain a few years ago for a photoshoot. So what were you two talking about?” he asked as Simon stirred the rice for breakfast.

“You, actually,” Simon replied. Kurt was surprised they admitted it. “We want to offer you a chance at final three.”

Charlie nodded. “We want you to join our twink alliance. We realize that we can’t pull this off with just the two of us, and we thought you’d be the perfect candidate.”

Kurt smiled. “You know I haven’t been called a twink for at least five years now, right?”

“Once a twink, always a twink,” Simon teased.

Kurt, 29. Designer

“Nice to know baby gays still respect their elders these days, and that they embrace their twinkness. I remember when I was in high school wishing I could hide that part of me. It’s nice to see the younger gays feeling safe enough to wear the twink badge with courage.”

Kurt laughed. “Can’t argue with that. Cuenta conmigo . Yes, I speak Spanish. I just wondered if you would be honest about what you were talking about when I asked.”

They laughed and linked pinkies, and finished preparing breakfast by the time everyone else woke up.

After they ate, Simon, Blaine, Nick and Tao went fishing, Kurt and Wille gathered wood, and Charlie and Elle collected fruit. It was the first time Charlie had had a chance to talk to Elle alone in a while.

“So, you and Tao are really getting close, aren’t you?” he asked.

She blushed. “I think I might be in love with him,” she admitted. “He’s sweet, and funny, and thinks I’m perfect just the way I am.”

Charlie smiled. “I’m really happy for you. And you are perfect just as you are.”

“Same goes for you too, you know.”

It was Charlie’s turn to blush. “That’s what Nick said. He almost makes me believe it’s true.”

“Almost?” she prompted.

He sighed. “I want to believe it, but my mind just keeps reminding me of all my flaws. And it sounds like the guy I sort of dated in high school for a while. He wasn’t out, and didn’t want anyone to know I even existed. He was fine when we were alone, but in public he used to ignore me, or humiliate me.”

“Why on Earth did you date him?” Elle asked.

Elle, 26. Fashion consultant

“I don’t know why I asked that. I already know the answer. It’s because he’s Charlie, and Charlie has always had issues with self esteem. That bastard took advantage of that, and used Charlie. It’s no wonder he’s had body image issues and eating problems. I wish I knew where that guy was. I’d find him and let him know what a piece of scum he is. He’d be lucky if yelling was all I did.”

He shrugged again. “It wasn’t like there were many other options back then.”

“Still, you would have been better off just waiting until you found someone who wasn’t ashamed to be with you.” 

“I know that now. That’s what Geoff told me. But back then I was just happy someone wanted to be with me, at least when we were alone.”

Elle shook her head, and turned to look at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Charlie Spring, repeat after me; ‘Nick thinks I’m perfect. Nick thinks I’m beautiful. I believe Nick!’”

Charlie started to shake his head, but she glared at him, and he huffed, rolling his eyes. “Fine. ‘Nick thinks I’m perfect. Nick thinks I’m beautiful. I believe Nick.’ There. Happy now?”

“Just keep telling yourself that whenever that voice tries to bring you down. Let Nick’s voice drown it out.”

He repeated it to himself a few more times as they continued collecting mangoes in silence.

“Thanks,” he said softly. 

She smiled and nudged his shoulder.

…

Day 31:

“Tree mail!” Wille said, holding up eight leather envelopes, each with a name on it. “I’m not an expert on the show, but I’m pretty sure this is a Survivor auction.”

He passed out the envelopes. Inside each was five hundred dollars in twenty dollar bills.

“Oh please let them have chocolate!” Elle said.

“They almost always do,” Kurt said. “Personally, I want more cheesecake.”

“I don’t really care what it is, as long as it’s not a single saltine and a glass of well water,” Blaine said. “I felt so sorry for the person who bid on that.”

“Way to kill the appetite,” Nick said, laughing.

“It’s another early challenge, so we should start getting ready now,” Simon pointed out.

They were once again lead to the clearing where the infamous bug out challenge and the more pleasant family potluck took place. The benches had once again been replaced by the small bleachers, and Jeff stood behind a table.

“Well, as you probably have figured out, it’s time for another Survivor auction. I will be offering several items to bid on. Bids will be in twenty dollar increments, and the auction can end at any time, so if you see something you want, you will want to bid on it. There will be no sharing of food unless specified. And yes, there will be a few non-food items. I won’t tell you what just yet, you’ll find out when they come up.

“For now, let’s start with something simple. A nice, juicy apple with caramel dip. Bidding starts at twenty dollars.”

“Twenty!” Charlie said.

“I’ve got twenty from Charlie, do I hear forty?” No one else bid.

“Sold to Charlie for twenty dollars. Come on over. Go ahead and take a nice big bite.”

Charlie handed over the twenty and took the shiny red apple, biting into it. “Mmmm, so good!”

He returned to his seat.

“Up next we have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an ice cold glass of milk. Let’s start the bidding at forty this time.”

“Forty!” Kurt said.

“Sixty!” Blaine called out, earning a glare from the auburn haired man.

“Eighty!” Kurt countered.

“One hundred!” Blaine replied with a grin. “Besides, you said you wanted cheesecake.”

Kurt huffed, but didn’t bid again. 

“I have one hundred dollars from Blaine. Going once. Going twice. Sold! Come and collect the most expensive pb&j you ever ate.”

Blaine practically skipped forward, handing Jeff the money and collecting his sandwich and milk.

“Next up, we have a hot fudge sundae. We’ll start-”

“Sixty!” Elle shouted, interrupting. 

Jeff chuckled. “I’m almost afraid to ask if there are any other bids.”

Nick held up his hands defensively. “Never get between a woman and chocolate. Let her have it!”

“Smart man. Sold to Elle for sixty dollars. Enjoy. Next we have a mystery bid. I won’t reveal what is under the cloche until after the final bid. This item can be shared between two people. Let’s start the bidding at forty dollars.”

“Forty!” Nick said.

“Sixty!” Simon countered.

“Eighty!” Kurt called out.

“One hundred!” Nick offered.

“You guys have no idea what you are bidding on, but you all want it. Nick bid one hundred. Any other offers?”

“One twenty!” Simon called out after a quick conversation with Wille.

Nick glanced at Charlie, who gave a slight nod. “One forty!”

“I’m out,” Kurt said.

“Going once, going twice, sold to Nick for one hundred and forty! Want to see what you bought?”

“Yeah!”

“I think you are going to like it. A piping hot large pepperoni pizza!”

“Yes!” Nick said.

“Who are you splitting it with?” Jeff asked. 

“Charlie.”

“As if I didn’t already know. Go ahead and take it. Next item up for auction is not food.” He pulled a familiar yellow envelope from under the table. “This is an advantage for tomorrow’s Immunity challenge. If you possess this, there is a good chance you will win-”

“Five Hundred!” Simon called out.

“Well, can’t out bid that. Sold to Simon. Wille, Kurt and Tao yet to win anything. Maybe this next item will tempt one of you. Cherry cheesecake.”

“One hundred!” Kurt said, practically salivating already.

“Well it seems like you all know exactly what you want. I have one hundred dollars. Any other bids?” he paused but there were no more bids. “Sold!”

“Yes!” Kurt cheered, bouncing forward for his reward.

“Wille, Tao, neither of you have bid yet. Are you waiting for something in particular?”

“Cookies.” Wille said.

Tao shrugged. “I’ll know it when I see it.”

“Well, one of you might get your wish. Up next I have a plate of assorted cookies and a pitcher of milk. This item can be shared between two people.”

“Two hundred!” Wille said.

No one else bid.

“Sold! I have one last item in this auction. Once again it will be a blind bid, and it can be shared with two people.” He pulled out a leather envelope similar to the one their tree mail had been delivered in that morning. “I will tell you food is involved in this item, but there is more to it than that. I’ll start the bidding at three hundred dollars.”

“Three hundred!” Tao said.

“Three twenty!” Kurt countered.

“Four Hundred!” Tao responded, knowing Kurt couldn’t top that. The only ones who did have enough money left were Elle and Charlie. They both shook their heads.

“Sold to Tao! You said you would know what you want when you saw it. What made you bid on this?”

Tao shrugged. “It’s different. I like different.”

“Well come on up here and see what you bought. But first, who are you going to share with?”

“Elle,” he said, without hesitation.

Jeff nodded. “Elle, why don’t you come up here too. Tao, go ahead and open the envelope.”

Tao opened it, and grinned, pulling out two movie tickets.

“You’ve purchased two tickets to Survivor Drive In Cinema’s exclusive screening of the live action Little Mermaid. You’ll have unlimited popcorn and movie theater candy, sodas, nachos, and hot dogs. So, good so far?”

“Yeah!”

“Well it gets better. This is Survivor Drive In Cinema, after all. You’ll be watching the movie from the bed of a brand new Ford F-150, which will be yours when you get back home. And Yes, you can get right hand drive.”

“Yes!” Tao said. “My mum needs a truck to haul the extra vegetables she grows to market!”

“And to think it only cost you four hundred US dollars. You’ll head out now. The rest of you, the auction is over. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #11

Day 31 cont.:

Elle grinned as Tao helped her up into the bed of the pickup truck, which was parked in an old airplane hanger. She was giddy and as nervous as a teenager on their first date. That’s what this felt like to her; a date. 

Once she was settled on the cushions that had been provided for comfort, Tao handed her the tub of popcorn, nachos, two bowls full of various candies they’d picked out, and the sodas. He then climbed in and settled a few inches from her. Not too far away, but not too close either.

“This is so exciting,” Elle said. “I’ve been to red carpet events before, but never to a private screening!”

“I’ve never officially been to a red carpet event,” Tao said. “I did cover a couple for my vlog, but the closest I ever got was a hotel balcony across the street.”

“Were you the guy who almost fell off the balcony trying to get a shot of Emma Watson?”

“No, that guy was a perv trying to get a shot down the front of her gown. I chewed him out on my vlog. I did, however, once get politely asked to leave one hotel mid livestream. Apparently I was talking too loud for the people in the room next door.”

The lights in the hanger dimmed, and they settled in more comfortably. They talked about the various previews, but as the movie started, they quieted, except when they sang along with the songs. Elle had a great voice, and surprisingly, so did Tao as they sang Under The Sea . 

And then Kiss The Girl began to play. They were both engrossed in the pageantry on screen, not paying attention as they both reached into the popcorn bucket at the same time. Their hands brushed, and they glanced at each other, eyes locking.

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Don't be scared (sha-la, sha-la-la ya, ya, ya)

You got the mood prepared (woah, woah)

Go on and kiss the girl

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Don't stop now (sha-la, sha-la-la ya, ya, ya)

Don't try to hide it how

You want to kiss the girl (woah, woah)

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Float along (sha-la, sha-la-la)

And listen to the song

The song say kiss the girl (woah, woah)

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

The music play (ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya)

Do what the music say

You got to kiss the girl

You've got to kiss the girl

Oh, don't you wanna kiss the girl

You've gotta kiss the girl

Go on and kiss the girl!

Their lips met tentatively at first, but then with more confidence. The movie played on, forgotten.

…

Wille sat on the beach, arms wrapped around his legs as he contemplated the waves. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Felice had said before she left. Had he finished what he came here to do?

He’d spent an entire month out here, working hard, never complaining about the exertion or the living conditions, proving he didn’t need someone to wait on him hand and foot. That was what he had come here to prove, wasn't it?

An image of Simon from that morning formed in his mind. Simon had still been sound asleep, and had looked so young and vulnerable, and when he had awoken, he had smiled so sweetly, Wille’s heart had given a flip. 

He knew he had to tell the truth before he left, and he knew Simon would be angry that Wille had lied about who he was, and he couldn’t bring himself to tell him yet. A few more days here wouldn’t make too much difference, would it?

Wille, 24. Reconsidering Life

“Is it selfish of me to remain? I don’t need to win the money. This was never about winning for me. It was proving I’m just as normal as everyone else, and I’ve done that. But I never expected to find someone like Simon here. I know once he finds out the truth he is going to be angry, maybe never want to speak to me again. Can’t I just hold onto him for a little while longer?”

…

Day 32:

“We have tree mail!” Charlie called out cheerfully. He was in a good mood, and had been since seeing Tao and Elle holding hands when they returned from their ‘date’ the night before. Elle had been flushed, and Tao was blushing and had kept humming Kiss The Girl all evening. When it had come time to settle down for the night, the pair had settled into one of the hammocks under the stars.

“What’s the tree mail say?” Nick asked.

“If you want Immunity, stand tall and don’t fall.”

“Sounds like some kind of balance challenge,” Elle said.

“You could be right,” Kurt replied.

After lunch they were led to the beach where they had already had numerous challenges, including their very first. Now there were eight poles sticking up out of the water. The poles were sticking up out of the water about ten feet, and appeared to be standing in ten feet of water as well. The poles were secured in position by cables attached to a dock on one side, and on shore on the other.

“Come on in, guys! Tao, how was the movie? Care to give us a critique?”

Tao smiled. “It was awesome, Jeff. Ten out of ten.”

Jeff smiled knowingly, but moved on. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. What did you think of the truck?”

“My mum is going to love it. It’ll be perfect for her to haul her produce and things to market.

“That’s great. But now it’s time to take care of business. I need to take back the Immunity necklace.”

Tao handed it over reluctantly. Jeff hung it on the display stand.

“Immunity once again up for grabs. As you can see, today’s challenge is all about balance and endurance. Each of you will be perched on top of a pole. Your goal is to stay up there as long as possible. The last one standing wins Immunity. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Simon, you purchased an advantage at yesterday’s auction. Go ahead and open it up and read it out loud.”

Simon opened the envelope and read. “Congratulations! You’ve won Immunity, and do not need to participate in today’s challenge! You also will have the opportunity to help or hinder other players during the challenge.”

Jeff grinned. “That’s correct! Not only are you already immune, you will decide if you want to help or hinder other players at random intervals by either loosening the cables that keep the poles steady, making them more wobbly, or by tightening them to make the poles more stable.”

“Be merciful,” Nick quipped.

Simon grinned and glanced at the others. “This could be fun.”

The others were carried out to the poles by boat, while Simon was stationed on the dock, next to the cables that helped secure the posts. When the Survivors climbed to the top of the poles, they had a detachable hand grip to help steady them before the timer began. Once Jeff gave the signal, they would have to remove the grip and toss it down into the water.

“I will give Simon the opportunity to adjust three cables at random intervals. It will be entirely his choice on whose cable to adjust, and whether to tighten or loosen it. Survivors ready? Drop the hand grip now! The challenge is on.”

Almost immediately Nick and Blaine began to struggle. Wille also seemed to need a moment to get balanced. Kurt, Charlie, Elle and Tao all seemed to have no problems balancing.

“Those poles are six inches in diameter. Not a lot of room to stand. Nick struggling to stay upright, while Blaine has managed to catch his balance for now. Wille a little wobbly, but the others all look rock solid. How long will it last?”

Nick swore as he lost his footing and dropped into the water below.

“And just like that Nick is out of the challenge. Six Survivors left. But it’s time for Simon to pick three of you to help or hinder. Simon, go ahead and pick which cables to tighten or loosen,” Jeff instructed.

Simon studied the cables before reaching out and twisting two of them one click to the left, loosening them slightly. He then tightened a third one, turning it one click to the right.

“Elle and Tao now swaying slightly as Simon loosens their cables, while Wille seems a little more stable. Blaine continues to wobble a bit, but manage to hold on. Kurt still looks as solid as a statue up there. What’s your secret, Kurt?”

Kurt shrugged. “I was a cheerleader for a while in high school, and I’ve studied martial arts. I do yoga and Pilates. Balance isn’t an issue for me.”

“Do you think you’re going to win Immunity?”

Kurt shrugged again. “Maybe.”

A curse from Wille preceded a splash as he fell from his perch.

“And Wille is out of the running, and we are down to five. Simon, time to tinker again. Choose three more cables to adjust.”

Elle swore when Simon loosened her cable again, and she had to struggle to keep her balance. Next to her, Tao pinwheeled before falling into the water.

“Tao drops as Simon loosens his cable, while Blaine looks a bit steadier now. Charlie and Kurt still haven’t wobbled at all. Tao, are you aware that in the history of Survivor, the person who won the vehicle never won the million dollar prize?”

Tao shrugged. “Some things are more important than winning.”

Elle smiled at him, but lost her balance.

“And we’re down to three, Kurt, Blaine, and Charlie. Which one will win Immunity? And there goes Blaine, leaving only Charlie and Kurt. Simon, it’s time to make your final adjustments. There are only two Survivors left, so you will adjust one of them twice. Choose wisely.”

Simon considered his options, and turned Kurt’s cable one turn to the right, and Charlie’s two turns to the left.

“Charlie finally showing some distress after being rock steady on the pole since the beginning. Can he hold out against Kurt? No! Charlie goes down and it is all over. Kurt wins immunity!”

They all gathered on the mat.

“Congratulations, Kurt. Come grab your necklace.” Kurt stepped forward, and Jeff placed the necklace over his head. “Simon, I didn’t forget about you. Come collect your necklace.” Jeff produced a second Immunity Necklace from beneath the podium and slipped it over Simon’s neck. “The both of you are safe tonight. The rest of you, not so much. I’ll see you all at Tribal Council. Until then, head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #11

Day 32 cont.:

Elle held Tao’s hand as they walked along the beach. They were both aware that one of them would be voted out that night, and had gone for a walk, wanting to spend as much time together as they could.

Tao stopped when they reached the boundary of their beach and turned to face her. “I wish I had met you sooner. I’ve never really understood what the big deal was about relationships. I’ve never had feelings for anyone else before. I thought maybe I was asexual, like my friend Isaac. And then I met you, and suddenly it all made sense. I don’t want to lose you.”

Elle smiled at him. “It’s not like we’re never going to see each other again. Whoever doesn’t get voted out tonight will be voted out soon. We’ll see each other at the jury house.”

“And what about after it’s all over?” Tao asked.

She wrapped her arms around him and rested their foreheads together. “I don’t want to lose you, either. We’ll figure something out.”

“Promise?”

“I promise,” she said, and kissed him.

…

Just as they were getting ready to head to Tribal Council, Wille pulled Simon aside.

“We need to talk. I need to tell you something.”

Simon studied his face. “I know.”

“What?” Wille asked, confused.

“I know what you are going to tell me. Wille, it’s okay. I’ve known for weeks now.”

“You knew?”

“That you’re the prince? Of course I knew. When I first saw you, I thought I must have been hallucinating. And then I thought you were going to be a jerk and get yourself eliminated early. But you weren’t anything like what I imagined. You were just a regular guy, who did the work and put everything into the challenges. You were kind, and vulnerable, and that was who I fell in love with.”

“Then you know I didn’t come here to win. I can’t stay here much longer.”

“Are you saying you want to be voted out tonight?”

“Maybe not tonight,” Wille said. “But soon. Maybe after Tao and Elle are gone, but then I want you to vote me out. Let someone who needs the money, or who will do something good with it win. I don’t need the money. This was never about that for me. It was about finding who I really am, and I’ve done that.”

“And who is the real Wille?” Simon asked.

Wille hesitated a moment before answering, studying Simon’s face. “The man who fell in love with you.”

…

They were silent as they entered Tribal Council that night, and Jeff could tell that tonight’s elimination was going to be different. He waited until they took their seats before speaking.

“We’ll now bring in the jury. Malin and Felice, voted out at the last Tribal Council.”

The two women entered, looking good in fresh clothes and makeup. Neither of them spoke as they made their way to the jury box, but Felice smiled at each of them.

“As you know, the jury is here to observe only, and will not speak. So, you all seem more quiet and reserved than before. You can cut the tension with a knife. What is it about this Tribal Council that is different from all the rest?”

“I think tonight we’re all aware that whoever is voted out tonight will be separated from someone they’ve become very close to,” Charlie responded. “We’ve all formed a special bond between all of us, but each of us has also made a connection with someone special to us.”

“You’re referring to the fact that all of you have paired up?” Jeff indicated the fact that every pair was holding hands.

“Yes,” Simon said, nodding. “We are aware that tonight’s vote will separate a couple, and that at some point, each of us will more than likely have to say goodbye, if somewhat temporarily, to someone we’ve grown very fond of.”

“It’s pretty remarkable how many couples have formed this season. Almost half the Castaways have paired off, and all of those couples have made it to day thirty two. I think this is the first season to have more than two couples form. Why do you think this season is different?”

“I think the timing was just right,” Blaine replied. “None of us came here looking for romance, but we were all at the right point in our lives to be open to the possibility.”

“If you are the one who ends up being voted out tonight, what would you like to say to your partner?”

Tao glanced at Elle. “You are the most beautiful person, inside and out, and once we’re back to our lives outside the game, I want to learn everything there is to know about you.”

Elle smiled. “I feel the same about you, too. Even if it means one of us having to move closer to the other. I can’t see my life without you.”

“Aww,” Kurt said. “I think that is how each of us feels about our partners.”

Wille and Nick nodded.

“Well, it’s time to vote. Nick, you’re up first.”

Nick stood and walked to the booth. He hesitated a moment before writing down a name.

“You thought you were the weakest one out here, but you’ve proven just how strong you are. I’m sorry it’s come down to this. I look forward to hanging out with you after we’re back home.”

Charlie was the second to vote. “You’re a really good friend, and I’m so happy you found someone special.”

Elle entered the booth next. “You are a very strong competitor, and I have the utmost respect for you, but if you hurt him, you won’t just have his sister coming after you.”

Simon wrote down the name quickly. “I wish we had had more time to get to know each other better, and I hope we can hang out sometime.”

Kurt took a deep breath before writing down his vote. “You’re a good person, and I’m glad I had the chance to get to know you. Good luck!”

“I really admire your strength,” Wille said as he showed his vote to the camera.

“I’m honored to have competed with you,” Blaine said, slipping his vote into the urn.

Finally, Tao entered the booth. “This has been the best time of my life, and I am so lucky to have made a friend like you.”

Once he had retaken his seat, Jeff gave a little nod. “I’ll go tally the votes.”

As they waited for him to return, Elle rested her head on Tao’s shoulder, clasping his hands in her lap.

Jeff set the urn on the podium and studied them for a moment. “Once the votes have been read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave Tribal Council immediately. I’ll read the votes.” He lifted the lid off the urn and pulled the first slip of parchment.

“First vote, Tao.”

Elle squeezed his hand and kissed his forehead.

Jeff selected a second slip of paper. “Tao. That’s two votes Tao, six votes left. Next vote. Nick. That’s two votes Tao, one vote Nick. Five votes left.”

Charlie leaned into the larger man, even as he reached out and put a hand on Tao’s shoulder.

Jeff drew another parchment. “Tao. That is three votes Tao, one vote Nick, four votes left.”

Kurt and Blaine leaned into each other, as did Simon and Wille, each thankful it wasn’t them about to be separated. Jeff pulled another vote from the urn. “Nick. That’s three votes Tao, two votes Nick, three votes left.”

Another vote was pulled as everyone waited in anticipation. “Tao. That’s four votes Tao, two votes Nick, two votes left.”

Elle turned and pulled Tao into a hug as Jeff pulled the next parchment.

“Eleventh person voted out of Survivor: World Domination and third member of our Jury, Tao. That’s five votes, that’s enough. You need to bring me your torch.”

They all stood to hug Tao and shake his hand, and Elle kissed him softly on the lips before he placed his torch in front of Jeff. “It’s been an adventure I will never forget.”

Jeff smiled. “Tao, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed the torch, and shook Tao’s hand before the man walked away, glancing back at Elle over his shoulder.

“Well, another hard decision made, and another dignified exit. You all seem to be getting good at this. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #11

Day 33:

Charlie joined Elle by the fire that morning as she made the rice. “How are you holding up?”

She shrugged. “Okay, I guess. I miss him, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be joining him in a few days, so I’m fine.”

“You aren’t mad we voted him out?”

“It’s all part of the game, Charlie. I knew that when I signed up. I’m happy for you, though. Not only do you have a good shot at winning, but you and Nick really seem to be making each other happy.”

Charlie smiled. “He does make me happy. I still can’t believe he feels the same way about me. He makes me feel worthy.”

She hugged him. “You are worthy, Charlie, and I am rooting for you to win to prove it.”

“Thank you. I wish we could both win. I know why you want the money. You deserve it.”

“I don’t need to win the money to get my surgeries,” Elle admitted. “Felice offered to pay for them. She’s going to start a new organization that helps trans people get the surgeries, and help pay for transportation for those who have to travel to receive them.”

“That’s great!” Charlie said, and hugged her again. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you. What about you? What would you do with the money if you win?”

Charlie blushed. “I want to fund a halfway house for kids like me, who have eating disorders, who maybe need a little more help after treatment, or who maybe don’t have a support system in place back home.”

“Charlie! That’s amazing! Now I’m really rooting for you to win!”

“Me too,” Wille said, startling them. They hadn’t noticed his approach. “Sorry, didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but that sounds like a worthy endeavor, and maybe I can help out with a donation when we get back home.”

“Really?” Charlie said, stunned.

“Yeah, sure. I’ve been searching for a charity to sponsor, and yours sounds perfect.”

“Wow, thank you! That would be awesome!” They shook hands, and Wille gathered the net and began to prep it to go fishing after breakfast.

Charlie, 23. Recovering Anorexic

“I can’t believe Wille made that offer! I’ve been thinking about this halfway house for a while. It’s one of the reasons I decided to try out for the show. I knew it was a longshot for me to win, but with Wille’s help, I can at least get the project started.”

…

Kurt and Blaine walked along the beach later that afternoon, collecting driftwood.

“I really hated to see Tao go last night,” Kurt said. “It made me realize that at some point, you and I are going to be separated, for who knows how long.”

Blaine smiled at him. “Are you saying you’re going to miss me when I’m gone?”

“You assume you are going before me?”

“Well, you are the one in a secret alliance for final three.”

“And I told you that so you wouldn’t be blindsided. But just because I agreed to join the alliance with Simon and Charlie, doesn’t guarantee I won’t get voted out before then. I could still go before you.”

They both were silent for a moment then as the thought sank in.

“Well,” Blaine said. “We’ll see each other at the jury house, and we’ll be in New York together once we’re back in the states. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.”

“True,” Kurt agreed. “It’s just, I’ve kind of gotten used to you being here twenty four seven. It’s going to be weird when one of us is gone, even if only for a few days.”

Blaine smiled, and leaned in to steal a quick kiss. “It will only ever be a few days. I can’t promise you every day, but I promise everyday I can.”

Kurt smiled back, and kissed him again. “Same.”

…

Day 34:

“Tree mail!” Elle called out. “Who is willing to play dirty to win reward?”

“That sounds even more cryptic than usual,” Kurt said.

“It almost sounds a little suggestive,” Blaine replied with a grin.

“Dirty could mean so many things,” Nick said. “It could literally mean we are going to get dirty during the challenge, or it could mean we have to cheat to win.”

“Definitely getting dirty,” Simon muttered when they arrived at the challenge to find a massive mud pit, divided into seven lanes.

“Come on in, guys,” Jeff called out. “I see a few apprehensive faces. What’s going through your mind, Kurt?”

“Mud, again? Seriously?” Kurt replied. “I never even played in the mud as a child, and now you’ve had us crawling through it once already, and now we have to do it again?”

Jeff laughed. “Nobody ever said there wouldn’t be mud on Survivor. In today’s challenge, you will be searching your section of mud for fourteen tiles, each with a letter on it. When you find a tile you will run it back to your station and drop it off before heading back out to search for more. Once you’ve found all fourteen tiles, you will need to unscramble them to reveal today’s reward. Any questions? No? Good. We’ll draw lots for positions.”

They lined up, one per lane, and waited for the signal. “Looks like everyone is ready. In lane one we have Charlie, lane two is Kurt, lane Three is Wille, lane four Elle, Nick is in lane five, Blaine in six, and Simon in seven. Survivors ready? Go!”

They all dropped to their knees and began searching through the mud. Each lane was four feet wide and twenty feet long, which was a large section of mud to search. Wille was the first to find a tile, after searching for a few minutes.

“Wille has his first piece, and runs it back to his station, followed a moment later by Charlie. Kurt finds one but is having difficulty pulling it from the mud. This mud is fifty percent river clay, which means it is extra sticky. Kurt manages to free his tile just as Wille and Charlie drop back down into the mud to search for their second tiles. Elle has her first now, Blaine, Nick and Simon still searching for their first.”

Wille was on a mission. He was determined to win this reward, whatever it was, especially if he got to share it with Simon. He was focused solely on finding the tiles as fast as he could, and ignored everything else around him. He found a second tile within minutes of the first, and rushed it back to his station before turning around and heading back in.

“Wille on a tear as he finds his second tile. Nick has his first now. Blaine and Simon still searching. Elle finds her second one now, as does Kurt. And Wille has his third! Simon finally on board with his first, leaving only Blaine tileless.”

Wille continued to search with just as much determination, moving quickly, but being thorough, making certain not to miss anything. His fingers brushed another tile, and he dug it out as quickly as he could.

“Wille leaving everyone in the dust as he finds his fourth tile! Charlie has his second, and Blaine finally finds his first. Kurt now working on getting his third tile free, as Simon digs around his second. Elle thinks she’s found her third. And Wille back to searching and almost immediately finds his fifth tile.”

Wille couldn’t believe his luck as he found his sixth, seventh, and eighth tiles, rushing them back to his station and running back each time.

“Wille burning through this challenge with his ninth tile. Elle a close second with eight. Charlie, Nick, and Kurt each have six, Simon five, and Blaine four. Make that five for Blaine as he pulls another tile from the mud. Can anyone catch up to Wille, who just found his tenth tile? Only four more to go!”

It took longer to find the last four tiles, and Elle tied it up briefly at eleven, but Wille didn’t give up, no matter how tired his arms were, and no matter how much his back was starting to hurt.

“Wille has his final tile, as Elle pulls her thirteenth. Can Wille unscramble the words and win reward?”

Wille studied the tiles, R T F D B B E E N A A I K S, and at first couldn’t make any sense of them. He rearranged them a few times to try and get a better idea, but it wasn’t until Jeff announced that Elle had her final tile that something clicked in his mind. He rearranged the letters into three words, pausing to study it for a moment before calling to Jeff to check it.

“Wille thinks he has it. Read it out loud for us.”

“Breakfast in Bed.”

“That’s correct! Wille wins reward! You’ll be picked up tonight and whisked away to the Survivor Spa and B&B. There you will be treated to a hot shower, a full body massage, fresh fruit, sparkling wine, and a comfortable bed. Tomorrow morning you will wake up to bacon, eggs, cinnamon rolls, coffee, and fresh squeezed orange juice. But you won’t be alone. Pick one survivor to join you.”

“Simon,” Wille said, no hesitation.

“No surprises there. The boat will pick you up after dinner. The rest of you, I have nothing for you. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #12

Day 34 cont.:

Charlie watched as Wille helped Simon onto the boat as he sat on the driftwood pile, trying to finish his dinner. Everyone else had finished at least half an hour ago, but Charlie had been too distracted. Something Elle had said at the Tribal Council the other night was buzzing in his ears.

Elle had mentioned moving closer to be with Tao. Charlie lived on The Isle of Man, Nick lived in Kent. Could this really work out between them?

Charlie had planned on opening the halfway house near his home so he could oversee it personally. But what if he opened it somewhere else, someplace in Kent? Charlie wasn’t sure he was ready to move so far from his family, but it wouldn’t be fair to ask Nick to move that far away from his mum.

Darcy and Tara traveled a lot, they wouldn’t mind having to go out of their way to visit him. Tori would be another story. She was set in her ways, and rarely left Douglas, let alone the Isle. He’d been surprised she had traveled for the family visit last week. And what about his parents, and Ollie? His little brother would be graduating and heading off to Uni soon. He’d been planning on going to Manchester for school. Would they still see each other on holidays?

“You look like your mind is a million kilometers away,” Nick said as he joined him. “What are you thinking about?”

Charlie shrugged. “Distance, actually. It’s pretty far from The Isle of Man to Kent.”

Nick looked worried. “You aren’t thinking that this relationship is doomed again, are you?”

Charlie smiled and shook his head. “No, just making an observation.”

“Good, because I really want to be with you, Charlie, and a little thing like distance isn’t going to get between us.”

“I know. That’s why I was thinking of moving to Kent.”

“Really? What about your family?”

Charlie finished the last bite of his dinner and set the coconut shell bowl aside. “I love my parents, but sometimes being around them isn’t the best for me. They try, really, but my mum just doesn’t understand that sometimes she says things that are more harmful than helpful. My dad just feels so guilty all the time, blaming himself for what happened, even though I’ve told him over and over that none of it was his fault. My little brother was too young to really understand what happened back then, and even though he’s older now, I rather he not know how bad it really was.

“Tori will be the hardest to leave. She has her own issues to deal with, but we can always talk on the phone or Facetime. Tara and Darcy will probably pop around once or twice a month to check up on me, and they will keep Tori up to date on my condition. 

“I think this would be a good chance for me to start over. I’d still have to travel now and then when I get a studio gig, but I would be closer to you, and that is what really matters.”

“You don’t have to move for me, Charlie. Besides, I may not be in Kent much longer.”

“What?”

“One of the reasons I came on the show was to consider what I want to do after Rugby. I took a couple rough hits last season, and my knees are starting to go bad. I’ve been thinking of retiring after this season. I got my early education teaching certificate at Uni, and I just need a few more classes to get my special education degree. The college at Leeds has the classes I need, and I can take the courses at night during the season.”

“You want to be a teacher?”

“Yeah. I love kids, and I want to be someone they can look up to, a role model and a mentor. I want to make a difference in their lives.”

Charlie smiled. “How can you be real? The perfect man isn’t supposed to exist, yet here you are.”

Nick laughed. “I’m far from perfect. Social anxiety, remember?”

Charlie laughed and hugged him. “Well, wherever you go, I want to be with you. Kent, Leeds, or Mars, I’m ready to go where you go. Unless you don’t want me to.”

“Nothing would make me happier than having you with me, Charlie Spring.” Nick leaned down and kissed him.

Charlie smiled up at him when they parted. “Does this mean we’re boyfriends?”

Nick laughed. “Yes! Charlie Spring is my boyfriend!” he shouted, picking Charlie up and carrying him into the water.

“Hey, don’t drop me! Nick, put me down!” Charlie was laughing uncontrollably.

…

“This is beautiful!” Simon said as they followed the garden path towards the bungalow that would be their home for the night. The path was skirted by night blooming roses and jasmine that filled the air with their scents. Fireflies flitted about, sending their sparks into the night sky. An orange tree stood beside the door, which was open, inviting them inside.

Wille took it all in, but in his opinion the most beautiful thing there was Simon.

The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by three servants. The first one offered each of them a glass of sparkling wine. The other two held robes and towels for them, and led them to the bathroom to shower. 

The bathroom was huge, and the shower took up half of it, designed to look like an indoor rain forest. Instead of a shower curtain, there was a screen of exotic flowering vines. There were a cluster of trees in one corner, partially blocking the overhead light, giving the appearance of sunlight through the trees.

The shower head was a three square foot disk that gave the illusion of a rainstorm, except the water was steaming hot. There was a stone formation to one side that served as a seat to rest on. More blooming vines and shrubs lined the walls.

Wille and Simon thanked the servants, accepted the towels and robes, only then realizing there were slippers as well, and shut the door behind them. Wille took a sip of the wine before setting his glass and the bundle of clothes and towels on a long shelf lined with a mirror and two sinks, noticing the brand new toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, razors, and aftershave displayed next to each sink.

He turned and took Simon’s bundle and set it next to his. Simon drank down the last of his wine before setting the glass on the counter. They studied each other in silence for a moment.

“You can shower first, if you want,” Wille offered.

Simon shrugged. “Or we can share the shower. It’s big enough.”

Wille nodded, but neither of them moved towards the shower stall. Simon stepped closer to him, eyes locked on each other as the Latino reached out and began unbuttoning Wille’s shirt. Wille’s breath hitched slightly as Simon’s hands glided over his collarbone, gently slipping the shirt off his shoulders, then skimmed over his sides as he reached down to unfasten the button on Wille’s denim shorts.

He was incapable of speech, and could only nod when Simon silently sought permission to remove his underwear. He stepped out of them, then leaned in to capture Simon’s mouth in a searing kiss, and began undressing the shorter man, moving more urgently than the other man had. He backed Simon into the shower, not breaking the kiss as the water flowed over them, heating their skin more than their passion already had.

Wille blindly reached for the shampoo, and began to wash Simon’s hair, massaging his scalp, eliciting a moan from the other man, and finally pulling back from the kiss to pay attention to what he was doing.

Once he was satisfied Simon’s hair was thoroughly clean, he picked up the body wash and a washcloth, and began to clean him, head to toe, paying special attention to the back of his ears, under his arms, the crease in his legs and back of his knees. He reached around Simon to scrub his back, taking his time as he reached the curve of his ass. He then guided Simon to sit on the rock, and lifted his feet to clean the soles and between the toes. When he was finished, he pulled Simon under the spray once again to rinse him off, kissing him again.

Simon returned the favor, washing Wille thoroughly, noting how he squirmed when Simon brushed sensitive areas.

“You’re very ticklish, aren’t you?” Wille shrugged. Simon smirked, and kissed him again, before turning Wille to face the wall, scrubbing his back, and allowing his hand to roam over the pale skin of Wille’s behind. One hand slipped around front and cupped him, gently stroking him as he continued to wash the back of Wille’s legs.

Simon dropped to his knees to wash Wille’s calves, resting his forehead on the curve of the taller man’s ass. Wille whimpered and his legs almost gave out when he felt Simon’s tongue tracing the sensitive skin between his scrotum and his anus.

Simon raised Wille’s feet one at a time to wash the soles and between the toes, before standing and pulling Wille under the spray to rinse him off, lips meeting once again in a last, lingering kiss before they stepped out of the shower, and toweled each other dry, wrapping towels around their waists before donning the robes and slippers.

They brushed their teeth in silence, surprised to discover the tooth paste was vanilla flavored rather than the usual mint. Wille quickly ran the razor over his face. Simon didn’t bother. His face was as smooth and baby-like as ever.

When they returned to the main room, a pair of masseuses was waiting for them, along with more sparkling wine and a tray of sliced melons and oranges, as well as a bowl of grapes.

As they lay on the massage tables, they faced each other, watching each others’ expressions as the masseuses worked their magic. 

Once they were alone, they sat on the bed, drinking more wine and feeding each other bits of fruit. When they couldn’t wait any longer, they turned off the lights, and slipped under the blankets. Wille rolled over, bracing himself over Simon, looking down into his eyes. Simon smiled and reached up to pull him down into a  kiss.

It wasn’t until well past midnight that they finally fell asleep.

…

Day 35:

They arrived back at camp the next morning, bellies full of eggs, bacon, and cinnamon rolls, just in time for tree mail. Charlie held up a shackle with a scroll attached to it.

“How long can you hold it up?” he read.

“Oh great,” Kurt said. “I’m pretty sure this is the challenge where you have to keep one arm above your head, or you end up dumping water on yourself.”

“It looks so easy on the TV,” Blaine said. “But we did something similar with confetti at a party I once attended at NYU, and it was a lot harder than you’d think.”

They arrived at the challenge site where they’d had the first individual Immunity challenge and discovered that it was indeed the water bucket challenge.

Jeff greeted them with the customary “come on in guys!” They lined up on their mat, and waited to hear what else Jeff had to say.

“I trust Wille and Simon enjoyed their spa trip and breakfast in bed?”

Wille smirked, as Simon blushed. “It was awesome,” Wille replied.

“That’s good to hear. Now it’s time to get down to business, though. Simon, Kurt, I need the Immunity necklaces back.” He collected the necklaces, hanging one on the display, and placing the second below the stand. “Immunity once more up for grabs. Only one necklace this time. As you can see, the challenge is another Survivor classic. You will stand below the bucket, one hand raised above your head and shackled to the lever. If you lower your hand too far or move it around too much, you will pull the lever and dump the water over your head, eliminating you from the challenge. The last person with their arm up and bucket full of water will win Immunity. Everyone understand the rules? Good. We’ll draw lots for positions.”

Once they were in position, Jeff double checked the shackles, and took his mark. “Survivors ready? The clock starts now!”

No one spoke for several minutes as they all concentrated on keeping their arms steady.

“Ten minutes have passed, and everyone looks cool and collected so far, not even a little shake out of the seven of you. How is your shoulder feeling right now, Elle?”

She shrugged. “Not too bad, yet. The only issue is I have an itch on my other shoulder I can’t reach. I don’t suppose you’d be a gentleman and scratch it for me?”

Jeff moved to her side and scratched her shoulder. “Better?”

“Much, thanks!”

Silence stretched again as a few of the Castaways began to twitch.

“We’ve reached the thirty minute mark. Anyone ready to give up yet?”

“Why? Is this the point you start trying to bribe us with cookies?” Kurt asked.

“Well, I don’t have any cookies. I do have a pitcher of ice cold lemonade.”

“Not worth it. Come back when you have something better to offer.”

“Tough crowd. Last chance on the lemonade.”

No one stepped down, and silence fell again. Five minutes later, Charlie cursed as his bucket spilled out over his head.

“Stupid fly flew right at my face!”

“And we have our first victim. Wishing you had accepted the lemonade now?”

“Not really. I could have lasted longer if the fly hadn’t made me jerk.”

“Take a seat on the bench. Six Survivors left. Who will drop out next?”

“I see Sadistic Jeff is back. Is it a case of multiple personality disorder, or do you just switch it on and off at will?” Kurt snarked, trying to distract himself from the burning starting to develop in his shoulder.

“Do you switch on and off Bitch mode at will?” Jeff replied, straight faced. 

“It’s a gift.”

“Damn it!” Elle called out as her bucket tipped over, drenching her in the chilly water.

“And we’re down to five as Elle takes a seat next to Charlie. What happened?”

Elle sighed. “The itch came back.”

“That’s too bad.”

Blaine began to hum, trying to alleviate the boredom. Kurt glanced over at him, a mock annoyed expression on his face. 

“I love the Nightlife? Disco music? Really? Don’t you know Disco is dead?”

Simon chuckled. “Not in Sweden.” He then began to sing along.

Nick was laughing at the two men, and accidentally pulled his hand down. Before Jeff could even say a word, Wille’s bucket also tipped.

“Four down, three to go. I think Simon and Blaine are deliberately distracting the competition!”

“No rules against it, Jeff,” Simon replied.

“True, but I thought that was my job. Speaking of, it’s time for your next tempting offer, A slice of seven layer devil’s food cake.”

“Sold!” Kurt said, and let his arm drop.

“That was easy,” Jeff replied.

“I have a sweet tooth, sue me.”

Jeff laughed and handed a dripping wet Kurt the plate of cake. “And now there are only two. Simon, Blaine, what is it going to take to get one of you to step down?”

“Immunity,” Blaine replied.

“Cash,” was Simon’s answer.

“Not gonna happen,” Jeff replied.

Another thirty minutes passed, and Simon was starting to tremble slightly, and he was getting really thirsty, to the point he was losing his concentration. After another quarter of an hour, he stumbled forward, pulling the cord and drenching himself.

“Simon is out and Blaine wins Immunity! Congratulations.”

They all lined up on the mat, and Jeff placed the necklace around Blaine’s neck.

“You are safe from the vote tonight. The rest of you need to decide who is going to be eliminated. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #12

Day 35 cont.: 

Elle had mixed feelings going into Tribal Council, On the one hand, she was certain she was going to be voted out, but on the other hand, she knew she would see Tao tonight, even if she couldn’t speak to him or hug him.

She didn’t mind being voted out. She knew her chances of winning had been slim to begin with, and with the tight alliance the guys had, it was inevitable, since she hadn’t won Immunity. She was happy that Charlie had a strong chance of winning, though. At least she knew he would put the money to good use. Not that the others wouldn’t, as well, but this was something near and dear to her heart. Body dysphoria came in all kinds of forms, including transgenderism and eating disorders.

She had been lucky to have all the support she needed, but she knew others who hadn’t had that in their lives. Every day there were stories of trans kids committing suicide because no one understood them, or were told they were sick in the head.

Blaine joined her as she packed up her bag in preparation to head out. “Hey, how are you doing?”

She shrugged. “I’m fine. If it’s my time to go, then it’s my time to go, right?”

He smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “I just wanted to say I’ve admired your dignity and strength out here, ever since I realized what that Harry was saying about you, and how you handled it.”

“Thank you. I’m sure you’ve had your share of haters and abuse. You either learn to deal with it, or you become one of them, and I refuse to let them bring me down to their level.”

“Well said. And yes, I have dealt with the haters before. Spent several weeks in the hospital after one encounter with them. It can make you bitter and jaded if you allow it to, or you can take that rage and turn it towards good, and fight on the right side of justice.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’m glad you came out of it with a purpose. If we don’t advocate for ourselves, who will?”

He smiled at her. “I’m glad I got to meet you. I hope we can stay in touch after we get back to our lives.”

“I’d like that.”

They hugged, then joined the others to head out to Tribal Council.

Jeff watched them file in, waiting for them to get settled before speaking.

“We’ll now bring in the members of our jury. Malin, Felice, and Tao, voted out at the last Tribal Council. Remember, the jury is here to observe only, and will not speak.”

Tao smiled at Elle as he walked past her, and she smiled back, blowing him a little kiss.

“So, the numbers just keep dwindling. We’re down to seven, but after the vote, only six will remain. I know there is an alliance going on. Will they hold true tonight, and how do they proceed when there is no one else to vote out but their own? Nick?”

“I trust that the vote tonight will go as predicted. After that, we all agreed it would be every man for himself, and no hard feelings. Of course, that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to be upset at leaving, since each of us will be leaving someone very special behind, but I’m sure we’ll all be mature adults about it.”

“So, you already know who you are voting for tonight?”

“Well, obviously it’s me,” Elle said. “I’ve already come to terms with it, and I’m just grateful to have made it this far. I may not win the money, but I found something better. Several somethings, actually. I’ve made some amazing friends, and found someone very dear to my heart. You can’t buy those with money.”

She glanced at Tao as she spoke, smiling.

“Wille, what would you like to say to Elle, if she is the one to go tonight?”

Wille looked at her, studying her face for a moment before replying. “You’re one of three women I know who are as strong as they are wise. The other two are sitting on the jury right now. It’s been an honor to know you, and I hope everything works out for you in the future.”

She smiled and took his hand. “Thank you. It’s been an honor to know you, too.”

“Are we ready to vote then?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, Blaine, you’re up first.”

Blaine stood and walked into the booth. He sighed before writing down the name. “I really wish you all the best, and hope we can remain in touch.”

Kurt was the next to cast his vote, followed by Simon, Charlie, Nick, Elle and Wille. Once the last had taken his seat, Jeff stood. “I’ll go tally the votes.”

Elle clasped Blaine’s hand, and smiled at the others. “It’s alright. No hard feelings. Just, whoever wins, do something good for the world.”

They all reached out to pat her shoulders or back, as Jeff returned with the urn.

“Once the votes have been read, the decision will be final. I’ll read the votes. First vote, Elle.”

She squeezed Blaine’s hand.

“Second vote, Elle. Two votes Elle, five votes left.” He pulled another slip. “Elle. That’s three votes Elle, four votes left.”

Charlie leaned forward and hugged her as Jeff pulled the next slip of parchment.

“Twelfth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination and fourth member of our jury, Elle. That’s four votes, that’s enough. You need to bring me your torch.”

Elle stood and hugged the others, kissing Charlie on the cheek before picking up her bag and setting her torch before Jeff.

“Can’t leave you out,” she said, and hugged the host as well.

Jeff laughed, and snuffed her torch. “Elle, the tribe has spoken. However, this night is not over yet. Please take a seat in the jury box.”

She gave him a confused look, along with everyone else, but moved to do as he had instructed.

“I told you at the beginning of the season that there would be new twists and new surprises, and this is one of them. Your next immunity challenge begins now.”

TO BE CONTINUED

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #13

&

Tribal Council #13

Day 35 cont.:

Elle moved across to the jury box, still stunned and confused, but not so confused she didn’t hug and kiss Tao when he stood to greet her. She also hugged Felice, and shook Malin’s hand. They were all just as confused as she was.

Jeff smiled at them all before facing the remaining Survivors. “I told you at the beginning of the season that there would be new twists and new surprises, and this is one of them. Your next Immunity Challenge begins now.”

The six men exchanged shocked expressions.

“Blaine, I need the Immunity necklace back." Blaine fumbled getting it off, but handed it to the host. Jeff hung it over the urn with the unread votes still in it.

“Immunity once more up for grabs. This is going to be a very easy challenge. A five question quiz. The Survivor who answers the most questions correctly will win Immunity. In the case of a tie, there will be a sudden death question, and the Survivor who answers correctly the fastest wins. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Simon, behind your seat is a stack of chalkboards and chalk. Hand them out, please.”

He complied, taking one for himself and handing the rest to Nick in front of him and Wille beside him to distribute.

“Everyone ready? Okay, first question; Survivor is based on a show called Expedition Robinson. In which country did it originally air? Write down your answers, and reveal them. Simon, Wille, and Charlie all say Sweden. Kurt said Switzerland, Blaine replied the UK, and Nick said Australia. The correct answer is Sweden. One point each for Simon, Wille, and Charlie.

“Question number two; How many countries and regions around the world have or have had a version of Survivor?”

He paused to give them all a a chance to answer. “Simon and Nick said sixty. Kurt said forty five, Blaine and Wille said forty six, and Charlie said fifty four. The correct answer is fifty four.”

Blaine groaned and erased his board, waiting for the next question.

“Question three; What country has aired the most episodes of Survivor?”

Charlie was the first to write his answer down, the others took some time.

“Alright let’s see your answers. Wille and Simon said Sweden, Nick said Australia, Blaine said Italy, Kurt and Charlie said the US. With six hundred and sixty two episodes aired to date, the correct answer is the US. Charlie has three points, Simon, Wille and Kurt each have one, which means that with only two questions left, Nick and Blaine, you are out. You can go ahead and put your chalkboards away.

“Question number four; How many locations has Survivor US filmed in? Simon and Charlie both answering very quickly. Wille and Kurt taking a little longer. What are your Answers? Simon and Charlie both give the same answer, twenty three. Kurt said twenty five, Wille said twenty four. The correct answer is twenty three. Simon has two points, and Charlie has four, which means with only one question left there is no way anyone else can catch up. Charlie wins Immunity and cannot be voted off. The rest of you are vulnerable.”

Jeff placed the necklace over Charlie’s head. The young man was beaming with pride and excitement, and the others were so excited for him, no one noticed Wille and Simon exchange a glance and reach for each other’s hand.

“Now, we’ll move directly into the Tribal Council phase. So, none of you were expecting a double elimination tonight, nor were you expecting to break up the alliance so soon. How do you decide who to vote for now? Only Charlie is safe.”

Simon and Wille seemed to be having a silent conversation between them, with Simon giving a slight nod.

“I can make the answer very simple for everyone,” Wille said after a moment. “Vote for me.”

The others all turned and looked at him. Felice and Malin smiled at him from the jury box.

“You want to be voted out?” Jeff asked, surprised.

Wille took a deep breath before answering. “Like Felice, I didn’t come here to win the money. I have no need for it. I came here to find myself, and found love as well. That’s much more important to me. And I know that whichever of these guys win, they will do something good with the money. I know Charlie wants to open a halfway house for teens with eating disorders who don’t have a support system at home.”

Kurt, Blaine and Simon looked at Charlie in surprise. None of them had known about Charlie’s plans. Nick just looked at him with devotion. He hadn’t known about the halfway house either, but knew it would be something Charlie would do.

Charlie blushed at the attention.

“Tell us about the halfway house, Charlie,” Jeff said, “Why is it important to you?”

Charlie squirmed slightly at being put on the spot like this. “I’m a recovering anorexic. I was lucky, I had a support system when I left treatment. My parents try, even if they don’t understand, but my sister and my friends were there every step of the way to help me and keep me motivated. I know not everyone is as fortunate as I was. I want to give those teens a safe environment with all the support they need.” 

“That sounds like a good cause, and we here at Survivor commend you." He glanced at the other four men. “What about you all? What are your plans if you win the money?”

Blaine smiled. “I plan on using the money to back pro LGBTQ+ political candidates if I win.”

Kurt smirked. “I plan on running for office on a pro LGBTQ+ platform.”

“That’s better than what I had planned,” Nick replied. “I was going to use it to go back to school and finish my special education degree.”

“That’s not so bad,” Simon said. “I want to buy my mom a house, and make it so she never has to work again.”

“So it sounds like each of you wants to do something to help others. Will that affect the vote tonight? It’s time to find out. “ he removed the previous ballots from the urn, and put the lid on. “Charlie, you’re up first.” He handed the urn to the younger man, who carried it into the booth, placing it to the side.

He considered carefully before writing down a name. “You’ve been generous and kind, and I look forward to your donation towards the halfway house.”

Simon, Nick, Kurt, Wille, and Blaine followed with their votes. Jeff gave a nod.

“I’ll go tally the votes.” He returned fairly quickly with the urn. “Once the votes have been read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. I’ll read the votes. First vote, Wille." He pulled a second parchment from the urn. "Second vote, Wille. That’s two votes Wille, four votes left.”

Simon gripped Wille’s hand, knowing this was the right choice for Wille, but dreading not having him at his side for the next however many days. If he felt this much dread over a few days, how was he going to cope for nine months on tour?

“Third vote, Wille, three votes left.” He drew the next slip of paper. “Thirteenth person voted off Survivor: World Domination and fifth member of our jury, Wille. That’s four votes, that’s enough. You need to bring me your torch.”

Wille stood and immediately pulled Simon into a hug, whispering softly to him. “It will be alright. We’ll figure everything out, I promise.” He kissed him softly on the lips before picking up his bag and facing Jeff.

“Wille, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed the torch.

Wille reached out to shake his hand. “It’s been an honor.”

Jeff shook his hand, smiling, then watched the young man walk away.

“Well, this night has been full of one surprise after another, and it's not over yet. I have one more twist to share with you. There will be no more respite days, meaning I will see you tomorrow for the next reward challenge. The next Immunity Challenge and Tribal Council will be the next day, followed the day after by another reward challenge. You’re going to want to get a good night's sleep. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #12

Day 36:

Simon hadn’t slept well. He’d tossed and turned, and kept reaching for something that wasn’t there. He yawned as he filled the water jug. He’d had one amazing night with Wille, and then he was gone, leaving Simon feeling lost. 

As his friend Ayub would say, he had it bad. Rosh would tease him mercilessly about being a hopeless romantic. Maybe he was. For all his rage against the monarchy, he’d kind of had a crush on Wille since he was old enough to understand that he liked boys. He’d been very conflicted by his crush and his feelings towards the royal family, and had been prepared to hate Wille when he realized the young royal was competing on the show with him. 

He’d expected Wille to order people around, and not lift a finger and be the first to be eliminated. Instead, from the instant Jeff had said ‘go’ on the boat, Wille had proved himself to be a hard worker, offering advice and assistance, without any arrogance, condescension, or hint of command. He’d been kind, considerate of others, and wasn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty. But most of all, he had been vulnerable. It was the latter that had broken down Simon’s defenses and allowed Wille to slip into his heart.

He returned to camp just as Nick and Charlie prepared to go fishing. They were starting to run low on food, with only a couple days worth of rice left. They still had the chickens and plenty of eggs, but they were out of cattail flour, and only had a handful of the heads left, as it was now late enough in the season that they were no longer fit to harvest. There were plenty of mangoes and coconuts, but by this point they were all sick and tired of even the smell of coconut.

He smiled at the other two men, although it didn’t reach his eyes as it usually did. “I was going to make scrambled eggs for breakfast, if you guys want. Not really anything else right now other than rice.”

“Sounds good to me,” Charlie said. Nick nodded in agreement.

“Hopefully we can catch some fish for lunch before the challenge,” Nick said. “Then maybe we can have a couple of the chickens for dinner, and save the rice for tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan, then,” Simon said, and began gathering the eggs and frying pan.

Kurt and Blaine joined them and they ate breakfast quickly. Blaine offered to go check tree mail while the others went fishing. They had managed to catch a couple of small groupers and harvested another large clam by the time he returned with the tree mail.

“The odds are stacked in your favor if you have the skill and the patience to win reward.”

“I wonder if this is the tile stacking house of cards challenge?” Charlie said.

“If it is, Nick definitely has the advantage with his height,” Simon said. Charlie, Simon and Blaine all exchanged a commiserating look as the three shortest men there.

They caught two more fish before heading back to camp to start cooking them so they would be ready in time for them to eat before the challenge.

They found themselves in the same small clearing as the family visit, auction, and infamous Bug Out challenge, only there were no bleachers or benches. Instead of one table, there were five, each with stacks of tiles. On the ground next to each table was a three foot square platform. There was also a ladder and a pole with two short crossbeams indicating heights of six feet and ten feet. The pole itself was notched to mark inches and feet, starting from the platform top. 

“Come on in guys. How does it feel to be in the final five? Blaine?”

Blaine smiled. “It feels amazing, Jeff. It would feel even more amazing to win the million dollars.”

Everyone laughed. 

“What about you Charlie? How does it feel to have made it this far?”

“I can’t believe it. It’s like a dream come true.”

“Safe to say you all feel the same?”

Nick, Kurt and Simon all nodded.

“Well congratulations to you all on getting here. It’s time for the reward challenge, and it is another Survivor classic. You will each build a house of cards, so to speak, using wooden tiles. The person with the tallest structure after ninety minutes will win. Sounds a lot easier than it actually is. Want to know what you are playing for?”

“Yes!”

“The winner will be treated to a day of fun at the Survivor arcade! You’ll have unlimited game tokens, bowling, and of course, access to the arcade’s snack bar! We’ll draw lots for positions.”

They took their places silently, each calculating the best structure for stability and height.

“Survivors ready? The clock starts now!”

Nick started by grabbing several stacks of tiles and setting them beside his platform before getting started. Blaine and Kurt also grabbed several stacks before starting, but Simon and Charlie each only grabbed a single stack and began building right away. The tiles were each about three inches by five inches, slightly larger than an average playing card, and about a quarter of an inch thick.

Charlie began by building a base six tiles wide and six tiles long, using the TeePee method, leaning two tiles against each other, length wise, then adding a ‘roof.’ His second level was slightly smaller, five by five, the third level was four by four, and then for the fourth level, he switched from placing the tiles lengthwise to narrower edgewise, making the level taller as well as narrower. He did that for the next level as well. When he couldn’t narrow it any further, he started laying them lengthwise again in a box shape, with a tile running diagonally in the center for more support. He continued to build up from there.

Nick was using a similar technique, though all his levels were narrow edgewise, so it was a little taller than Charlie’s, but not as stable.

Blaine’s technique was to make four triangles, with the points meeting in the middle, forming a square. Instead of adding a roof, all he did was turn the next level by half, still with the points meeting in the middle, but the outer edges overlapping to make an eight point star if viewed from the top.

Kurt and Simon were using the same technique of triangles, except instead of forming them into squares, they just turned the triangles a half turn to form a six pointed star. Their towers were very narrow, but grew in height the fastest.

“Fifteen minutes have passed, and Kurt and Simon are both at about four feet. Nick just a few inches below them, followed by Blaine and Charlie, who are both working to make sure their structures are more stable. Speaking of stability, Kurt’s structure just collapsed! He’s back to square one!”

Kurt growled in frustration as he began clearing his platform and began again, now switching to Blaine’s technique with the squares. He’d only managed three levels when Simon’s tower collapsed as well.

“And another one down. Still only twenty minutes in. Blaine and Nick virtually tied at five feet now. Blaine has to use the ladder to reach the top. And he just dropped several tiles onto his structure, knocking it down over two feet! Can he salvage the rest and get it back over five feet? Nick’s structure still looking steady, as is Charlie’s, which just passed the four foot mark. Will he catch up to Nick before time runs out?”

They worked in silence again for a while, until Nick let out a curse.

“Nick loses the top three feet of his tower, which had almost reached the seven foot mark. We’re fifty minutes into the challenge, with forty minutes to go. Charlie now in the lead as his structure reaches the six and a half foot mark, but he is almost out of tiles. Blaine is in second, having rebuilt his up to the five foot mark. Nick, Kurt, and Simon all just around the four foot mark. How much taller can Charlie go before he runs out of tiles, and can anyone else catch up to him?”

Kurt was muttering as he worked, and swore when his tower crashed again, almost at the same time as Blaine’s also crashed.

“Twenty minutes left, and Kurt and Blaine both back to square one as they have complete collapses. Charlie just standing around, all out of tiles as his tower stands just shy of eight feet tall. Nick is back up to six feet. Does he have enough tiles to pass Charlie? Or can Simon pass them both as his tower reaches five and a half feet now?”

Charlie could only pray a strong wind didn’t come along and knock his tower over. It had a vague resemblance to the Eiffel Tower, a place Charlie had always wanted to visit. He silently cheered Nick on. If anyone else won, he hoped it was Nick, as he was fairly certain who ever won would get to pick someone to go with them on the reward, and Charlie really wanted to share it with Nick.

“Five minutes left, and Nick has almost caught up to Charlie. Does he have enough tiles left to pass him? Simon at Seven feet now. He’ll have to work faster if he wants to pass either of them, but his structure not looking that stable now. Kurt and Blaine are basically out of it, but both are still building.”

“Damn it!” Simon shouted as his structure collapsed a second time.

“And Simon is out with two minutes left to go, and Nick has taken the lead, surpassing Charlie by one inch!”

Nick carefully climbed down his ladder, setting the last three tiles he had on the table with a sigh. He and Charlie watched the other three trying to build up with one eye, while eyeing their own structures, praying they didn’t collapse as the final minute counted down. It seemed to take forever for the clock to reach zero.

“And Nick wins reward!” Jeff called out.

“Congratulations, Nick,” Charlie said, hugging him. The other three men all shook his hand, and they lined up on the mat.

“Nick, a trip to the arcade is no fun alone. Who are you taking with you? Or should I even ask?”

“Gotta be Charlie,” Nick said with a grin.

“That’s what I thought. The two of you come join me over here. The rest of you, I have nothing for you. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #14

Day 36 cont.:

Charlie laughed as he passed Nick inches from the finish line, defeating him at Mario Kart for the fifth straight time.

“Oh come on, I almost beat you that time! Can’t you just let me win one game?”

“Maybe someday, when you’ve had a lot more practice. Besides, you get to be good at real sports, I get to be good at fake ones.”

“But you are good at real sports! You’re a strong swimmer, and a hell of a fast runner. Look how many challenges you’ve either won or helped your tribe win! Not to mention how you won my heart.”

Charlie blushed, but couldn’t wipe the goofy grin from his face. “Shut up! Now you’re just exaggerating!”

“No, it’s all true. You just need to believe in yourself more.”

They just sat there staring at each other for a moment. So far, other than playing Mario Kart, they had bowled two rounds, played laser tag, and pigged out on American fries and a Cheeseburger each. Nick had teased Charlie that the younger man wasn’t going to want to kiss him after he’d ordered extra pickles and onions on his burger. Charlie had ordered his with just tomato. Nick had been slightly disappointed that Charlie had only eaten half his burger, but he had eaten three servings of the fries. Nick decided not to push him over it. 

“What do you want to do now?” Nick asked.

Charlie shrugged. “Maybe just get something to drink, and sit for a while? Maybe just talk about nothing and everything?”

Nick smiled. “Okay. Want a cherry slush float? We can share.”

Charlie smiled. “I’d like that.”

Nick went to get the drink, and ordered churros as well, and rejoined Charlie at the indoor picnic table. “So, what should we talk about?”

Charlie thought for a moment. “I don’t know. Tell me something I don’t already know about you.”

Nick smiled. “Well, I used to have this really amazing dog, Nellie. You would have loved her. She was smart, and brave, and my best friend for a long time, especially after I realized all the guys I hung out with were jerks. I got a new dog recently, just a puppy, really. His name is Henry. You can meet him when we get back to England. He’s staying with my mum for now.”

“I’ve always wanted a dog, but my parents wouldn’t allow us to have pets,” Charlie said. “When I moved into my own place, I didn’t feel right about having a pet, when I was still struggling to take care of myself.”

Nick smiled. “We can share him, if you move to Leeds like you plan.”

Charlie laughed. “Maybe I should meet him first, make sure he likes me.”

Nick grinned. “Okay, your turn, tell me something I don’t know about you.”

“I speak fluent Gaelic and Spanish, and I will deny it if you tell anyone else this, but when I was a kid, I wanted to be a member of the Riverdance Troupe when I grew up.”

“The step dancing group? Did you take lessons?”

Charlie blushed but nodded. “Up till I was nine, and broke my ankle skateboarding, effectively ending my promising career as a dancer. Of course, by then my interest had shifted towards drumming anyway. Okay, your turn again. Something else I don’t know about Nick Nelson.”

He grinned. “Well, I happen to be fluent in French, and I am learning Italian. When I was a kid, I wanted to play piano like Elton John, but as I’ve mentioned, I have no musical talent whatsoever. After taking piano lessons for a year, my teacher refunded my mother’s payments and suggested I take up another hobby, such as gymnastics, anything not musically oriented.”

Charlie laughed. They continued to share things about themselves for another hour, finishing off the float and the churros, before moving on to play other games. Nick tried to win them a pair of matching plushies from the claw machine, but the machine just kept dropping them. Charlie did manage to win a tiny teddy bear, and gave it to Nick

By the time they headed back to Camp, Charlie had beaten Nick three more times at Mario Kart, Nick had beaten Charlie at the Dance Dance Revolution game once, and they had each eaten a chicken sandwich. Nick had been happy to see Charlie finish his this time.

Just before they entered the campfire light, Charlie pulled them to a stop, and kissed Nick. “Hmm, I don’t mind the pickles and onions when mixed with the taste of your lips.”

…

Day 37:

“Tree mail!” Kurt called out. “Who has what it takes to battle it out for Immunity?”

“Well, that is pretty straightforward,” Simon said. “But what kind of battle are we talking about?”

“That’s a good question,” Nick replied.

After lunch they were led to the field with the giant mud pit, which now looked as if it had been mixed with more water. There were two balance beams set up in the middle of the mud, each with a platform on each end.

Jeff was grinning as they lined up. “Come on in guys. Kurt, I already know what you are going to say. Yes, you will be getting muddy again today. But first, Charlie, I need to take back the Immunity necklace.”

Charlie handed it over, and Jeff put it back on display. “Immunity once again up for grabs. This is going to be a head to head competition, in pairs of two you will face off head to head using padded pugils to try and knock each other off the balance beam. You get one point for knocking your opponent off the beam, a second point if you are the first to do so. First Survivor to score eight points wins.

“Since we have five Survivors left, one person will get a bye in each round. Everyone understand the rules? Good, we’ll draw lots for positions.”

Charlie frowned when he looked across the beam at Blaine, his first opponent. He was at a great disadvantage to everyone else, with the possible exception of Simon, who sat out this round.

“Okay, we have Nick facing off against Kurt, Charlie facing off against Blaine, Simon on the bench this round. Remember, you can not attack until each opponent has one foot in the red zone. Survivors ready? Go!”

Charlie moved forward as quickly as he could on the narrow beam, as Blaine rushed towards him from the other end. They met up in the red zone, each coming out swinging.

“Blaine swings at Charlie’s shoulders, but the younger man ducks and takes a swipe at Blaine’s feet, knocking him off balance and he goes down, just as Nick knocks Kurt into the mud. Since Blaine hit the mud first, Charlie gets two points, Nick gets one! Let’s get set for round two.”

Charlie couldn’t believe he’d not only defeated Blaine, but had done so faster than Nick had taken down Kurt. They shuffled positions, and now Charlie faced off with Simon, as Kurt and Blaine faced each other, and Nick sat out.

“Survivors ready? Go!”

Charlie once again rushed forward into the battle zone, but this time he and Simon were more evenly matched, and the fight took longer. On the other beam, Kurt and Blaine were going at it as if they each had a score to settle with the other, but Blaine was laughing when Kurt finally managed to knock him off with a blow to the butt as he’d pinwheeled to regain his balance. Simon caught Charlie off guard with a jab at his hips, and Charlie almost went down, but as he fought to regain his balance, his pugil flailed around and hit Simon in the back. They both ended up falling, with Simon landing first.

“Two points to Kurt, while Charlie picks up point number three. Up next we have Simon facing Blaine, Nick up against Charlie, and Kurt on the bench. Survivors ready? Go!”

Charlie was still a little tired from the previous battle, and Nick easily knocked him off, followed moments later by Simon knocking Blaine into the mud.

“The score is Charlie and Nick tied at three, Kurt two, Simon one, and Blaine still scoreless. Up next, Simon and Kurt go head to head, beside Blaine and Nick, and Charlie takes a break on the bench. Survivors ready? Go!”

Charlie grinned as Nick knocked Blaine off with a single swipe of the pugil. Simon and Kurt seemed  to be much more evenly matched, neither one able to knock the other off, until Simon miscalculated on an advance and fell into the mud.

“Nick scores two more to bring him up to five, giving him the lead. Charlie and Kurt tied at three points each, Simon has one point, and Blaine still scoreless. Next up we have Charlie up against Kurt, while Simon goes up against Nick. Survivors ready? Go!”

Simon rushed forward and took Nick off guard, feigning left before swinging right, but Nick managed to block, using his pugil to pull Simon off balance, causing him to stumble and drop into the mud below. Meanwhile, Kurt had blocked Charlie’s swing, but the smaller man’s momentum brought the other end of the pugil around, hitting his shoulder, and sending Kurt into the mud.

“Nick’s lead increases to seven, Charlie now has four, Kurt three, and Simon one. Blaine yet to score. Nick only needs one more point to win, and we’re back to our original match ups, with Charlie facing Blaine and Kurt looking for a rematch with Nick. Survivors ready? Go!”

Charlie could hardly hold the pugil up anymore, his arms were so tired. Blaine barely had to bump his side before he tumbled into the mud. Nick and Kurt managed to last longer this time around, but the end result was the same, with Kurt in the mud.

“Blaine finally scores a point, but it’s too late as Nick wins Immunity. Come up here and get your necklace, Nick.”

Nick ducked his head so Jeff could slip it around his neck.

“I will see you all tonight at Tribal Council, where someone other than Nick will be voted out. Until then, head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #14

Day 37 cont.:

Kurt was lost in thought as he gathered firewood. He was sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place with his vote tonight. He can’t vote for Nick, and he didn’t want to vote for Blaine, but he had agreed to the alliance with Simon and Charlie.

Blaine approached him as the others prepared a couple of chickens for dinner.

“Hey, I just want you to know that no matter who you vote for tonight, I’ll understand. I’m not going to put your name down, but if you want to vote with your twink alliance, that’s perfectly fine.”

Kurt smiled at him. “I still don’t know who I am voting for. I really don’t want to write down your name.”

Blaine smiled and pulled him into a hug. “I promise, everything will be okay, no matter what. For now, let’s just enjoy the evening. Any way you look at it, our time here is limited. There really aren’t that many days left here, but we’ll still have New York.”

Kurt sighed and hugged him again, leaning in for a kiss. “You’re right. No need to borrow trouble, right?”

After a while, they rejoined the others as dinner finished cooking. Blaine could feel the tension in the air, and decided it was too much, so began to sing.

There's a stranger in my bed

There's a pounding in my head

Glitter all over the room

Pink flamingos in the pool

I smell like a minibar

DJ's passed out in the yard

Barbies on the barbecue

This a hickey or a bruise?

Pictures of last night ended up online, I'm screwed

Oh, well

It's a blacked out blur, but I'm pretty sure it ruled

Damn

The others all laughed, and Simon started singing the next verse, as Charlie tapped out the beat on the log he was sitting on.

Last Friday night

Yeah, we danced on tabletops, and we took too many shots

Think we kissed, but I forgot last Friday night

Yeah, we maxed our credit cards and got kicked out of the bar

So we hit the boulevard last Friday night

We went streaking in the park, skinny-dipping in the dark

Then had a ménage à trois last Friday night

Yeah, I think we broke the law, always say we're gonna stop-op, oh-whoa

But this Friday night

Do it all again

But this Friday night

Do it all again

Kurt jumped in to sing with Blaine, and they danced around the fire, along with Simon and Nick, as Charlie continued to keep the rhythm.

Trying to connect the dots

Don't know what to tell my boss

Think the city towed my car

Chandelier is on the floor

Ripped my favorite party dress

Warrant's out for my arrest

Think I need a ginger ale

That was such an epic fail

Pictures of last night ended up online, I'm screwed

Oh, well

It's a blacked out blur, but I'm pretty sure it ruled

Damn

They were all singing now, including Charlie and Nick.

Last Friday night

Yeah, we danced on tabletops, and we took too many shots

Think we kissed, but I forgot last Friday night

Yeah, we maxed our credit cards and got kicked out of the bar

So we hit the boulevard last Friday night

We went streaking in the park, skinny-dipping in the dark

Then had a ménage à trois last Friday night

Yeah, I think we broke the law, always say we're gonna stop-op, oh-whoa

But this Friday night

Do it all again (do it all again)

But this Friday night

Do it all again (do it all again)

But this Friday night

Last Friday night

Yeah, we danced on tabletops, and we took too many shots

Think we kissed, but I forgot last Friday night

Yeah, we maxed our credit cards and got kicked out of the bar

So we hit the boulevard last Friday night

We went streaking in the park, skinny-dipping in the dark

Then had a ménage à trois last Friday night

Yeah, I think we broke the law, always say we're gonna stop-op, oh-whoa

But this Friday night

Do it all again

They were laughing so hard, they almost couldn’t finish eating dinner, but soon it was time to set out for Tribal Council.

Jeff smiled as they entered the Council building. “We’ll now bring in the members of our jury; Malin, Felice, Tao, Elle, and Wille, voted out at the last Tribal Council.”

As the jurors entered, Simon made direct eye contact with Wille, and felt his heart squeeze, knowing he was so close, but so far away.

“As always, the jury is here to observe only, and will not speak. So, I never know what to expect when you all enter this chamber. I’ve seen tension, anger, calm, even a sense of lightheartedness. But tonight I’m not exactly sure how to describe the mood. Charlie, how would you describe it?”

“I think the word is acceptance. We’ve all come to terms with the fact that any one of us, with the exception of Nick, could go home tonight. The alliance is basically over, it’s everyone for themselves now. The stakes have never been higher.”

“So you’re saying you have no idea who is going home tonight?” Jeff asked. A couple of people shrugged. “Interesting. It seems like up until the last vote, everyone came in already knowing who they planned to vote for, and who would be going home, yet you are all so calm, and even a bit resolved to the outcome, even though you say none of you know who is going home tonight.”

“Resolved may not exactly be the best term,” Kurt said. “More like content. I mean look at us. With the exception of Nick, would you have imagined this final five at the beginning of the season?”

Jeff shrugged. “I’ve seen less likely combos, but I think I get what you are trying to say. None of you expected to make it this far with so many strong competitors in the mix.”

“Exactly,” Blaine acknowledged. “I pictured the final five being Nick, Malin, Santana, Wille and Felice. And no, that isn’t pandering to the jury, that’s the actual truth. If it hadn’t been for the alliance, I don’t think any of us would be here now, except Nick.”

“Nick, everyone keeps calling you the exception. How does that make you feel?”

“A little self conscious, actually. I knew when I came into this that people would see me as the big, muscular jock, and that I would have a massive target on my back. I think the only reason I am still here now is because the alliance chose to include me. We promised that when we got to the final six, it would be every man for themselves, and no hard feelings. I only feel safe tonight because of this necklace around my neck.”

Jeff nodded. “Simon, how safe do you feel tonight?”

“Truthfully, not very. I have a one in four chance of being voted out tonight. I’m not liking those odds.”

“Should we get on with the vote, then, or do you all need a little more time to think things through?”

“Let’s just get it over with quickly,” Kurt said.

Jeff nodded. “Then it’s time to vote. Nick, you’re up first.”

One by one, they cast their vote, and Jeff retrieved the urn.

“Once  the votes have been read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. I’ll read the votes.” he lifted the lid off the urn as everyone held their breaths. “First vote, Blaine.”

Kurt reached out to grip the other man’s hand, as Jeff reached for the next parchment.

“Second vote, Charlie. That’s one vote Blaine, one vote Charlie, three votes left.”

Nick pulled Charlie into a hug, the younger man obviously stunned by the vote.

“Next vote, Blaine. That’s two votes Blaine, one vote Charlie, two voted left.” He pulled another slip. “Charlie. That’s two votes Blaine, two votes Charlie, one vote left.”

You could have heard a pin drop as Jeff reached for the final vote.

“Fourteenth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination and sixth member of our jury,” he paused and turned the slip so everyone could read the name. “Blaine. You need to bring me your torch.”

Blaine stood, pulling Kurt into a hug, and kissing him gently. “We’ll still have New York,” he whispered.

Kurt wiped at the tear on his face as Blaine placed his torch in front of Jeff.

“Blaine, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed the torch, and Blaine turned to face the others once more, singing Last Friday Night , making them all laugh. He continued to sing as he walked away.

Jeff studied the remaining four faces. “I suggest you all get a good night sleep, because tomorrow’s reward challenge is going to come sooner than you think, and who knows, there might just be some surprises, too. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Reward Challenge #13

Day 38:

It was still dark when they were roused from their sleep.

“Wake up, sleepy heads,” Jeff called out with all the cheer of someone who had slept in a comfortable hotel room and had already consumed a full pot of coffee. “I’m delivering tree mail in person today.” he passed a scroll to Kurt. “You all need to be ready to go in one hour, so I suggest you hurry and eat.”

He walked away as they all tried to make sense of what had just happened.

“What does the scroll say?” Nick asked, one arm protectively around Charlie’s waist.

“The early bird gets the worm, but the fastest Survivor gets the advantage.”

“It’s too damn early for this,” Charlie muttered. “I barely slept at all.” He had lain awake for hours contemplating the two votes. Of course, Blaine had to vote for someone other than himself, but why had he targeted Charlie? And he had to assume Kurt had cast the other vote, despite their twink alliance. Charlie didn’t blame him. If Blaine had won immunity and it was Nick at risk of going home, he probably would have voted for Kurt as well.

He realized Nick was staring at him. “What?”

“You’re just so adorable when you’re cranky.”

Charlie huffed, but got up and started getting ready. They were out of rice, so breakfast consisted of fruit and eggs. They were all ready to go at the appointed time, and were led to the same clearing that the house of cards challenge had taken place the other day. The tables and platforms were gone, and in their place were four enormous work stations that formed a large square, with partitions on each corner, presumably to prevent them from looking at each other’s progress.

“Come on in, guys! I hope you all are rested up. Today’s reward challenge is a word seek puzzle. There are fourteen words or word groups hidden in the word puzzle. The words will be up and down, side to side, or diagonal. Each word or word group will have something to do with the fourteen eliminated Survivors. Does everyone understand so far?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Just so you know, this is going to be a lot harder than it sounds, as there are over one thousand letters in this word seek, and you will have no clues other than what I’ve just told you as to what you are looking for. The first one to find all fourteen words will win a reward. Want to know what you are playing for?”

“Yeah.”

“The winner will get an advantage in the penultimate Immunity Challenge. And that challenge will begin after lunch.”

“What?” 

“That’s right. You will have a reward challenge, and Immunity Challenge, and a Tribal Council, all in one day. The next forty eight hours will be very busy, as tomorrow, there will be another reward challenge, followed by the Immunity Challenge, followed by Tribal Council, where the final jury member will be selected, and then immediately after, we will have the Final Tribal Council, where the winner of Survivor: World Domination will be selected.”

They all gaped at each other.

“Good luck to you all. We’ll draw lots for positions.”

Once they were all positioned in their partitioned section, they could see that the board with the word seek puzzle was indeed huge. Each one was covered in a cloth that prevented anyone from peeking before Jeff gave the signal. The boards were six feet tall, resting on the ground, and five feet wide.

“When I say go, you can uncover your board and begin searching. Again, every word or word group has some relevance to the eliminated Castaways. Survivors ready? Go!”

They yanked the covers off the boards, and Nick and Simon both swore at the sheer number of possibilities revealed. Each letter was half an inch tall, and evenly spaced at one eighth of an inch intervals.

Charlie and Kurt both blocked everything else out and began searching methodically. It only took Charlie a minute to find the first possible word and circled it with the wet erase marker that was provided, and wrote it down in the legend to the side of the puzzle. Kurt was only half a minute behind him in locating his first word. Once Charlie spotted the second word, he knew exactly what he needed to look for, if he could just remember where everyone was from.

“Charlie takes a lead, but does he have the right words? Kurt not too far behind him. Nick and Simon working slowly but steadily, being as thorough as possible. Fifteen minutes have passed.”

Charlie frowned. The puzzle was even more complicated by the fact that similar variations of the words he was certain he needed kept appearing, but either missing a letter or two, or with too many letters. He had ten words or word groups that he was pretty certain were correct, but the last four were just eluding him.

“We’re now at the forty five minute mark. Charlie still with the lead, but Kurt is slowly gaining on him. Nick and Simon each with seven words or word groups they think are correct. Charlie found another one, he thinks.”

Charlie studied the list he’d made so far, and trying to remember more about some of the other Survivors. He really didn’t want to think about Harry, but he needed to remember everything he knew about the awful man. Something clicked in the back of his mind, and he returned to the puzzle to search again, and found another word. He just needed two more. Unfortunately they were Madison and Alexander, who he had barely known.

He began running through a list of Swedish cities in his mind, hoping to jog something, giving a little shout of victory when another word jumped out at him. He circled it, praying it was the correct spelling, and wrote it down. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a partial word, and turned to study it, his heart racing when he realized it was the last word he was looking for, he hoped.

“I think I got it!” he cried out.

“Everyone stop working for a moment while I check Charlie’s board.” It took Jeff almost a full minute to verify if Charlie was correct or not. “Charlie’s got it right, and wins reward! Go ahead and read off the correct answers Charlie.”

“Woking, Helsingborg, Attercliffe, Bar Harbor, Kensington and Chelsea, Uppsala, Horsforth, Drottningholm, Ann Arbor, Kansas City,  Los Angeles, Ottumwa, Västerås, and Linköping.”

“That’s the hometowns of all the Survivors who have been eliminated. Good job, Charlie.  I’ll tell you about your advantage in the Immunity Challenge this afternoon. For now, head back to camp and rest up, eat lunch, do what you gotta do to prepare. I’ll see you in just a few hours."

Chapter Text

Immunity Challenge #15

Day 38 cont.:

Lunch was filled with tension, even though they all tried to keep it light hearted. It was getting down to the wire with only two days and three challenges left. Two of them would make it to the Final Tribal Council, and one of them would become the sole Survivor.

Charlie was feeling better, and even managed to eat a little bit of the fried clams they’d made. He was still thinking about why Kurt had voted for him the night before. He wasn’t angry that Kurt had gone against the final three alliance they had made, but it did give him reason to think about who he was going to vote for that night, depending on who won this next challenge.

They received tree mail as they finished eating. “A steady hand is the key to winning.”

“I have no idea what that could mean,” Kurt said. “But I guess we’re about to find out.”

They gathered their things and headed out. They found themselves in the same clearing overlooking the ocean where they’d had the very first individual Immunity Challenge.

“Come on in guys, and welcome to the next to next to last Immunity Challenge. First things first, Nick, I need the necklace back.” He retrieved the necklace and put it on the stand. “Immunity once again up for grabs. In today’s challenge, you will be using two handles to pick up multiple blocks and holding them in front of you. You will begin with three blocks. After twenty minutes we will add two more blocks to make it five. If after another twenty minutes there are still two players balancing the blocks between the handles, then we will add two more blocks for a total of seven. If you lose your grip and drop the blocks, you are out. Everyone understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Charlie, you won an advantage in this morning’s reward challenge. You will choose one Survivor to sit out this challenge. The person you choose to sit out will not be eligible for Immunity, and will be vulnerable to being voted out tonight. Who are you going to sit out?”

Charlie was surprised by the news, and had to think for a moment before he answered. “I choose to sit out Kurt.”

Simon glanced at him sideways, but otherwise didn’t react.

“Kurt, take a seat on the bench. The rest of you, we’ll draw lots for positions.”

They took their positions behind small podiums, on which several cylindrical blocks were laid out. There were three purple blocks, two light blue, and two red, the colors representing the three original tribes. The handles looked like someone had cut them off of a set of maracas

“When I say go, you will pick up the three purple blocks, using only the handles. You may not touch them with your hands.You will have ten seconds to raise the blocks to chest level, and then the timer will begin. Everyone understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Survivors ready? Go!”

Charlie had a little difficulty trying to lift the blocks, but managed to raise them before the ten seconds ran out.

“And the timer is running. This is a lot harder than it looks. Not enough pressure and the blocks will simply fall. Too much pressure and you risk popping one of them out of alignment, causing them to fall.”

They were all concentrating, trying to keep even pressure, while ignoring the heat and humidity as storm clouds gathered in the distance. It hadn’t rained in more than two weeks, but this storm looked like it would make up for lost time.

“Ten minutes down, ten to go. How is everyone doing?”

“Thirsty,” Charlie said.

“Same,” Simon replied. Nick only nodded, but the action almost caused him to drop the blocks. He managed to correct his grip quickly, but one block was slightly out of alignment now, making it less steady.

“Nice save, Nick. You can all have a drink before the second round begins. Nine minutes to go.”

They were all silent again as the clock ticked down.

“Thirty seconds left,” Jeff proclaimed. “Ten..five…three…two…one. You can set them down now.”

They all sighed in relief as they set the blocks down and shook out their hands. They were given a few minutes to relax and have some water before they prepared for round two.

“This time you are going to add the light blue blocks on the ends of your blocks. Again you will have ten seconds to pick them up and raise them to chest level.”

They positioned the light blue blocks on their stands. These were slightly shorter than the three purple blocks, altering the amount of pressure it would take to keep them from falling.

“Survivors ready? Go!”

Charlie and Simon both wobbled slightly, but managed to raise their blocks to chest level. Nick was struggling, though, and dropped them just as the ten seconds ran out.

“Nick out of the challenge! Have a seat on the bench with Kurt. Charlie and Simon, the clock is running.”

Once again they concentrated on keeping just the right amount of pressure on the blocks to keep them from slipping or popping free. Charlie’s wobbled a bit, but he managed not to drop them, even with two of them out of alignment. It was even more difficult now as a few preliminary rain drops fell, although the storm was still a ways off.

“Fifteen minutes have passed in this round, and both Simon and Charlie holding on to the best of their abilities. Can they beat out the timer?”

They were both grateful a few minutes later when they could finally set the blocks down again. As they relaxed before the next round, Simon spoke softly to Charlie, in Spanish.

“So, any particular reason you picked Kurt to sit out rather than Nick?”

Charlie shrugged and drank some more water. “You have to admit he didn’t abide by the final three alliance we made. Not that I blame him. Just so you know, I’m not going to vote for Nick tonight. If you and Kurt vote for Nick, it’s going to be a tie. We can let the fates decide which of them stays. It will be a trial by fire.”

Simon considered this for a moment. “That does seem like a fair way to determine it. For your sake, I’ll root for Nick to win.”

Charlie smiled at him. “Thanks.”

They took their positions once more.

“You will now add the red blocks to the ends of your blocks. The same ten second grace period applies, however, once you both have the blocks at chest level, we will go until one or the other of you drops your blocks. Survivors ready? Go!”

The final set of blocks were longer than the original three, once again altering the amount of pressure required to keep them from falling. They both struggled picking them up, but managed it just as the ten seconds ran out.

“It’s now just a matter of time. How long can you hold the blocks up?”

The front edge of the storm reached them, and a slow but steady drizzle began to fall. Both of them felt their hands slipping slightly on the handles, but each managed to keep the pressure on.

“Thirty minutes have passed. Your arms must be getting tired by now. Who has the willpower to keep going?”

Charlie could feel a slight trembling beginning in his legs from standing still so much, but didn’t dare to move. He was concentrating so hard, he didn’t notice the swearing in a mixture of Swedish and Spanish beside him until Jeff’s voice cut in.

“Simon’s hand slips and his blocks tumble to the ground. Charlie wins Immunity!”

Charlie set his blocks down, unable to believe he’d won a second Immunity challenge. Nick rushed up to hug him.

“Congratulations Charlie! You made the final three!”

That fact hadn’t even registered in his brain. He had a one in three chance of winning the one million dollar prize. They lined up on the mat.

“Come and collect your Immunity Necklace, Charlie.”

Charlie moved forward numbly and accepted the necklace.

“Charlie is safe from tonight’s vote, but someone will be saying goodbye tonight. I’ll see you all at Tribal Council. Head back to camp.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #15

Day 38 cont.:

Kurt had known voting for Charlie would have repercussions, and hadn’t been surprised when the younger man had chosen to sit him out once they’d learned what his advantage was. Charlie approached him as they were heading back from the challenge.

“I hope you understand why I did what I did, and there are no hard feelings.”

Kurt smiled. “I understand, and I know if the positions were reversed, I would probably have done the same. No hard feelings.”

“Good, so I’m going to give you a heads up, so you aren’t blindsided later. I talked to Simon, and we agreed that the only fair thing to do would be force a tie breaker, and let fate decide whether you or Nick stays.”

Kurt shrugged. It was a reasonable choice. “Trial by fire, then?”

Charlie nodded.

“Then it’s a good thing I’ve had plenty of time to practice starting a fire.”

They reached the shelter just as the drizzle turned into a downpour. Dinner was leftover fish and scrambled eggs. They had two chickens and a rooster left, but mutually agreed not to eat them. They got ready to head to Tribal Council, and headed out into the rain.

Jeff greeted them as they entered, and watched them all lean towards the fire to try and dry out and warm up.

“We’ll now bring in the members of our jury; Malin, Felice, Tao, Elle, Wille, and Blaine, voted out at the last Tribal Council.”

Kurt smiled as Blaine looked his way, wearing red chinos, a black polo, and a yellow tie and loafers with no socks. He looked even more good looking with his hair tamed into a fifties movie star coif.

“As always, the jury is here to observe only, and will not speak. So, Charlie, today at the challenge you had the advantage of choosing one Survivor to sit out and be ineligible for Immunity. You chose Kurt. Why?”

Charlie shrugged. “He voted for me last night.”

“So, it was simple payback?”

Both Charlie and Kurt nodded their heads. 

“We talked about it,” Kurt said. “We have a mutual understanding of the situation. There are no hard feelings.”

“Do you all know who you are voting for tonight?”

They all nodded.

“Do you expect the vote to go three to one?”

All four men shook their heads no.

“You know what happens with a tie vote when it comes down to the final four?”

“Trial by fire,” Nick replied.

“That is correct. Charlie has Immunity and can’t be voted out. Do any of the three of you want to plead their case, try and convince at least one other person not to vote for you?”

Nick shrugged. “I don’t know how effective that would be. I know I want to stay, and I hope it doesn’t come down to a tie breaker, but if it does, then it’s kind of fitting. After all, you say that in this game, fire is life. Fire should determine the final three.”

The other three men all nodded.

“Simon, do you want to say anything?”

“Nick is right. None of us want to go home tonight, so, trial by fire seems like the fairest way to decide.”

“Kurt? Do you feel the same way?”

“Yes, I’m prepared to let fire decide my fate.”

“Is there any reason to prolong the vote then?”

“Not unless you count waiting out the storm,” Charlie said, still shivering slightly. They all chuckled at that.

“It’s time to vote. Charlie, you’re up first.”

Charlie rose and walked into the booth. He cast his vote quickly, and returned to his seat. Kurt, Nick, and Simon followed suit.

It took only a minute for Jeff to return with the urn. “Once the votes have been read, the decision will be final, and the person will be asked to leave immediately. I’ll read the votes.” He pulled the first slip of parchment from the urn. 

“First vote, Kurt, Three votes left. Second vote, Nick. That’s one vote Kurt, one vote Nick, two votes left. Next vote, Kurt. That’s two votes Kurt, one vote Nick, one vote left. Last vote, Nick. We have a tie, two votes Kurt, two votes Nick. According to the Survivor rules, in the case of a tie during the final four, a fire building challenge between the two people will determine the outcome. We’ll take a minute to set up.”

Nick stood up and pulled off his jumper, and placed it over Charlie’s head. It was still a little damp, but it was drying out, and Charlie needed the warmth and comfort. Nick hugged him.

“It’s going to be alright, one way or another. Just remember, no matter what happens tonight, we’re still us, and I expect you to win this whole thing.”

Charlie grinned, and hugged him back. He kissed the taller man gently on the lips. “For luck,” he whispered.

Nick smiled, and kissed him again, more deeply. “I don’t need luck. I’ve got you.”

They flipped a coin to determine which station they would be seated at. Nick won the toss and chose the station on the right.

“On my signal, you will begin to build a fire using flint. You will continue to build up your fire until the flame reaches the twine strung across your brazier. When the twine burns through, your flag will pop up. First person to raise their flag wins, and the other one will become the seventh member of our jury. Survivors ready? Go!”

Both Nick and Kurt started with a pile of dried coconut husk. Kurt twisted his together to give them more bulk so hopefully they wouldn’t burn out too quickly. They then added small twigs before beginning to strike their flints. 

Nick managed several sparks, but none of them landed where he was trying to aim them. Kurt had similar issues, but after about a minute, Kurt managed to get one to land dead center on his pile of husks. He blew on it gently, encouraging it to spread as he added more twigs and husks. It took Nick a few more tries to get one to land where he needed it to.

“Kurt has a small fire going. Can he build it up before it fizzles out? Nick has a flame, but it is burning through the coconut husk pretty quickly. Can he keep it going long enough to catch some of his twigs on fire?”

Kurt added some larger twigs and more of the dried husks. Nick was still working on getting his smaller twigs to catch, adding more and more husk to it, as well as an occasional twig. For a moment he thought his flame had gone out, but with a gentle blow it came back, and finally caught the smallest of twigs. Relieved, Nick continued to build, but he was still behind Kurt.

“Kurt has a nice blaze going now. He just needs to build it up to reach the twine. Nick’s fire is small, but it is burning steadily. Can he catch up with Kurt?”

Charlie sat with his fingers crossed, hands tucked up under his chin, enveloped in Nick’s over large sweatshirt. He silently prayed that Nick would beat out Kurt, but it wasn’t looking too good at the moment.

All Nick could do now was keep adding twigs and sticks to the fire. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kurt’s fire just a fraction of an inch below the twine.

“Kurt’s flame starting to lick at his string. Will it catch? It does! Just a matter of seconds now before it burns through!”

Nick continued all the way up until he heard the twang of the other man’s twine snapping and the click of the little flag popping up.

“Kurt wins and is the third member of the final three! Nick, you need to bring me your torch.”

Nick walked over and gathered his things, hugging Charlie and kissing his cheek one last time before placing his torch before Jeff.

“Nick, the tribe and the flames have spoken.” He snuffed the torch, and Nick saluted them all before walking away.

“We’re down to our final three. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day again. And look Charlie, you got your wish, the rain has stopped. Head back to camp and get as much sleep as you can.”

Chapter Text

Final Reward Challenge

Day 39:

The second predawn wake up call wasn’t any less jarring than the first had been. Jeff greeted them once more with an over-caffeinated smile and cheerful good morning.

“Welcome to your last day here on the island. Your final reward challenge begins right now. Everybody up!”

Charlie, Kurt and Simon dragged themselves out of bed, standing around the campfire, which someone had stoked before they were awakened.

“For your reward challenge this morning, you will be breaking down your camp, and packing everything up. As you do, you will want to keep your eyes open. Hidden in various locations around your camp and shelter are six yellow envelopes. Five of the envelopes have a blank card in them, but the sixth will tell you what your reward is. Everyone understand so far?”

“Yes.” 

“Good. After you pack up everything you want to keep, you will tear down the structures, including the pantry and chicken coop. You will make two piles, one for the wood used in your structures, and the other for things like the tarps, pots, pans, knives, ropes and everything else. Once everything is broken down and separated into piles, you will then display any envelopes you found, and we will reveal who wins the reward. Survivors ready? Go!”

They each began packing up their bags, and set them by the fire, then began taking the shelter apart. Charlie found the first yellow envelope folded into a corner of one of the extra tarps they had gotten from Hillerska after the second tribe switch up. He found another inside the chicken coop, after freeing the last two chickens and the rooster. Simon found one under the sleeping platform. Kurt found three; one while disassembling the hanging pantry Blaine had built that the production staff had somehow managed to transfer over to the new shelter and hang from a cleft in the overhang wall, a second inside one of the pots he was piling up, and the third on the bottom of the water jug.

It took them about an hour and a half to finish breaking down camp. Jeff rejoined them then.

“So, how many envelopes did you all find?”

They each held up their envelopes. “Kurt has three, but do any of them contain reward? Let’s start with you opening one envelope.”

Kurt selected one, and ripped it open. The card inside was blank.

“Not a winner. Charlie, you had the next most chances. Go ahead and open one of yours.”

Charlie weighed the two envelopes, trying to decide which to open, finally deciding on the one in his left hand, but when he opened it, it was blank.

“Still no winner. Okay, Kurt, pick one more of yours to open.”

Kurt hesitated a moment, but closed his eyes and selected one. Blank.

“So each of you now has one envelope. Even chances for each of you. Go ahead and open them now, all three of you.”

They ripped them open and pulled out the card. Kurt and Charlie both had blank cards. Simon held his card up in triumph.

“Simon, with only one envelope, wins reward. Read out loud what you won.”

“Steak and egg breakfast.”

“That’s correct. Just down the path to the beach you will find a table for one, where you will have a filling breakfast of steak, eggs, fried potatoes, pancakes, milk, and orange juice. You can head down there now. Kurt, Charlie, I suggest you find something to eat quickly. I’ll return in one hour.”

Simon followed the path to the beach, and found the table. It was draped in a fancy red table cloth, and set with elegant china and silverware that was actually made of silver.  A waiter stood poised beside the single chair, and placed a napkin in his lap when he sat down. The man began serving him immediately. There was a large porterhouse steak with sauteed mushrooms, three eggs, cooked to his order, and the fried potatoes with fancy ketchup. As he began to eat, the waiter prepared the pancakes. Simon drank the entire carafe of orange juice, savoring the flavor.

It was the best breakfast he had ever had.

…

Kurt and Charlie ended up having the leftover fruit and some wild carrots for breakfast. Simon joined them as they were dousing the fire, since they would no longer need it. 

“I wonder what the final Immunity Challenge is going to be?” Kurt asked. “They’ve brought back several older challenges, so I wonder if this will be another one.”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Jeff replied, startling them as he approached from behind. “But first, I have one more task for you to do, and yes, it is another Survivor classic. Eighteen Survivors embarked on this journey. Now only three remain. You will honor your fallen castaways on your journey to your final challenge. At fifteen points along the trail, you will find a shrine to each of those who have gone before you. You will place an offering in each of their memories,' he tossed Kurt a small bag of coins, "and then collect their totem and bring them with you to the challenge. You will set out now.”

Chapter Text

Tribute Walk

They followed the path marked with torches as it wound around the island. They found the first altar after about five minutes of walking.

Simon half laughed, half snorted in derision. “I’m sure Alexander was a nice guy, but he never really stood a chance out here.” He picked up the miniature totem. A carved, vaguely human shape, holding an oar. “That first day, after we abandoned ship. He almost gave me a concussion, flailing around with the oar.”

…

Simon bit back his angry retort as Alexander nearly scalped him with the oar once again. The other man had been practically useless during the scramble for supplies, and had dumped an entire bag of potatoes into the sea. Thankfully Malin was able to grab the crate of chickens before the poor creatures were sent to a watery death when Alexander tossed them over the railing as well.

“Alexander!” Wilhelm had shouted. “You can’t just throw everything over! You need to make sure it gets on the raft!”

The man had the grace to at least look sheepish. “Sorry!”

“Why don’t you get on the raft and collect the stuff as Felice hands it down to you. And make sure everything is secured?”

That had settled their initial problem, but once the supplies had been gathered, it quickly became apparent that Alexander had no idea how to use an oar, or how to read a map. Fortunately Malin was able to read the map and point them in the right direction, and she and Madison steered the raft from behind while Simon, Wille, and Felice swam alongside, only to be menaced by Alexander and his flying oar.

…

They placed a coin in the open clam shell, and took the totem with them as they continued along the path. It took a little longer to reach the second altar. Charlie frowned.

“I can’t understand how someone as lazy, conceited, homophobic, and transphobic as Harry can possibly be so well liked by readers all across the UK. He pretty much managed to insult practically everyone.”

…

Whatever Nick was going to say was drowned out by the sound of Harry shouting.

“WHAT THE HELL? You freak!”

Nick and Charlie dropped the wood they were carrying and rushed back towards camp.

“What’s going on?” Nick demanded.

Harry looked at Nick, pointing an accusing finger at Elle. “‘She’ has a dick!”

“What?” Nick asked, looking at Elle, who was being consoled by Tao and Imogen. “She’s trans, you idiot! She probably just hasn’t fully transitioned yet.”

“It’s a freak!” Harry insisted. “Unnatural! That’s disgusting!”

Charlie stood straighter. “And just what were you doing looking at her, anyway?”

Harry sneered at him. “I had to take a piss, and it was there, pissing like a man!”

“Don’t call her ‘it!’” Tao snarled. “SHE is a human being! And you are a transphobic arse!”

Nick walked over to the upset woman. “Are you okay?” he asked gently.

"Yeah, I’ll be okay. I just didn’t know he was there. I usually go before everyone else gets up, or when you all are busy, so no one would be uncomfortable. One of the reasons I came on the show is to try and win the money so I can have my final surgeries.”

Nick reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“Ugh! How can you even touch it! It’s gross!” Harry said.

…

Charlie placed the coin reluctantly in the clam shell offering plate, and picked up the totem, which was similar to the one they found at the previous altar, except instead of an oar, it held a pole with three tiny fish on it.

It was about fifteen minutes before they reached the next altar.

Simon smiled. “Madison. She was so sweet, and fun, and a little weird. She reminded me so much of my sister Sara, but with more facial expressions.”

…

“I can help with trying to make a fire,” Madison said. “I’ve done it before. I lived on a Native American reservation for a summer, and learned many of their traditional survival techniques, as well as traditional healing.”

The issue they were having was that Alexander wasn’t keeping the rhythm of twirling consistent. Once Simon realized what Madison was trying to do, he stepped in and traded places with Alexander, while vocalizing a tempo to keep them in rhythm. Madison smiled at him in gratitude, and after about five minutes of twirling the drill stick, they had a spark that caught the dried coconut husks she had piled around the drill stick.

As they continued to drill, Wille knelt beside them and began to gently blow on the ember as he added small sticks to the pile. Soon they had a small fire going, and they transferred the base to the center of the ring of rocks and added more small sticks, and then larger ones, and finally some small branches and a couple of logs. They cheered and hugged each other as the fire grew high enough to boil water and cook some food on.

…

“She made us all smile with very little effort.” He placed a coin in the clam shell, and picked up the totem. This one seemed more feminine, and was posed sitting beside a fire.

The next altar was just around the next curve in the path.

Kurt laughed. “Brittany. That girl was never not in motion, unless she was sleeping. I’m not sure she was still even then. She didn’t always make sense, but you couldn’t help smiling when she was around.”

…

“Hey Britt,” she said gently. “Why don’t you take one of the baskets and collect some mussels and snails from those rocks over there, while I try and catch some fish?”

“Okay!” The blonde woman said, smiling. “I like mussels, but we shouldn’t get too mussel-ly! That wouldn’t look very good.”

Santana smiled and shook her head. “Those are a different kind of muscles, sweetie.”

“Oh, okay, then I guess we can eat more of them.”

/

“I like the rain, it makes puddles to dance in, and when it goes away it leaves behind a rainbow. I don’t really like being cold, though, but it was nice to have Santana to cuddle against to keep me warm. She smells nice, too. I want to dance with her in the puddles!”

…

Kurt placed the offering and collected the totem, which again seemed to be slightly more feminine, and looked like it was dancing in a puddle.

Further down the path they found the altar for Santana. The figurine looked like it was sitting on a rock, fishing.

“For someone with such a fiery temper, Santana had one of the biggest hearts of anyone I ever met,” Kurt said. “She made us laugh, and made a damn fine cup of coffee.” 

…

“What are those?” Kurt asked.

“Coffee cherries. I found two trees of them. I’m going to process them so we can have coffee in a few days.”

“Coffee?” Kurt practically pounced on her and hugged her. “If I weren’t gay I’d kiss you!”

“Easy!” Santana said, hiding her pleased smile. “I’m a lesbian, so don’t even think about it!”

“Do you know how to process coffee?” Blaine asked.

“Well, duh, I just said I was going to process it, didn’t I, Sherlock? Granted, for full flavor, it would normally take sixty days, but there is a way to speed it up, so it can be ready to brew in about three to four days, if the weather cooperates. Since we don’t have time to let the beans dry naturally, I’m going to smoke them for a couple of days, after they ferment for a day.”

She had spotted a couple of giant clam shells on the beach the evening before while harvesting mussels, and had brought them back to camp to use as bowls and cooking vessels. She began using a stone to pound the cherries to loosen the beans, which she then pinched into one of the clam shells. Once she had gotten most of the fruit off, she scraped the fruit into the other half of the clam shell for later. She then carried the beans down to the beach to rinse them, and then covered them as best as possible with fresh water. She then set the shell in a safe, elevated spot on some rocks, and covered it with her spare shirt to protect it from birds and other animals.

…

Kurt dropped a coin as offering, and gathered the totem up.

Imogen’s altar was next. Charlie smiled in fond exasperation. “Poor Imogen just couldn’t take a hint. She was so infatuated with Nick, she couldn’t see he didn’t return her feelings. Other than that, she was very bubbly and positive all the time. I think someday she’ll make someone a good wife.”

…

Imogen fussed with the midday meal. She wanted to make sure she contributed to camp life in any way she could, considering she knew she was most likely one of the weakest players, physically. Her poor showing during the abandon ship also had her worried about how the others saw her, despite Charlie pointing out that it hadn’t been her fault.

Besides, she really wanted to impress Nick with her domestic skills. He really seemed to like her cooking. She always felt a little tongue tied around the handsome Rugby player, and he was always smiling at her, but then again, he always smiled at everyone. She wished she had the confidence to flirt with him openly. Well, they did say that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

“Nick is so kind, and caring. He sees what needs to be done, and jumps in to get it done. Plus, he’s so smart, too! He’s perfect. I just wish I didn’t get so flabbergasted around him. He’s just so handsome! And those muscles drive me nuts!”

…

The totem was stirring a pot. Charlie placed a coin on the altar and picked it up. 

They reached the next altar a short while later, and all three men smiled fondly.

“Finn,” Kurt said. “He was like a friendly giant with a heart bigger than his brain sometimes.”

Simon nodded. “I had a lot of respect for him, trying to educate himself so as not to offend anyone.”

…

“Hi, I’m Finn. I feel like I should try and speak with some kind of accent to match you all.”

They laughed. “To us, you do have an accent,” Elle said.

“Oh, I guess that is true. Can I ask you something? About what happened the other day at that challenge with that guy on your tribe, Harry? What was his problem?”

Elle stiffened up a little. “He took offense to the fact that I am a trans woman, but I haven’t had my last surgeries yet. He called me a freak and an abomination.”

Nick put his arm around her and studied the taller man, waiting for his reaction.

“Oh,” Finn said, his face furrowed with concentration, but no disgust or anger. “I’m sorry you had to put up with that. I mean, I don’t exactly understand everything you just said, but no one should treat anyone the way he treated you.”

/

“You’re a Rugby player, right?” Finn asked. “That’s kind of like an extreme version of football, isn’t it?”

Nick smiled at him. “There are a few similarities, but Rugby is more complex. And of course, what you call football and what we call football are also two very different sports.”

“That’s right, I always forget you guys call soccer football,” Finn replied. “Hey, can I ask you something? Are you gay?”

Simon looked surprised. “Uh, yeah. Why?”

Finn shrugged. “Kurt is gay too, and he doesn’t seem to like sports. I tried to talk to him about sports, and he just seemed bored, although he was apparently on his high school football team for one game. He made it sound like most gay guys aren’t into sports.”

Nick snorted. “Some gay men are well known athletes. I guess there is a segment of the gay community that isn’t into sports, though. You can’t judge all gay people based on the opinions of one person.”

“Oh. Are you gay too?”

Nick shook his head, but replied. “I’m bisexual. I only admitted that aloud for the first time a few days ago, to Charlie.”

“That’s cool dude. I guess you’re right, you really can’t tell just by looking at someone, unless they're, like, Liberace level gay.”

Nick and Simon exchanged a look, and chuckled.

“Sorry. I’m just trying to understand all the different types of gays. The school where I coach has been having issues with some of the teachers not being sensitive to the various students, and I just don’t want to be one of them. I mean, I try to keep an open mind, and I don’t usually judge people on purpose, but I don't want to accidentally judge someone, either.”

…

“He was an awesome drummer as well,” Charlie said. “I’d like to jam with him again someday.”

...

They’d finished their breakfast, and Simon and Wille had gone fishing, while Nick and Charlie went to gather firewood, and Imogen and Quinn were harvesting fruit. Finn didn’t have anything to do at the moment, other than tend the fire and wash the pots in the puddle near the shelter’s entrance. Once he’d finished that, he laid them out to dry on a plank of wood they had found and had been using as a table.

The others hadn’t returned yet, and he was bored. He picked up two wooden spoons from the cookware set Truham had won last week, and absently began drumming on the pans. It had been a while since he had been able to play the drums, and he was a little rusty, but soon, he was pounding out a Guns’n’Roses song, wishing he had a bass drum.

He was so engrossed in his drumming, he didn’t at first notice the additional beat. When he looked up, he spotted Charlie matching his rhythm on a hollow log, using a couple of thick pieces of a branch as drumsticks. Nick was standing there, grinning at the two of them.

They finished out the first song, and then Charlie started another, this one a little slower. Finn wasn’t familiar with it, but picked it up quickly and soon joined in. They were both startled when a voice joined in, singing in Spanish. Simon and Wille had returned, as had Imogen and Quinn. When Simon hit the chorus for the second time, Quinn joined him, adding harmony.

…

The totem was tall and lean, and was depicted with his hand held out, holding a tiny heart.

“This is the perfect image of him,” Kurt said, placing the offering and picking up the figurine.

“Yes, it is,” Simon said.

The next altar they came across was for Quinn. All three of them had to laugh at the carving. The figurine showed a woman standing with a machete in one hand, and a child in the other.

“That is so Quinn,” Kurt said. “She was the strongest woman I’ve ever met, I think. Nothing ever deterred her. She jumped into every situation head first.”

…

Quinn was thankful for her ironman training as they reached the beach. She was used to long swims, and understood currents. She wasn’t too terribly exhausted as they made landfall. She managed to help Finn and Blaine drag the raft all the way up the beach with the supplies still on it.

“I’ve always been an independent person, especially after getting pregnant in high school. My parents threw me out. I could have spiraled into depression, dyed my hair pink, and pierced my nose, but instead I worked hard to keep my grades up. After my daughter was born, I worked part time to support her, and still graduated at the top of my class.

“Going to college was harder with a child, but fortunately by then, my mother had decided to come back into my life, and helped me raise Beth so I could get my law degree. I also spent time training for an ironman competition, in which I placed third in the women’s division. Why did I do it? To remind myself that life is tough, but if you work hard, you can make it through.”

/

Quinn picked up the machete, and the two of them began to search the trees nearby for two of about equal height that would be tall enough for their needs.

“This one looks tall enough,” Kurt pointed to one tree that was about three inches in diameter, and about fifteen feet tall. Quinn nodded, handing him the machete as she continued looking.

It took a while to find another tree that was about the same height. Kurt had chopped the first one down easily, but this one was on a slope with slippery sand that made it a little hard to get to.

“What if I stand here and hold your off hand while you chop?” Kurt suggested. “It will mean your swings won’t have as much force, but at least you won’t have to worry about falling on your butt.”

Quinn laughed. “I’d be more worried about falling on my face. Let’s give it a try.”

…

Simon grinned. “If you didn’t know she was a mom, you would know by her actions. She mothered everyone, making sure they were okay, and that they had enough to eat.”

Charlie nodded.

…

“Jeff?” Quinn spoke up before he could finish. “Before we head back to camp, could we have a medic take a look at Simon’s hand? It’s swollen up.”

/

Quinn smiled kindly down at Charlie as he finally opened his eyes.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” she teased. “How does your head feel?”

He shook his head, but regretted it immediately. “Like someone hit me with a sledge hammer. Please tell me I didn’t say or do anything embarrassing last night?”

“Not as far as I know, but you were passed out when Nick brought you back to camp. Here, I asked medical for some aspirin, and I made you an extra strong cup of coffee. When you feel a little better, I made you a porridge of rice and cattail heads, with just a tiny bit of cinnamon to help digestion.”

“You are an angel, truly.”

She laughed, and patted his hand. “I think you may still be a little drunk if you think I’m an angel.”

…

They moved on to the next altar. Malin’s totem stood up straight, and seemed to be looking in every direction at once.

“I really didn’t get to know her that much, but Malin definitely seemed like the strong, silent type,” Charlie observed.

“She was definitely an enigma,” Kurt said. "She didn’t talk about herself much, unless you asked her questions directly. She was really good at taking charge of things, without being bossy.”

“Most definitely,” Simon agreed with a nod.

…

“The map shows a clearing not too far back into these trees that we can build our shelter in,” Malin suggested. “We can carry the supplies there, and then start looking for building materials and firewood.”

/

“I was going to grab a bite of leftovers, then start collecting more logs for a sleeping platform. Do you want to join me?”

“Sure. I've already eaten, if you want me to start now. Just tell me what to look for.”

Malin studied him for a moment. “Look for trees that are about twice your height, and as thick around as your thigh.”

/

“I’ll make dinner tonight, if no one else minds?” Simon offered. “I think we have all the ingredients to make one of my favorite dishes, I just need to harvest a few ingredients, but it means using one of the chickens.”

Felice frowned. She had grown fond of the birds, but she knew that food was food. No one else objected, and Felice didn’t want to rock the boat. “Fine, but I am going for a walk on the beach when you do it. I don’t think I can watch.”

“Me either,” Madison added.

Simon nodded. “Malin, will you help me? I’ll hold it, if you want to…”

“Of course. I can also pluck it while you gather the rest of your ingredients.”

…

Felice’s totem stood with her back to what appeared to be a mirror, arms crossed defiantly.

“Felice started out seeming to be lost when we first got here, with no direction for her life,” Simon said. “I think she was so used to following what everyone else wanted from her, she forgot what she wanted.”

Kurt nodded. “But she definitely seemed to have found her way by the time she left. She definitely matured and grew before our eyes.”

…

She wasn’t sure why she had decided to try out for the show. Maybe it was because her last boyfriend had called her a pampered princess on a pedestal. It hadn’t been a compliment. He had snarled it at her after she refused to have sex with him. She had shouted back that he had only wanted to date her because her family was one of the richest in all of Sweden, with more money than the Royal family, even.

It infuriated her when people thought she was nothing but a spoiled little rich girl without a care in the world, who has never had a bad day in her life. None of them really knew her. What right did they have to judge?

She had applied for the show two days after breaking up with her ex, mostly because she wanted to prove that she wasn’t a princess on a pedestal. But who was she really trying to prove it to?

“If people realized how difficult life actually was for me, living in my mother’s shadow, always having to look and act in a certain way, always having to be perfect, and lose weight… I practically starved myself in high school trying to be thin to make her happy, but it was never enough.

“She was a champion show jumper, so I had to take riding lessons to win her approval, even though I’m afraid of horses, and they hate me. She was Lucia at school, so I had to be Lucia, even if I didn't want to be, and I was supposed to wear her old Lucia dress, even though she knew it was too tight! I almost passed out, I couldn’t breathe in the damn thing!"

/

“I didn’t know it was your birthday, but a birthday girl should look extra special.” She pulled something from the basket, revealing a crown of orchids and other flowers, interspersed with green leaves. She placed it on Elle’s head. "There! You look so pretty!"

Elle laughed. "I feel like a princess.

/

Felice managed to wake up first, though she wasn’t sure how. She had always had trouble getting up in the mornings, although she wasn’t as bad as some people. She never hit snooze more than twice, and then only on weekends if she didn’t have plans. She wasn’t one of those people who couldn’t function until she’d had at least one cup of coffee, either. She just had trouble finding motivation to get out of bed sometimes.

This morning she got up, refilled the water jug, put rice on to cook, and went down to the beach to check the crab pot. She came back with three crabs and a fish that got caught in the tide pools when the water had receded. By then Kurt and Malin were up, and the other three were stirring.

“Good morning!” she said as she set the basket with her catch in it down.

“Wow, you’ve been busy this morning,” Kurt said.

She shrugged. “I just felt motivated today. I think I’ve finally realized that I don’t need to prove myself to anyone else. Always trying to live up to other people’s expectations wore me down and left me exhausted. But I’ve exceeded everything I expected I could do out here, and now I want to know what else I am capable of when it’s what I choose.

“I’m tired of trying to win my mother’s approval. Or that of anyone else. This is my life, I should live it how I want. From now on, I will be my own motivation. If I want to try something, I will do it. If there is something holding me back, I will cut it from my life. But I will be the one to determine what is best for me from now on.”

“Good for you!” Blaine said, joining them.

“I’m happy for you,” Malin said. “But what about your mother?”

Felice shrugged. “She’s just going to have to deal with the fact that I’m not a child anymore, and from now on, I will be making decisions about my future. I’m going to start by dropping out of university, and going to art school. And I won’t be dating anyone for a while, regardless of how much she wants to marry me off. I will decide if and when I am ready to marry. Right now, I need to focus on me.”

…

They paid homage to Felice, and moved on with her totem.

As they reached the next altar, all three of them felt a lump form in their throat. Now they were getting into the most recent eliminations, and the knowledge of what each of them had put on hold for the moment had each of them lost in their own thoughts.

Tao’s totem depicted him with a crossbow. That made Charlie smile, even as a tear slid down his face.

“He was so proud of winning that Immunity Challenge. Of everyone, I think he is the one who surprised himself the most at what he accomplished out here.”

“True,” Kurt agreed. “He said he had trouble calling people his friends, which is ironic, since he is such a good friend to others. His compassion for others is probably only matched by his sense of humor. He knew how to make fun of himself.”

…

“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Tao said, teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. He self deprecatingly tried to make a muscle bulge on his bicep, which was as skinny as a twig. “I’m a very muscular individual!”

/

Tao had been really excited about actually catching a fish himself. It had been a small bonnethead shark, about the length of Charlie’s arm from fingertip to elbow. He’d been so proud to show it off, and Elle had made such a fuss over it, it had been really sweet.

/

“You watch Dr. Who?” That question came from Blaine, who joined them by the fire.

“I’m a huge River Song fan,” Kurt said. “Alex Kingston is a Queen!”

Tao smiled. These guys can’t be all bad if they liked Dr. Who. “It’s Yasmin Finney, by the way. The new companion, that is. If they ever get around to airing the next season.”

/

He fed the chickens, murmuring to them softly as he collected three eggs.

"Good girls," he praised, giving each of them a quick rub. The rooster seemed to get jealous that he was being ignored, which made Tao smile, and scratched his comb. "Sorry, you are doing an excellent job of being thoroughly annoying at sunrise."

/

“With an incredible display of archery skill, Tao wins immunity and cannot be voted out tonight,”

/

"So Tao, how does it feel to have that necklace around your neck tonight?”

Tao sat up a little straighter. “I keep saying I expected to be the first one voted out, so to actually have won an individual Immunity challenge is definitely unbelievable. I keep waiting for someone to wake me up and tell me it’s time to go to the challenge.”

…

They reached Elle’s altar next. At first they didn’t understand the meaning of her totem, but the moment they realized what it depicted, they all smiled. It was her face and a portion of her body emerging from the block of wood, celebrating her journey as she transitioned.

“Elle is the true definition of a woman,” Charlie said. “Strong, intelligent, wise, loving, and caring. I will fight anyone who claims she isn’t a female.”

Kurt and Simon nodded. “She stood tall in the face of adversity, and refused to allow hate to win.”

…

Jeff actually had to pause and count to ten before he could speak again. “I am going to ask you for the sake of production to refrain from referring to Elle as ‘it’ or ‘thing’ or any other dehumanizing term. If you refuse to say ‘her,’ at least try and use the term ‘they.’ She is still a human being.”

Harry looked like he wanted to argue, but the look Jeff gave him was enough to quell the urge. “Fine. They are an abomination! God created them as a man, but they went and destroyed what God made!”

“Just because that is your belief, doesn’t make it true,” Elle replied. “Maybe my God says that my body is mine to do with as I please!”

/

As they entered their camp, Tao slid an arm around her shoulder. “How are you?”

She smiled up at him. She had told him the truth about her the moment she realized he seemed to be interested in her. To her delight, he hadn’t seemed upset about it.

“I’m fine. Another transphobe bites the dust.”

/

Elle sat on the beach, watching the sunset as she nibbled on a guava. She was thankful to her tribemates for standing by her at Tribal Council, but wished it hadn’t been necessary. She knew there would always be haters out there, but this was the first time one had been right in her face. She was used to dealing with internet trolls, but up till now she had been fortunate not to have encountered a troll in the wild.

“Most people when they learn I’m trans at least have the courtesy of not making a big deal about it, even when I can tell they don’t really agree with it. I know not everyone accepts it, and that is fine, as long as they can be civil about it at least."

/

“We here on Survivor have always tried to be inclusive, and we want our players to feel safe. Intolerance of any sort will not be accepted.

…

Kurt and Charlie held back slightly as Simon approached Wille’s altar.

Simon reached out and traced a finger over the totem, smiling. They had carved Wille emerging from a shed skin, finally free to be himself. Simon had never formed such a strong bond with anyone so quickly before. Wille had crawled inside of him and buried himself in Simon’s heart.

…

Wille tried not to flinch when Simon’s hands touched him, as he scrubbed with the sand. He bit his tongue to keep himself from making any embarrassing sounds. Simon wasn’t doing anything other than scrubbing his back. He wasn’t touching anywhere that might be considered intimate, but it definitely felt intimate to Wille. He was disappointed when it ended all too quickly.

“There, all done.”

‘Yeah. Uh, go ahead and turn around and I’ll do your back now.”

“You don’t have to, really.”

“I said I would.”

“Are you sure?”

Wille just nodded. Simon shrugged and turned his back to Wille, who bent down to scoop up more sand, and began subbing it over Simon’s back and the top of his shoulders, trying to be clinical about it, but he was fascinated by the way Simon’s muscles moved in his back as he worked the sand over the skin.

/

Simon was determined not to let his tribe down, and tried to focus his concentration, but Wille was standing directly across from him, and he couldn’t stop himself from studying the other man. Wille was just Simon’s type; dark blonde hair, soft brown eyes, tall and lean. Now as they strained to keep the disk balanced between them, Simon could see how deceptively muscled Wille was, too.

/

“I’m not out, to anyone. I don’t even know what my sexuality is, really. I’ve only ever been with women, because that is what my family expects of me, and it’s not that I’m not into them or anything. I like them just fine. But I’ve also found several men attractive as well, although none of them really appealed to me enough to want to see what could happen. Until now.”

Simon was stunned into silence for a moment. “And now?”

Wille didn’t answer right away, as the sun fully disappeared, and the first stars began to appear. That’s when he turned to look at Simon more fully, studying his face in the limited light. A soft breeze blew one of Simon’s curls onto his face. Wille reached out and gently pushed it back over Simon’s ear, leaning in closer, until they were inches apart, but he hesitated there as uncertainty kicked in.

It was Simon who closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together in a slow, gliding kiss. He heard Wille’s in drawn breath, and then the older man was kissing him again, harder. Simon parted his lips and Wille’s tongue slid inside, drawing a moan from him.

/

Wille kissed Simon as if he was more necessary than oxygen. Simon pulled back to grab a breath, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Wille, what are you doing?”

“I just missed you so much. Is that so wrong? Didn’t you miss me?”

“Of course I missed you. I was worried you’d be voted off. But you’re acting like we haven’t seen each other in years. It’s only been three days.”

Wille sighed and loosened his grip. “I’ve just never felt this way about anyone, ever. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re an obsession. I think I was already half in love with you through your music before I even knew your face.”

“I heard you sing. You had so much emotion in your voice. I tried to research you, but couldn’t even find a picture of you, and all the various websites just had general information, nothing specific. I bought your album, memorized every song. It was my only outlet for all the emotions I wasn’t allowed to show.”

Simon didn’t know how to respond to that, he just sat there stunned to realize his music could have such a profound effect on anyone.

…

This time Simon and Charlie held back as Kurt stepped up to the altar for Blaine.

The totem appeared to be singing, which was more than apt, considering Blaine had sung or hummed all the time. Kurt couldn’t believe there had been a time when he’d doubted Blaine’s sexuality. Now they were officially dating?

…

As Blaine secured the ropes, Kurt couldn’t help staring at the shorter man. The polo shirt he was wearing had ridden up in the back exposing about an inch of flesh just above the waistband of his pants, which were slung low on his hips. And damn, the man had a fine ass!

/

Kurt and Blaine began loading things onto their shelves. There was plenty of room to store their makeshift dishes and utensils too.

“You’re a genius, Blaine,” Quinn said, smiling sweetly at him. “And Finn, lunch will be ready in a few minutes. I put a stew on about an hour ago with potatoes and some leftover clams. I just wish we had some cream and butter to add to make it a true clam chowder.”

Blaine smiled back at her, making Kurt’s stomach dip. He was certain Blaine was straight by the way he looked at Quinn. “I'm sure it will be delicious anyway,” Blaine replied. “After all, I'm certain you made it with love.”

/

“I bet you were one of those people who hated test days in school and would fret and not sleep the night before.”

“Guilty as charged,” Blaine replied, laughing himself. “Although I should note that I had a perfect GPA, was class president, and lead soloist of my Glee club.”

“Nerd,” Kurt teased, smiling to show he didn’t mean it.

/

“Wait, your dad is Burt Hummel? He’s one of my heroes!”

Kurt smiled. “That’s my dad. Originally he ran to help protect art and music in schools when my glee club was threatened with being cut, but once he got elected, he helped pass some of the most door opening LGBTQ+ legislation ever.”

“I know! You are so lucky!” Blaine said, grinning at Kurt. “What’s he like?”

“He’s your typical Midwest sports fanatic who owns a garage and loves Mellencamp.”

Blaine laughed. “I’d love to meet him. Is he a Buckeyes fan?”

/

“Blaine is so confusing. I can’t tell if he is actually flirting, or if he’s just using the same charm he uses on Quinn and everyone else. I don’t know where I stand with him, which really sucks, because he’s really good looking, he’s smart, attentive. I know he can sing because I heard him when he was taking his shower the other day. Then again, he did get into NYADA, so that should have been obvious. But I can’t tell if he is interested in me or not.”

/

Blaine began humming as they worked, and Kurt recognized the tune.

"Really, Blaine? That's Amore? You're humming a song about food? Don't you think that's kind of tacky after that challenge?"

Blaine just grinned and started singing the Dean Martin classic out loud.

When the moon hits your eye,

Like a big pizza pie,

That's amore!

Kurt couldn’t help laughing. The song seemed to fit perfectly with Blaine’s dapper fifties movie star persona. He rolled his eyes, but smiled indulgently.

"You are so a-dork-able!" The words left his mouth before he could think about it.

Blaine stopped singing and grinned. "You think I'm adorable?"

Kurt turned away to hide his blush. "That’s not what I said."

Blaine laughed. "You think I'm adorable!" he sing-songed. "You think I'm cute! Admit it!"

/

"Blaine, you walk around looking like a nineteen-fifties heartthrob, sing like Bobby Darin, and charm everyone until they swoon at your feet! How am I supposed to know if you actually like me or not?"

"You think I sing like Bobby Darin?"

"Not the point, Blaine! You're doing it again! You make me so confused I can't think around you! I-"

His words were cut off when Blaine suddenly leaned in and kissed him, hard, cupping his face. The kiss lingered for several heartbeats, and Kurt let out a soft moan into Blaine’s mouth, before the shorter man slowly pulled back with a grin.

"I like you, Kurt. I think I have since the first time I saw you."

…

Lastly, they reached the altar for Nick. Charlie was crying openly when he saw Nick’s totem. It depicted him lifting the rest of the tribe above him, helping them to succeed, with one of the tribe members (Charlie?) reaching back for him. That was definitely Nick, putting others before himself.

…

Nick jumped to his feet, beelining for the back of the boat where he knew the larger items would be. He grabbed their tribe’s water jug and machete, as well as a large bunch of bananas, and passed them off to Tao, who was passing things down to their raft. Nick raced back to grab their tool kit, and also snagged two tarps and a large crate containing three chickens and a rooster. He ran those back to Tao, and searched for their team’s pot, but saw that the curly haired Charlie had already grabbed it and was filling it with various vegetables.

“Need a hand?” Nick offered.

“I’ve got this, if you want to grab the bag of potatoes?”

Nick hoisted the bag onto his shoulder and followed Charlie back towards Tao, but paused to grab a small bag of rice as well. Under the bag Nick spotted something yellow, with the survivor logo on it. He grabbed it up and slipped it into his back pocket for now.

/

“Um, Jeff?” Charlie was startled to hear Nick’s voice coming from right next to him. Usually the contestants stay quiet while Jeff explains the challenge. The red haired man took a step forward.

“I found something during the abandon ship yesterday.” He held up the small yellow envelope.

Jeff nodded and held out a hand, and Nick walked forward to hand it to him, before moving back to stand beside Charlie.

“If you’ll recall, I mentioned yesterday that there would be some new twists this season. Nick, would you like to explain to the others what this is?”

Charlie could see Nick swallow thickly before answering. “It’s an advantage, to be used in this challenge only, that almost guarantees that my tribe will get Immunity this week.”

“That’s right,” Jeff continued as several of the contestants were startled into speaking. “But the advantage comes with a catch, doesn’t it?”

Nick nodded. “If I choose to take the advantage, I will go to Tribal Council tonight with the losing tribe, and I could be at risk of being voted out.”

“And are you going to claim the advantage?” Jeff asked.

“No!” Charlie and Imogen both whispered at the same time.

“You don’t have to do this,” Elle said.

“We can win this without the advantage!” Tao pleaded.

“I say use it,” Harry said. “At least the rest of us will be safe this week.”

Nick straightened his shoulders. “I would rather use it and make sure Charlie and Imogen and the others were safe.”

“So, just to be clear,” Jeff asked. “You are taking the advantage?”

“Don't do it,” Charlie said.

Nick swallowed again. “Yeah. Yes, we’ll take the advantage.”

/

Nick smiled. “Charlie, you’re smart, witty, and talented. You think it is easy to play the drums? I’ve tried to learn, but I have no musical talent whatsoever! And you said you taught yourself how to play! That’s impressive, Charlie. And you are athletic. You run and swim really well.”

Charlie was blushing now. “Stop! Now you’re exaggerating!” But at least he was smiling now.

“You’re really easy to talk to, too.” Nick said, biting his lip as he thought things over. “Do you want to know why I came on Survivor?”

Charlie looked concerned. “Why?”

They began walking again as Nick organized his thoughts. “Everyone has this impression of me as being this big, strong Rugby player, fearless and emotionless. I’m not supposed to admit when I’m hurting or scared, because it’s a sign of weakness. I feel like I have to hide myself behind this persona so that I don’t let people down.”

/

They watched the sun sink lower in the sky.

“Oh,” Nick said as if he just remembered something. “We never got to finish the conversation the other day, the one Harry interrupted with his arsehole outburst.”

“That’s right, you said you wanted to say something that you had never said aloud bef-”

“I’m bisexual.”

Charlie’s head spun around so fast Linda Blair would have been impressed. “What?”

Nick took a deep breath. “I’m bisexual. For the longest time, I was confused by the way I would react to some of my teammates, or guys I would see in passing. In school, I would have crushes on girls, dated a few, too, but sometimes I’d be out with a woman, and a cute guy would walk by, and I would find myself checking them out.

“It wasn’t until a chance encounter with the first girl I ever kissed a few years ago and learned that she was a lesbian that I began to realize maybe I wasn’t completely straight. I started researching, but it’s only been a little over a year that I’ve come to terms with it, but I’ve never said it aloud until now.”

“Why now?” Charlie asked.

Nick shrugged. “I’ve never dated a guy before. I’ve been too scared to tell people, afraid of how they will react. My biggest fear is disappointing people, letting them down. I was worried if I told anyone, they would react to me differently.

“But I recently met this guy, who I really like, and I want to get to know him better, and I figured if I am going to ask him out, I need to get over my fear and just say it.”

Charlie had pulled back in on himself when Nick admitted there was a guy he liked. “Oh. So, what’s he like, this guy you want to ask out?”

Nick smiled. “He’s kind, a little shy, except when he’s talking about music. He’s very talented. He plays the drums. He says he can beat anyone at Mario Kart, although he’s never played against me, so we’d have to see about that. He’s got these beautiful, mysterious blue eyes, and these curls I just want to reach out and play with.”

Charlie’s heart began to race as he felt Nick run his fingers through the curls on his head.

“Me?” His voice cracked a little.

“Yes, you, Charlie Spring.”

/

“You said you’ve never dated a guy before, right?”

“True, why?”

Charlie hesitated before asking. “Does that mean you’ve never…kissed a guy before?”

Nick didn’t answer right away as his heart began to race at the thought. “No. I’ve never kissed a man before.”

Charlie sat up a little straighter to look him in the eyes. “Would you kiss me?”

Nick swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. “Yeah.”

Charlie smiled softly, turning to face him more. He moved slowly, letting Nick get used to the idea as he leaned in. Charlie’s hand came up to gently caress Nick’s cheek a moment before their lips met.

The kiss was soft, not demanding, more of a promise of something more, if they chose. Nick sighed, and returned the kiss, letting his lips part slightly. Charlie took the movement as an invitation and slid his tongue over Nick’s bottom lip lightly. In return Nick allowed his own tongue to chase Charlie’s, caressing it. The taste of the beer Nick had drank blending with Charlie’s diet cola.

/

Charlie was tipsy as they made their way back to their camp, and kept giggling as he tripped along. Nick had to keep him from falling several times.

"You only had one glass of champagne, how can you be this far gone?"

Charlie just laughed and clung to Nick’s arm. His words were slurred when he spoke. "I don't usually drink, because I'm so skinny, it goes straight to my head, and I say things I probably shouldn't, like the fact that your ass is so hot in those pants."

Nick laughed. "You really are drunk, aren't you?"

"Yep. My therapist is really going to be upset with me. Geoff says I shouldn't drink alcohol. It can affect me worse than others, and mess up my recovery. But I couldn't be the only one not to toast to Elle."

Nick frowned. "What recovery?"

Charlie put a finger to his lips in a shushing manner. "Shhh! I don’t want anyone to know I don't like to eat! Elle knows. She figured it out, but she's nice, and she won't tell anyone. She's my new big sister, just like Tori. They won't tell anyone I'm hannor… anna… anor… an or ex ic." He had to sound out the word slowly, his speech was so bad.

Nick was stunned, and was glad the others were so far ahead of them that hopefully they hadn’t heard Charlie’s confession.

"You're anorexic?"

"Shhh! Don't let Nick hear you! It's a secret!"

Nick felt his stomach sink a little. "Why don’t you want Nick to know?"

Charlie wasn't giggling anymore. "Because then he will find out I'm not right in the head and he won't want to be my boyfriend. I really want Nick to be my boyfriend. He's so kind, and sweet, and funny, and sexy, and I just want to pull his clothes off an-"

Nick put his hand over the younger man’s mouth. "Maybe you shouldn't say anything else until you sober up. You don't want Nick to overhear you, do you?"

Charlie shook his head no, and Nick removed his hand. "Good. Come on, let's get back to camp so you can sleep this off."

/

“Nothing would make me happier than having you with me, Charlie Spring.” Nick leaned down and kissed him.

Charlie smiled up at him when they parted. “Does this mean we’re boyfriends?”

Nick laughed. “Yes! Charlie Spring is my boyfriend!” he shouted, picking Charlie up and carrying him into the water.

“Hey, don’t drop me! Nick, put me down!” Charlie was laughing uncontrollably.

…

They reached the site of the Final Immunity Challenge, each carrying five of the totem statues. Jeff stood stoically and watched as they placed the totems on another altar, facing the center of the clearing, where the effigies could watch over the final battle.

Chapter Text

Final Immunity Challenge

Jeff watched them assemble the altar, and take their positions on the mat. He remained silent for a moment, studying each man’s face. None of them looked the same as they had on the first day. He could see the subtle changes in posture and facial expression that showed where each of them had grown more confident in themselves and their abilities.

“Well, here we are. The Final Immunity Challenge. By the end of the night, one of you will be on the jury, one of you will be voted the Sole Survivor, and one of you will go home with some amazing stories to share. But first, Sorry, Charlie, I need to take the Immunity Necklace back.”

Charlie let Jeff take it and put it back on display. “For the last time, Immunity is up for grabs. Today’s challenge will take us way back in Survivor history, to the ultimate endurance test. As you can see in the center of the clearing, the Tribe Immunity Idol is mounted on top of a four foot tall post. Each of you will stand with one foot on a one foot tall perch, and the other on a two foot tall perch. You will have one hand on the idol. Once the challenge begins, you may not touch the idol with your free hand, you may not switch hands, you may not lift either foot off their perch, and no other portion of your body may rest against the center post. Everyone understand?”

“Yes, Jeff.”

“Okay, good. We’ll draw lots for positions. The last person with their hand on the idol wins Final Immunity, and will decide who will sit beside them at the Final Tribal Council.”

They took their positions, trying their best to get as comfortable as possible on the four square inch perches.

“Everyone in position? Good. Survivors ready? Go!”

Time seemed to slow to a crawl the moment the timer started. It was hot and humid, and it had been a long two days. The position they were in wasn’t very comfortable, although it wasn’t the worst possible position. It pulled at the back and shoulder. Kurt and Simon tried resting their free arms on their raised knee to get some relief, while Charlie had his behind his back for the time being. All three men rested their foreheads on their raised arm.

“Thirty minutes have passed, and all three Survivors look like they are in it for the long haul. I think Charlie may actually be asleep.”

“Not asleep, just resting my eyes, Jeff.”

“Are you feeling the stretch anywhere yet?”

“In the back of my right calf,” Charlie said, indicating the leg on the lower perch.

“I feel it in my glutes,” Kurt said. Simon merely shrugged.

They lapsed into another prolonged silence, each lost in their own thoughts as time stretched on. Kurt was designing a line of beachwear in his mind, picturing Blaine in each and every outfit, including an adorable bow tie with little sailor hats and life preservers on it.

The thought of Blaine made Kurt wish time would speed up so he could at least see him at Tribal Council again.

“Two hours and twenty minutes have now passed. I see a lot of readjustments going on. Just remember, you may not lift your foot from the perches, and you may not allow any portion of your body to come in contact with the center pole. Kurt, careful, you are perilously close to leaning into the post.”

Kurt straightened up more, but the action caused a cramp in his leg, and he nearly lost his balance reaching back to rub it. He just managed not to fall off, but the pain in his leg didn’t go away. He fought through it, and stuck it out.

Some time later, they were allowed a one minute water break, but weren’t allowed to step down from their perches. Once the clock started back up, all three men were beginning to doubt how much longer they’d be able to last, but would never admit it to anyone else.

“We’ve reached the four hour mark now. You three have got to be feeling some discomfort by now.”

“Discomfort?” Kurt snorted. “Try agony, thank you very much. I swear you really are a sadist, Jeff.”

“Only when I have to be.”

A curse in Gaelic erupted from Charlie as he slipped off his perch.

“And we have our first man down as Charlie loses his balance. What happened?”

“I was trying to stretch my leg by going up on my tip toes, but I guess I was too far forward on the perch.”

“That’s unfortunate. Go ahead and have a seat on the bench. Kurt and Simon, you’re each a little closer to winning Final Immunity.”

Simon rested his head on his arm, his free hand braced on his raised knee. He could hear a fly buzz pass his ear, but refused to let it distract him. He wanted to win the last Immunity Challenge to prove a point. He’d had Immunity once, but only because he bought it. This time he wanted to earn it. He didn’t care that it was the most important Immunity challenge. He just wanted to prove to himself that he could win it on his own merit. He tuned everything out, trying to rest and conserve his energy as time continued to crawl by, knowing they would probably spend all night at Tribal Council, first to vote out the last person, and then the final two facing the jury.

He’d zoned out so much that he didn’t register the grunt of pain and the sound of someone hitting the ground until Jeff’s voice penetrated his thoughts.

“Kurt falls off, and after five hours and twenty six minutes, Simon wins Final Immunity!”

He blinked his eyes open, glancing down at Kurt, who was clutching his thigh as the medical team checked him over to make certain he hadn’t injured himself.

“Congratulations Simon, come on over and collect your necklace.”

His legs were very unstable as he stepped down, and he wobbled a little as he walked over to Jeff, who slipped the necklace over his head as Kurt was helped to his feet. He was limping, but otherwise seemed fine.

“Simon is guaranteed a seat in the final two, but one of you two will fall just short. I will see you all at Tribal Council shortly.”

Chapter Text

Tribal Council #16

Day 39 cont.:

They were given a short period to rest and eat before heading to Tribal Council. It was about four in the afternoon when they entered the Tribal Council Building. Jeff was waiting for them there as usual, and watched them as they took their seats.

“We’ll now bring in the members of our jury; Malin, Felice, Tao, Elle, Wille, Blaine, and Nick, voted out at the last Tribal Council. As you know, the jury is here to observe only. They will have their chance to speak later.

“First off, congratulations once again to Simon for winning the Final Immunity Challenge, and guaranteeing yourself a spot in the final two. Now, since there are only three of you, this is how things are going to work tonight; Charlie, Kurt, neither of you can vote for yourselves, nor can you vote for Simon, meaning you can only vote for each other. Those votes cancel each other out, therefore, neither of you will vote tonight. Only Simon is eligible to vote, so why don’t you both plead your cases to Simon as to why he should choose you to sit beside him to face the jury. Kurt, you go first.”

Kurt thought carefully about his response. “I know when you invited Blaine and I into the alliance, you couldn’t promise us better than top six, and I respected that. And then you came to me again with a promise of final three, and now here we are. I respected your choices throughout our alliance, with the exception of voting Blaine out, and I think you understand why I made that choice. If our positions were reversed, I’m fairly certain you would have made the same decision.”

“Charlie, your turn.”

Charlie sat up straighter, choosing his words with caution. “From the moment Jeff said go on the ship all those days ago, I’ve done my absolute best to play this game with all my strength, knowledge and will power, never once taking the easy out, never once saying I can’t do this. When the offer of an alliance came along, I dedicated myself to doing what was best for all of us, never questioning whether the decisions being made were best for me. I put my trust in you, gave everything I had to see this through to the very end, and that end is now within reach.”

Jeff nodded. “Simon, is there anything you want to say to either man before you make your final decision? Any questions for them?”

Simon was just as cautious in his word choice. “Kurt, I didn’t get to spend as much time with you during our time on the island as I would have liked. I’ve followed your career for years, read about your life in Ohio, and I’ve always admired how you rose above the challenges set before you, which is why I wasn’t surprised at how you powered through every challenge set before us here.

“Charlie, I did get to know you much better, and I am really looking forward to working with you in the studio when we get back to the real world. I’ve admired your strength and courage from the beginning, and how no matter how difficult the challenge was, you far exceeded what people expected of you. I would just say have a little more confidence in yourself. You’ve proven that anyone can overcome any adversity in life with determination and support. Your plans for the halfway house are admirable, and I want to wish you the greatest of luck with that, and hope that I can help in any way possible to make that happen for you.”

Jeff smiled at the men. “Simon, have you made your decision yet?”

He considered for a moment. “I think so.”

“Okay, then it is time to vote. You will vote for the person you wish to eliminate.”

Simon stood and walked into the voting booth. The truth was, both of these men deserved to be here, and he really wished he didn’t have to choose between them. It was the echo of Wille’s words in his mind that made his decision for him.

He took his time writing down the name.

“I’m sorry, this decision was very difficult for me. You really are a remarkable man. You deserve to be here. I just think he deserves it a little more. I hope you understand.”

He placed the slip of paper into the urn, and slowly walked back to his seat. Jeff studied each of their faces briefly as he stood. 

“I’ll go collect the vote.” He returned a moment later and placed the urn on the podium. “Once the vote has been read, the decision will be final. The person will join our jury, and Final Tribal Council will begin. Is everyone ready?”

“Yes, Jeff,” Kurt replied, while Simon and Charlie nodded.

Jeff opened the urn and withdrew the single vote. “Sixteenth person voted out of Survivor: World Domination and eighth member of our jury,” he paused and turned to show them the name on the slip of paper. “Kurt, you need to bring me your torch.”

Kurt stood and hugged the other two men, congratulating them, before picking up his bag and moving to place his torch before Jeff. “I can’t think of two better people to be in the final two,” Kurt said.

Jeff smiled. “Kurt, the tribe has spoken.” He snuffed the flame, and shook Kurt’s hand before the auburn haired man took his place in the jury box.

“Well, Charlie, Simon, the positions are reversed. It is now time for the jury to pass judgment on you. One of you will be declared Sole Survivor, and the other will walk away with nothing. Final Tribal Council begins now.”

Chapter Text

Final Tribal Council

Day 39 cont.:

Kurt settled into the jury box with the others, hugging Blaine and shaking hands with the others. He wished he could sit beside Blaine, but they were seated in elimination order. 

“Well, Charlie, Simon, the positions are reversed. It is now time for the jury to pass judgment on you. One of you will be declared Sole Survivor, and the other will walk away with nothing. Final Tribal Council begins now.” He turned to face the jury. “The final two will have a chance to make their pleas to you as to why you should vote for them, then you will be given the opportunity to ask questions or make a statement of your own. The finalist will then get to make a closing argument before the vote. Simon, you’re up first. Why should the jury vote for you to be the Sole Survivor?”

Simon studied the face of each of the jury members, smiling softly at Wille. “I could argue that I’ve been the stronger competitor, or that I was the mastermind behind the original alliance. I could point out my performance in every challenge. I could point out everything I did around camp to help my tribe. But none of that really matters. What matters is that you vote for the person you believe truly deserves to win, and who you think will use the money wisely.”

Jeff nodded. “Well said. Charlie?”

Charlie closed his eyes for a moment before speaking. “Simon is correct. The decision is yours to make. We’ve both put everything we have into the game, blood, sweat and tears. We never complained, and we’ve never backed down. I know if I was on the jury, I wouldn’t know who to vote for. I trust you all to use your best judgment.”

“Okay, Now it is the jury’s turn to speak and ask questions. Malin, we’ll start with you.”

Malin rose from her seat and smiled at both men. “First, congratulations to both of you for making it this far. You’ve both done well. Charlie, my first question is for you. We didn’t really get to know each other very well during our time here on the island. We really only had a couple of days where we were on the same tribe, or when we kidnapped you. I want to know something about you that I may have learned if we’d had more time to get to know each other.”

“Well,” Charlie thought for a moment. “You may have learned that in addition to my sister, who you met at the family visit, I have a younger brother named Oliver, or Ollie for short. If you all think I’m smart, you should meet him someday. He’s way smarter than I’ll ever be.”

Malin nodded, and smiled again before turning to the other man. “Simon, I know you think not many people recognize you, but people do know who you are. How do you think they are going to react when they see you on the show? Do you think it will help your career?”

Simon blushed. “I hope that when people see me on the show, they will see how dedicated I am, and how much I am willing to do to see things through. I hope they see how much I care for my family, and for those I love and respect. Do I think it will help my career? I don’t know. I hope my music is enough to speak for itself.”

Again she nodded, and sat back down.

“Felice, you’re next,” Jeff said.

She stood and straightened the dress she wore, then studied both men in silence for a moment. “Charlie, Like Malin, I really didn’t get the chance to know you well during our time here, but from observing you during challenges, I can tell that once you set your mind on something, you don’t quit until you see it through. Where do you think you get that motivation?”

Charlie seemed surprised by the question. “I think it has to come from probably the darkest part of my life, when I was at my worst, and was admitted to the mental health ward and had to be force fed. The doctors told me that if I wanted to get better, I had to work for it, and to actually want it. 

“At first I didn’t think I cared whether I lived or died, but I kept thinking about my sister, Tori, the look on her face when she realized just how bad it was. I never wanted to see that look on her face again, or be the cause of it. So I fought my way through treatment, worked to get healthy again, and I guess, I just started applying the same determination to everything I do.”

Felice smiled sympathetically. “Thank you for sharing that. It’s very brave of you.” She turned to Simon. “My question for you is simple. Are you prepared for what the real world is going to think about you and Wille?”

Simon sat up straighter. “I’ve never hidden who I am from anyone. If they don’t like my relationship with him, then that’s their problem, not mine. Wille is a grown man, capable of making decisions for himself, regardless of his status. His is the only opinion that matters to me when it comes to our relationship. If anyone else tries to make a deal of it, then we don’t need them in our lives.”

Felice smiled again. “Good. He deserves to be happy, and so do you. Congratulations on making the final two, both of you, and congratulations on your relationships. I hope you all will be happy when this is all said and done.” She sat down gracefully.

“Tao, you’re up.”

“I have no questions for either of you, but I want to say, Charlie, thank you for being a friend out here. I’ve never been very good at making friends, but you made it easy to get to know you, and you showed me how to be strong. 

“Simon, I didn’t get to know you well, but I respect how you played the game, and how you treated everyone around you. You are a generous soul, and I look forward to getting to know you better back in the real world.”

He sat down, and Elle stood.

“I only have one question, and it is for both of you. Tell me why I should vote for the person sitting beside you. Simon?”

“Why should you vote for Charlie? Well, it’s pretty obvious that if he wins, he will definitely use the money to help others, but beyond that, Charlie is kind, generous, and much stronger than I think he even realizes. He’s an inspiration to a lot of people, including me. He makes people want to be better, try harder. He deserves to win.”

Elle nodded and looked at Charlie in expectation.

“Simon has played this game flawlessly, and without arrogance or conceit. He’s a strong leader, but also knows how to follow without stepping on toes. He’s strong, intelligent, generous, and caring. He should win because he was the better all around player.”

“Thank you,” Elle said. “Congratulations to both of you. I only wish I could vote twice, once for each of you.”

Several people chuckled at that as she sat back down. Wille stood and studied them both in silence for a moment.

“First, let me say, you both really deserve to be there right now. When I decided to come on this show, my goal was never to win, but to learn more about myself and what I am capable of, beyond what the public sees of me. I learned a lot more about myself than I ever thought possible while here. So, Charlie, what did you learn about yourself while you were on the island?”

Charlie considered for a moment. “I learned that I can rely on myself more than I ever believed I could. I learned that as far as I’ve come in my recovery, I still have things I need to work on. I learned that I deserve to be loved. But most of all I learned that there are so many more things I am capable of than I ever imagined. I wouldn’t recommend using the experience here as therapy, but being here really has helped me a lot.”

Wille nodded. “Simon, what did you learn about yourself?”

He smiled. “I learned how to love someone with every part of me.”

“Aww!” several people said, as Wille smiled and sat back down. Blaine rose next.

“Well, I don’t know how to follow that, so I will just say it’s been an honor to get to know both of you. Simon, you are the calm in a storm, and you command respect in everything you do. Charlie, you are the epitome of strength under pressure, the diamond emerging from the earth. Whoever wins, I know the world is a better place because you are both in it. Congratulations to both of you, and good luck.”

Charlie seemed to smile brighter as Nick stood. He smiled back, but turned to face Simon first.

“Simon, you’ve proven yourself to be a man of honor and devotion, and it’s been a pleasure to know you. My question for you would be, if you could trade places with anyone on the jury, who would it be, and why?”

“That’s a hard question. I can think of three people who deserve to be sitting here as much if not more than me. Elle definitely had the strength and the grace needed to play this game and take it to the end. She could have easily won. Tao thought he was the weakest person out here, but he proved he was one of the strongest, and I think given the chance, he may have made it to the final three at the very least. And Kurt, he fought every step of the way, and just fell short. I think he may have won if he was sitting here now.”

Nick nodded and turned to address Charlie. “Charlie Spring, you are the most beautiful man I’ve ever met, both inside and out. Your infectious laughter, quick wit, and silent strength endeared you to me. I think I fell in love with you almost from the first moment I saw you smile.

“I know you said you would be willing to move away from your home to be closer to me, but you also said you were worried that once the world found out that I’m bisexual, that I would have my choice of anyone I wanted to be with. But there is no one else I’d rather be with than you, so my question to you is, would you move in with me, and maybe one day, marry me?”

Charlie’s wasn’t the only jaw to hit the floor at that question. Everyone was stunned.

“Nick, I- I don’t know what to say!”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to give me your answer now. Just think about it.”

Charlie felt the tears well up in his eyes. “I don’t need to think about it. The answer is yes!”

Elle and Tao cheered, as the others clapped and whistled. Jeff just shrugged when Nick slipped out of the jury box and rushed forward to hug Charlie, who met him halfway. They kissed briefly.

“I love you,” Nick whispered.

“I love you too,” Charlie whispered back. They kissed once more, then reluctantly parted, and Nick returned to the jury box.

“And Blaine thought he had a hard act to follow,” Kurt quipped as he stood. “I guess all I can say is congratulations to both of you on making it to the final two, and congratulations to Charlie and Nick, I wish you both all the happiness in the world. It’s been an honor to play this game with you, and with all of the rest of you as well. Oh, and Nick, Charlie, if you do get married, I’ll design your suits for you, no charge. Consider it a wedding gift.”

Everyone laughed at that.

Jeff smiled. “Okay, you’ve heard what the jury has to say. You each have one last opportunity to convince the jury to vote for you. Charlie, you can go first this time.”

Charlie stood and faced the eight member jury. “I really don’t know what else to say, I’m still a little in shock I guess. Win or lose, I just want everyone to know that this experience has been the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me, and I’m proud to have met each and everyone of you. Thank you.”

Simon rose, smiling. “I know this is where I’m supposed to say vote for me, yadda yadda yadda, but instead, I’m going to say vote how your heart tells you to vote. I wanted to win the money to buy my mom a new house, but I can do that whether I win or not. I will make that happen. Vote for who you believe deserves the money more, who needs it more.”

Once Simon sat back down, Jeff stood. “It’s time to vote. Remember, this time you will be writing down the name of the person you want to win. Malin, you are up first.”

She nodded and made her way to the booth. She hesitated a moment before writing down a name. “Win or lose, congratulations on making it this far.”

One at a time, they made their vote. It took some of them longer than others, but once Kurt cast his ballot and returned to his seat, Jeff stood once more.

“I’ll collect the votes. The winner will be announced live on the reveal and reunion show. Until then, the vote will remain a mystery. I’ll see you then.” He collected the urn, carefully sealing it and placing it in a padded case, which he also sealed, before carrying it out of Tribal Council and climbing into a waiting helicopter.

Chapter Text

Live Reveal and Reunion

Eight Months Later…

The helicopter landed on the roof of the studio, and the audience cheered as they watched Jeff emerge on the screen and make his way down into the building, the camera following him as he entered the auditorium, where the cheering and clapping grew even louder as he made his way through the crowd, carrying the urn with as yet unread votes inside.

On the stage, Charlie and Simon sat side by side once again, each looking a bit more dignified in fresh clothes, and in Charlie’s case, a fresh haircut. The eight members of the jury were also present, seated behind them, all also looking elegant in suits and dresses, or trousers and blouses. They all clapped as well as Jeff made his way to the stage and set the urn on the podium.

“Welcome to the live reveal show. In just a few minutes I will read the final vote and crown our Sole Survivor. Also tonight, we’ll catch up with all our Castaways from this season, and find out what life has been like for them after the island. We’ll have relationship updates, career updates, and life updates. But first, it’s time to read the votes. Remember, you want to see your name this time.”

Simon and Charlie smiled and held each other’s hand as Jeff unsealed the urn and removed the lid, reaching inside for the first slip of paper.

“First vote, Charlie. Seven votes remain.” The audience applauded as Jeff pulled another parchment from the urn.

“Charlie. That’s two votes Charlie, six votes left.”

Again the audience applauded. Jeff selected another vote. “Charlie. That’s three votes Charlie, five votes remain.”

Simon smiled and hugged Charlie as the audience cheered again. The fourth slip of paper was drawn.

“Simon. That’s three votes Charlie, one vote Simon, four votes left.”

Nick reached forward and squeezed Charlie’s shoulder as Simon continued to smile and hold his hand.

“Charlie. That’s four votes Charlie, one vote Simon, three votes left.”

After another round of applause, the audience grew silent in anticipation as the next vote was drawn.

“Winner of Survivor: World Domination, Charlie.” The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, as the rest of the jury hugged Charlie, and congratulated him. As he waited for the celebration to die down, Jeff checked the last three votes. 

“The reunion show begins now, and we’re joined on stage by the rest of this season’s castaways. If you are just tuning in, by a vote of seven to one, Charlie has been officially named Sole Survivor. Charlie, how are you feeling?”

“I’m in a state of shock. I can’t believe that just happened. Am I dreaming?”

“No, you aren’t dreaming. You really did just win. You said you were planning to use the money to fund a halfway home for teens with eating disorders. Any news on that?”

Charlie grinned. “Yes. Thanks to a generous donation from Wille, I was able to purchase the property, and am in the process of making renovations to bring it up to code. I hope to open the doors in another month.”

“And where did you end up choosing for the house? Did you move to Leeds as you talked about?”

Charlie blushed. “Yes, Nick and I moved into a flat together six months ago in Leeds.”

“Nick, did you end up going back to school?”

“I did. I am taking courses at night in special education, and also in business administration. I hope to be able to help Charlie out with the running of the home.”

“And are there wedding bells in your future?”

Charlie laughed. “We’re still in the adjustment phase of living together, but it is a possibility in the future.”

Jeff grinned. “Speaking of wedding bells, Kurt, I understand there are some wedding bells in your not too distant future, tell us about that.”

“Yes, Jeff, but before anyone jumps to conclusions, they aren’t for me. My father is getting married in a few weeks to Carole Hudson.”

“Finn’s mother?”

“Yes. They met when Finn came to New York to film his exit interview. He brought his mother along, and we all went out to dinner together. My dad and his mom really hit it off, and decided it was the right time in their lives to get remarried.”

“Finn, how do you feel about that?”

The tall man shrugged. “I was a little skeptical at first, but Burt is a great man, and he makes my mom happy, and that is all that matters.”

“But that’s not the only relationship news in your life, is it, Finn?”

“No, there’s more. If you remember I tried out for the show at the urging of my fiance. We’ve since had an amicable parting of the ways, and I wish her all the best.”

“And is there someone new in your life?”

Finn looked slightly embarrassed. “Well, actually, yes. Imogen and I have been seeing each other for a few months now. She’s in the US currently on a work study visa.”

“Imogen, tell us how this came about?”

“I was in New York at the same time as Finn, also filming my exit interview, and we got to talking, and things just developed from there. I’m working as a guidance counselor at the school Finn works at while I get my psychology degree.”

“She’s a really great cook, and she has me eating healthier, without forcing me to be vegan. She’s very supportive of my career choices as well. And I’m drumming again, playing in a local band on Saturday nights.”

“Sounds like you’re both making better relationship choices, especially you, Imogen. Let’s take a look.”

…

“Nick is so kind, and caring. He sees what needs to be done, and jumps in to get it done. Plus, he’s so smart, too! He’s perfect. I just wish I didn’t get so flabbergasted around him. He’s just so handsome! And those muscles drive me nuts!”

/

“So what do you guys talk about?”

Charlie shrugged. “Music. Video games. The challenges. Sometimes we talk about Rugby, or other sports.”

“Does he ever talk about me?” she asked, more blunt now.

“Oh, well, uh…” Charlie stammered, not sure how to answer that.

“I mean, he’s so sweet, and good looking, and I really like him, and I just wondered if maybe he might like me as well?”

Charlie felt his stomach twist. “He said you’re sweet, and he likes your cooking.”

“Really?” Imogen said, sounding excited. “Do you think maybe I should try flirting with him? Or should I play it nonchalant?”

…

The clip brought laughter from the audience, and Imogen blushed and smiled.

“Okay, I never really developed very good gaydar. But in my defense, Nick never really gave any indications one way or the other. I’m very happy for him and Charlie though. They really are cute together.”

“Well, congratulations and good luck. Elle, any updates on your transition?”

She smiled. “Thanks to Felice, I will have my final surgery in the spring. I’ve passed all the psychological evaluations and been cleared by my doctor, and I’m so ready for this.”

“That’s great news. But things didn’t go quite so smoothly for you on the island, thanks to another Castaway. Let’s take a look.”

He turned to the large screen behind the Castaways, where another clip began to play.

…

“WHAT THE HELL? You freak!”

Nick and Charlie dropped the wood they were carrying and rushed back towards camp.

“What’s going on?” Nick demanded.

Harry looked at Nick, pointing an accusing finger at Elle. “‘She’ has a dick!”

“What?” Nick asked, looking at Elle, who was being consoled by Tao and Imogen. “She’s trans, you idiot! She probably just hasn’t fully transitioned yet.”

“It’s a freak!” Harry insisted. “Unnatural! That’s disgusting!”

Charlie stood straighter. “And just what were you doing looking at her, anyway?”

Harry sneered at him. “I had to take a piss, and it was there, pissing like a man!”

“Don’t call her ‘it!’” Tao snarled. “SHE is a human being! And you are a transphobic arse!”

Nick walked over to the upset woman. “Are you okay?” he asked gently.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. I just didn’t know he was there. I usually go before everyone else gets up, or when you all are busy, so no one would be uncomfortable. One of the reasons I came on the show is to try and win the money so I can have my final surgeries.”

Nick reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“Ugh! How can you even touch it! It’s gross!” Harry said.

Nick looked at him over his shoulder. “You know, if I wouldn’t get kicked off for doing it, I’d punch you in your ugly face right now! Actually, I don’t care if I get kicked off, I really want to punch you! Why don’t you just piss off!”

“Fine! I don’t want to be around freaks like that anyway! I’ll sleep on the beach tonight!”

“Good!” No one moved until after Harry had stormed out of camp, and then they were all surrounding Elle, making certain she was okay

/

“I’m not taking orders from that thing!” He waved in the general direction of Elle.

“Thing?” Jeff asked in confusion.

“That freak! It’s not right! If you are born a guy, then you are a guy! Stop pretending to be a woman!”

“So, you decide that instead of doing the challenge, you are just going to sit here and let the other two tribes take immunity?” Jeff asked, sounding disgusted.

“I’d rather take my chances at Tribal Council. I’m a strong competitor, and my Tribe will need me for future challenges. They’d be stupid to vote me out.”

“So, we really don’t need to continue the challenge, do we? Should I declare McKinley and Hillerska the winners, and we head to Tribal Council right now?”

“Harry, you are a complete dumbass! This isn’t necessary!” Nick shouted.

“I’m not doing the challenge!” Harry said.

Jeff looked pissed now. “Fine, Challenge over! McKinley, since you had a slight lead, you take first place, and Immunity. Hillerska, you are second. Come get your Immunity idols!” He handed out the spear and shield, then turned back to the third tribe. “Truham, I will see you at Tribal Council, now!”

…

“Viewers dubbed him one of the worst villains to ever play the game. Tonight he’s back, and he says he wants to prove everyone wrong. Harry, tell us what happened after you were voted off.”

The man seemed less sure of himself now, gone was the arrogant sneer, and in its place a look of embarrassment filled his face. “Well, as you know, once you are voted off, you don’t go home right away. Once I left Tribal Council that night, I was confronted by one of the therapists on staff with the medical team. 

“At first, I was too angry to talk with them. Eventually they calmed me down, and we discussed my behavior on the show. They pointed out how wrong I was for the things I said, and how it would come across to the audience. I had a lot of time to think about my actions, and when we returned home, I started going to counseling. I know I can’t take back the things I said, all I can do is offer my most sincere apologies. I don’t expect forgiveness. There is no excuse for the things I said, and I don’t want to be that man anymore.”

“Elle, would you like to respond to Harry?”

“I thank you for the apology, and I hope for your sake you truly have changed. Perhaps at some point in the future I will be able to forgive you, but until then, we can just agree to be civil to each other whenever we are in the same room.”

Harry nodded in understanding, as Tao wrapped Elle in a hug.

“And how are things going between you and Tao?”

“They’re going well. Neither of us have moved, yet, but it is in the works. I will be moving to Kensington after the holidays, which actually works out for me because I’ll be closer to my work.”

“Tao, fans have voted you favorite underdog of the season. Let’s take a look at some of your highlights from the island.

…

“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Tao said, teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. He self deprecatingly tried to make a muscle bulge on his bicep, which was as skinny as a twig. “I’m a very muscular individual!”

That actually made everyone laugh.

/

“Tao is one of the special ones, I think. The ones who don’t think there is anything wrong with it, and that as long as I’m happy, he is happy for me. He makes me laugh, and doesn’t treat me any differently, and I could easily fall for him just for that.”

/

“I’ve never really considered my sexuality before. It’s always just been sort of a non issue. I mean, yeah, I’ve found people attractive before, but I’ve never really thought of anything beyond appearance. There’s never been anything physical about it.

“I’ve never looked at anyone and thought, ‘oh, gee, I want to sleep with them.’ I’m not even sure that is what I am feeling for Elle, either. I just know that there is something between us that is more than just friendship, and I want to find out what that is.”

/

Nick smiled. “You are a good friend.”

“I know,” Tao stated.

/

Tao had been really excited about actually catching a fish himself. It had been a small bonnethead shark, about the length of Charlie’s arm from fingertip to elbow. He’d been so proud to show it off, and Elle had made such a fuss over it, it had been really sweet.

/

Tao smiled. These guys can’t be all bad if they liked Dr. Who. “It’s Yasmin Finney, by the way. The new companion, that is. If they ever get around to airing the next season.”

/

“Oh,” Tao replied. “I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe I should be the next one voted out. I really have no clue what I should be doing. I mean, my friend Isaac dared me to try out after forcing me to watch the last six seasons. I probably should have done more research when I found out I had been accepted.”

Blaine laughed. “I guess that’s as good a reason to come on the show as any. Better than why I auditioned.”

“Why did you audition?” Tao asked.

“Sibling rivalry. My brother auditioned two seasons ago, but was denied. He kept bragging that at least he tried out, and I just made up excuses not to, so I finally said fine, and tried out, and here I am.”

Tao’s face was blank, his eyebrow raised. The look made Blaine laugh. “You look like a Vulcan when you make that face. If my friend Sam was here, he’d be so jealous. He’s never been able to nail a Spock impersonation. Maybe you could teach him.”

/

“Where in Connecticut did you live? I have relatives in Waterbury.”

“Really? I’m from New Haven. It really is a small world.”

“You want to hear something funny, I met my best friend in Connecticut, despite the fact we are both from London. My mom and I were visiting her cousin in Waterbury, and it was the day we were flying home, and Isaac and his family were supposed to be flying to Virginia for a funeral, but their flight got diverted due to bad weather. The following term he was a transfer student at my school after his dad got a promotion and moved to the head office.”

/

“Truska heading out for their fifth clue, while Hillney still on their fourth. The question is, is Charlie correct in his answers? We’ll find out. Nick having a little struggle with the rope, as Tao flies up the pole for Hillney, and he’s back with the clue as Nick still struggling! Can Hillney catch up?”

/

“Tao, who goes home tonight, if not Santana?”

“Honestly, most likely me. I’m surprised I’ve actually lasted this long.”

“You’ve lasted this long because you do your best every challenge,” Blaine replied. “I don’t think anyone else on our tribe could have climbed that pole the other day as quickly as you did.”

/

“Hillney has all five keys, Truska now has four, but each tribe still only has one person at the center. Felice and Charlie are making their way there, but who will reach it first? Charlie does, but Felice is only seconds behind, and now Tao finds the right path without instruction and he reaches the center for Hillney as well! That’s three Hillney and two Truska at the center. Imogen still having trouble finding her key!”

/

Tao woke up early, well before sunrise, and carefully slipped out of the shelter, not wanting to disturb anyone. He picked up a basket and the water jug and slipped away from camp.

He filled the water jug, and harvested a few fruits and some other edible vegetation, then headed back to camp, glad no one else was awake yet.

He fed the chickens, murmuring to them softly as he collected three eggs.

"Good girls," he praised, giving each of them a quick rub. The rooster seemed to get jealous that he was being ignored, which made Tao smile, and scratched his comb. "Sorry, you are doing an excellent job of being thoroughly annoying at sunrise."

Tao moved to the makeshift table they had made and carefully set the eggs next to his basket of fruit. He then stoked the fire, adding more wood, and put the rice on to cook.

He then opened a couple of coconuts, careful to save the water, and chopped the meat up very fine. He used one of the giant clam shells to toast it lightly over the fire, then added it to the rice, which he had deliberately overcooked to make it slightly mushy. He stirred the coconut and rice mixture until it had a soft taffy like texture.

He then portioned the mixture into three parts. To the first portion he added some of the coffee cherry powder, to the second he added some mango, and the third was mixed with cinnamon and sugar from the spice rack. He then cut each into six servings, and rolled them into balls, which he rolled in more coconut and steamed them. He then also made scrambled eggs, and coffee.

The sun was starting to rise now, and he heard movement from the shelter. He moved quickly to plate up his surprise, and carefully carried it back to the shelter, singing.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear Elle,

Happy birthday to you!

/

“Hillney’s board starting to dip in the middle, but Truska isn’t too far behind. Tao hasn’t dropped a single coconut yet, and is moving like he’s done this his entire life. That’s dedication right there!”

/

“Tao, tell us about your family.”

“It’s just my mum and me, and my cat, Bean. My mum is very traditional Chinese, so we eat a lot of Chinese food, mostly Mandarin and Cantonese. All homemade, of course. Most of the vegetables we use, my mum grows in her own garden, and we forage for mushrooms and other edible plants often. Sometimes I get the feeling she just wants me to find someone and settle down. Not necessarily get married, just find someone to take care of me, as if I can’t take care of myself.”

/

“Who has the strength to carry them through the challenge?”

“So it’s a strength challenge,” Tao said. “Nice to know I have zero chance at Immunity.”

“You and me both,” Charlie said. “But you still have the mystery envelope. Maybe it’s a get out of jail free card.”

/

“So, first tribal council as a united tribe. How does it feel to have made it this far?”

“Considering I expected to be the first one voted off, I consider this a victory,” Tao confessed

/

Elle smiled as she saw Nick and Charlie return from the beach a while later. Charlie was smiling again, even laughing at something Nick was telling him.

“You know, when you smile, your entire face shines?” Tao said, handing her her water bottle

/

“Tao scores his first arrow on his second shot, Simon makes his first shot. Charlie still working to unravel his last arrow.  Simon’s second shot is just outside the target, while Tao’s third is dead center! He retrieves his first arrow as Charlie lines up his first shot, and Simon takes aim for the third time. Charlie makes his first shot, but Tao shuts them both out, winning Immunity with his fourth shot!”

Elle cheered and hugged him, as the others congratulated him before lining up on the mat.

“With an incredible display of archery skill, Tao wins immunity and cannot be voted out tonight,” Jeff proclaimed as he hung the Immunity Necklace over Tao’s neck.

/

“Tao, how does it feel to have that necklace around your neck tonight?”

Tao sat up a little straighter. “I keep saying I expected to be the first one voted out, so to actually have won an individual Immunity challenge is definitely unbelievable. I keep waiting for someone to wake me up and tell me it’s time to go to the challenge.”

/

“Three hundred!” Tao said.

“Three twenty!” Kurt countered.

“Four Hundred!” Tao responded, knowing Kurt couldn’t top that. The only ones who did have enough money left were Elle and Charlie. They both shook their heads.

“Sold to Tao! You said you would know what you want when you saw it. What made you bid on this?”

Tao shrugged. “It’s different. I like different.”

“Well come on up here and see what you bought. But first, who are you going to share with?”

“Elle,” he said, without hesitation.

Jeff nodded. “Elle, why don’t you come up here too. Tao, go ahead and open the envelope.”

Tao opened it, and grinned, pulling out two movie tickets.

“You’ve purchased two tickets to Survivor Drive In Cinemas’ exclusive screening of the live action Little Mermaid. You’ll have unlimited popcorn and movie theater candy, sodas, nachos, and hot dogs. So good so far?”

“Yeah!”

“Well it gets better. This Survivor Drive In Cinema, after all. You’ll be watching the movie from the bed of a brand new Ford F-150, which will be yours when you get back home. And Yes, you can get right hand drive.”

“Yes!” Tao said. “My mum needs a truck to haul the extra vegetables she grows to market!”

“And to think it only cost you four hundred US dollars. You’ll head out now. The rest of you, the auction is over. Head back to camp.”

…

“It’s no wonder why the fans loved you, with your self-deprecating sense of humor, and your comical Casanova charm. What would you like to say to the fans?”

Tao smiled. “I appreciate all the support and love you’ve all given me, especially in regards to my relationship with Elle. This experience really has been life changing.”

“We’re all very happy for you,” Jeff acknowledged, and moved on to the next topic. “The season was full of surprises, both from the challenges and from the Castaway themselves. Were there some secret identities on the island, and was their actual royalty on Survivor? Wille?”

The man smiled and sat up straighter. “It was probably the worst kept secret on the island. My name is Wilhelm Gustav Bernadotte, and yes, I am the second heir to the throne of Sweden. I didn’t want anyone to know who I was, because people treat me differently when they realize I’m a prince.”

“That fact caused some tension among your tribemates. Let’s take a look.

…

“I should have known something was up when I found out you were a bodyguard. You could have at least told me, instead of wasting our time.”

“Would you have voted me out first?” Malin asked, calmly.

Wille crossed his arms over his chest. “No, I probably would still have voted Alexander out first. But I would have tried to convince the others to vote you out instead of Madison. The bad thing is, Felice figured it out before I did.”

“Is that why you gave me that vote?”

Wille shrugged. “It was just a suspicion then. I couldn’t prove it, but my gut told me to vote for you.”

“So what now?” Malin asked, matching his posture.

“I suggest you do your best during the Immunity challenge tomorrow,” he said, and walked away.

/

“You let go on purpose,” Wille said when he and Malin were alone on the way back to camp.

“I don’t know what you mean, your highness.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Why not? You’re finally acting like the spoiled little prince everyone expects you to be! Throwing a tantrum because you didn’t get your way!”

Wille looked taken aback. “Because I don’t want a babysitter? In case you and my mother hadn’t noticed, I’m twenty four years old! I can take care of myself!”

“No one has ever disputed that. Security isn’t here to wipe your nose and bottle feed you. It’s to protect you from harm, even if the person trying to harm you is yourself!”

“When have I ever placed myself in harm's way? Certainly not since I was six and learned the hard way that falling out of a tree is very painful. But I learned from that experience! Just like any commoner who didn’t grow up with security people surrounding them night and day. How am I supposed to experience life and learn from it if I’m not allowed to try new things?”

Malin sighed. “No one has ever told you you can’t try new things, Wille. The only thing anyone has ever asked of you is to remember that until your brother weds and has an heir, you still have a duty to your family and your country.”

Wille glared at her. “I never asked for this! I didn’t choose this life! No one asked me what I wanted! I just want to be treated like anyone else! And before one more person tries to talk to me about duty, perhaps they should remember that I’m not the heir who got drunk and totaled his brand new sports car!”

/

“I’m mad that you don’t trust me, Wille. Or should I say Prins Wilhelm!”

He looked like she had struck him. “I never said I wasn’t him.”

Felice crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You never said you were, either. When I mentioned it before, you acted like it was a ridiculous notion and changed the subject.”

…

Wille closed his eyes and shook his head. “Not my finest moments, I freely admit.”

“But there was one Survivor who had quite a different reaction to learning your identity, wasn’t there?”

…

“We need to talk. I need to tell you something.”

Simon studied his face. “I know.”

“What?” Wille asked, confused.

“I know what you are going to tell me. Wille, it’s okay. I’ve known for weeks now.”

“You knew?”

“That you’re the prince? Of course I knew. When I first saw you, I thought I must have been hallucinating. And then I thought you were going to be a jerk and get yourself eliminated early. But you weren’t anything like what I imagined. You were just a regular guy, who did the work and put everything into the challenges. You were kind, and vulnerable, and that was who I fell in love with.”

…

Simon blushed, as Wille had a chagrined grin on his face. Jeff smiled at both men. “But Wille, you weren’t the only one keeping your true identity secret. Simon, care to come clean?”

He smiled more brightly. “Well, on stage I go by my middle name, Omar. I’m currently opening for Mercedes Jones and Starchild on their world tour. As a matter of fact, right after the show I will be flying to LA for tomorrow night’s concert. My latest single just came out this past week, and debuted at number three on the Billboard’s top one hundred list.”

“But there is more to the story. Charlie, you’re featured on Omar’s latest album, aren’t you?”

Charlie grinned. “Yes, and on Mercedes Jone’s most recent album as well. And I was invited to play on stage for both acts when they played the O2 last month.”

“We have a clip of that,” Jeff indicated the screen again. The clip showed Charlie playing the drums as Mercedes sang Hell to the No. In the foreground, you could see Simon and Wille dancing along. Wille had his arm around Simon’s shoulders.

“You looked like you were having fun on stage, Charlie.”

“I was. And you can’t see it in that clip, but Nick was there as well. Felice, Elle, and Imogen too.”

“Now, this clip appeared online a few weeks before the season premiered, and it had a lot of people speculating about Wille and Simon. What has the reaction been like now that the season has aired and people know about your relationship?”

Wille smiled. “It’s mostly been positive. There have been some negative reactions, but we deal with it. Most people have given us their support, and we’re just trying to make the most of it.”

“And speaking of relationships, Felice, anything you’d like to mention?”

“Well, I have been seeing someone. Yes, it is someone my mother tried to set me up with in the past, but this time, I know they are interested in me and not my money.”

“And would you care to reveal who the person is?”

She blushed. “Um, Wille’s brother, Crown Prince Erik. We got to know each other at various functions we’ve attended, and he supports my organization to help Trans people to get gender affirming care. He’s sweet, and kind, and we’ll see where things go.”

“And in other relationship news, Kurt and Blaine, what is going on with you two?”

Kurt smiled and held the other man’s hand. “I recently moved back to Ohio, and announced my intent to run for my father’s seat in Congress, and Blaine has taken a job as director of music at Dalton Academy in Westerville. We’ve been seeing each other consistently since we returned to New York, and there has been talk of marriage.” Blaine beamed at him.

“That’s wonderful. Santana and Brittany, you have some news as well, don’t you?”

Santana smiled and put her arm around Brittany. “I moved in with Brittany in Los Angeles, and I am currently enrolled at UCLA, studying PR and management, and later this year Britt will become one of the featured dancers on Dancing with the stars. ”

“Any other relationship news?” Jeff asked. “Quinn?”

“I’m still single, however I have begun dating again. Nothing serious yet, just testing the waters.”

“Malin, how are things going with you and your wife, Talia?”

The blonde woman beamed. “Things are great. We just adopted ten year old twins, Luca and Lila. They’re keeping us busy, and we’re loving every minute of it. Unfortunately they couldn’t be here tonight because Luca has a medical condition that makes flying difficult for him, but you’d never know it by the way he plays sports. He loves football, and is an excellent goalie. Lila wants to be a ballerina when she grows up.”

“They sound remarkable. We wish you the best of luck with them.” Jeff faced the camera again. “This season brought us some of the most competitive Survivors to date, and then there were some that weren’t quite as adept as others. Let’s take a look.

…

Malin was able to grab the crate of chickens before the poor creatures were sent to a watery death when Alexander tossed them over the railing as well.

“Alexander!” Wille had shouted. “You can’t just throw everything over! You need to make sure it gets on the raft!”

The man had the grace to at least look sheepish. “Sorry!”

“Why don’t you get on the raft and collect the stuff as Felice hands it down to you. And make sure everything is secured?”

/

Simon ran full out into the surf, and threw himself forward into the inbound wave, and began to swim as hard as he could. He blocked out everything but the boat. He was starting to tire by the time he reached it and grabbed ahold of the prow. Only then did he allow himself to look around.

Elle and Quinn had both only been a few strokes behind him getting to the boat. Santana was closing in, and Harry was about a yard behind her. He turned to search for Alexander, and swore in a combination of Spanish and Swedish. The other man was only about halfway to the boat.

“Come on, man! Swim harder!” he shouted. He had not just exhausted himself to give their tribe a lead, only for Alexander to blow it. Was the idiot dog paddling? “Alexander, swim, damn it!”

He could hear his tribemates screaming at the man as well. He swore again as Quinn and Santana released their boat and began swimming towards shore.

“Simon was the first to the boats for Hillerska, but Alexander still hasn’t reached it yet,” Jeff narrated. “Meanwhile, McKinley has taken a slight lead, and are heading back with their boat. Harry has now reached the boat for Truham, now they just have to release it. Hillerska needs to step it up if they don’t want to go to Tribal Council.”

Simon was seething. Why the hell had Alexander said he could swim if he couldn’t? “Swim like there was a shark chasing you!” he heard Madison shout. Screw a shark. If the pathetic man didn’t get it in gear, Simon was going to drag him by the hair to get him to the boat if he had to.

“Truham has their boat released now,” Jeff shouted. “Hillerska is falling further behind, despite having the early lead!”

Alexander finally reached him by the time Truham was about a quarter of the way back to shore.

“Just touch the fucking boat so we can get out of here!” Simon yelled. The second Alexander did so, Simon dove under the water, spotting the rope tied to a concrete block. He managed to free it fairly easily, and resurfaced between the boat and the float, with the crossbar in front of him. He grabbed onto the bar and began kicking with all his strength, trying to catch up.

/

Simon’s arms and legs were burning as he dragged the boat up the shoreline, with Alexander occasionally giving it a feeble push. They crossed the line, and Simon grabbed two of the bags of pieces. They felt like they weighed fifty pounds each, but he knew they weren’t actually that heavy, he was just exhausted. He dropped them on the mat, and turned to see Alexander struggling to pull the last bag across the sand. Grunting in anger, he stomped back and grabbed the bag and carried it himself.

“Just get on the mat!” he ordered.

/

“Alexander, the tribe has spoken.” Jeff snuffed the flame as Alexander threw one last angry scowl at the others, who refused to look at him.

…

Alexander smiled sheepishly at the camera.

“Alexander, we hardly got the chance to know you before you were eliminated. What didn’t we get to see from you?”

“Well, first off, I promise I’m not as pathetic as I came off in those first days. I probably should have prepared more and done more research when I learned I had been accepted on the show. I understood the concept of the show, but the reality was so much different. You all definitely did not see me at my best.”

“Madison, you managed to hold out a while longer, but again you left early. How would you describe your time on the island?”

“Amazing. I made some awesome friends, learned some new skills, and really got to connect with nature. I wish I could have stayed longer. Although after watching the show this season, I’m glad I left before the Bug Out Challenge. I would have definitely not handled that well.”

Several people laughed at that.

“Speaking of the Bug Out Challenge, Nick, we have a little clip for you.”

…

"Please be nice to us, Jeff," Nick teased, as the host placed a larger plate before each of them. When Jeff lifted the covers away, Nick let out a little scream and jumped back as a giant eight legged creature was revealed.

"Damn it, Jeff, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Not a fan of tarantulas, I take it?" Jeff asked.

Nick looked embarrassed. "Arachnophobic," he admitted

…

“In my defense, that thing was friggin huge!” Nick said, laughing at himself now. The others all laughed as well.

“I just find it hard to believe the big, strong Rugby King is afraid of something as innocuous as a spider, and a dead one at that.”

“They’re called phobias for a reason, Jeff. An irrational fear. And again, there was nothing little about that thing.”

“One of the fans’ favorite part of the show is the family visit, and this season had some interesting moments. Here’s just a few.”

…

The tall man with Blaine cleared his throat.

“Oh, this is my brother, Cooper. You can ignore him, I usually do. My mother is here somewhere, too, but I think she got sidetracked talking to Elle’s mum.”

“Squirt!” Cooper said, only pretending to be offended. “I promised I would be on my best behavior!”

“First off, I’ve told you repeatedly not to call me Squirt, and second, you already insulted the one Swedish lady with your really awful cliche accent. You’re lucky all she did was ignore you! She’s a trained bodyguard! She could have put you in a chokehold.”

/

“Who is it? Is it someone here on the show?”

Here it was, the perfect opportunity for Nick to tell her, before she saw it on the telly. “It’s Charlie. I’m bisexual, mum.”

“Charlie? The young man with the lovely hair? I should have known. I had a lovely conversation with his sister and his friends on the flight.”

“Did you hear what I said, mum? I’m bisexual.”

“I heard you, Nicky. I see nothing wrong with that. It just means you have a greater capacity to love. Did you think I wouldn’t accept that you aren’t straight?”

/

“I can talk to the prince if you want,” Talia offered. “Make him understand that I was the one who asked you to come here to watch over him.”

“I doubt that would do me any good. We both know how stubborn he can be.”

Talia smiled. “He gets it from his Mother. Those two are much more alike than they realize.”

Malin laughed. “Don’t ever let Wille hear you say that. Don’t worry about him right now. If he manages to get me voted out, there is nothing we can do about it. We knew that from the start.”

/

“Which ones are Elle and Quinn?” Tori asked.

Charlie shrugged. “Quinn got voted out a couple nights ago, but I’ll introduce you to Elle. Don’t get jealous if she calls herself my big sister. She’s been very good to me, and I want you all to be friends.”

“I wouldn’t dream of being jealous,” Tori replied in her very blunt way. “I just want to thank her for being here for you.”

“You really are doing so well, Charlie!” Tara said. “We’re so proud of you for making it this far.”

“Yes,” Darcy said. “And when you win the one million dollars, don’t forget us!”

Charlie laughed. “As if anyone could possibly forget you, Darcy Olsson, the human torpedo!” They all laughed at that.

/

Charlie almost had a heart attack when he recognized Blaine’s brother, Cooper Anderson. “You’re that freecreditscore guy!”

Cooper grinned. “That’s me! Have my commercials made it all the way across the pond?” he added with a bad British accent.

“No, I saw you on YouTube on this channel that makes fun of American commercials. You made their top ten most overly exaggerated commercial actors’ list.”

/

“Because he’s Charlie, of course,” Tori said. “Always bottling things up inside and letting them get to his head. Nick, it’s nice to meet you. Just keep in mind, if you hurt him, I will hurt you.”

Nick smiled at her. “I promise to do my best never to hurt him intentionally or accidentally.”

“Good. I think you’ll be good for him. Just don’t let him get too all up in his head, and keep him happy.”

/

“Mercedes Jones is going on tour with Starchild?” Simon asked. “When?”

“Next month,” Kurt said, overhearing the conversation. “Tickets were supposed to go on sale today, actually. Fortunately for me, I have backstage VIP access to any concert of hers I want to go to.”

“How did you manage that?” Elle asked.

Kurt smiled. “Mercedes and I go way back. We went to school together. She’s been my best friend since my sophomore year of high school. I designed her Grammy gown last year, and the one she’s going to wear this year.”

“Mercedes Jones?” Linda said, looking at Simon. "Ese es uno de los nombres que olvidé!"

“What?” Simon said, heart racing.

“Tu gerente, mencionó Mercedes, and someone else. Star something?”

Simon went pale as the realization dawned on him.

“Simon?” Wille said, noticing the other man’s shocked expression. “Is he okay? He looks like he is going to faint!”

“Mi amor? ¿Qué está mal?"

Simon could only shake his head.

"I think he is just in shock!" Sara said. "Mama, maybe you should have waited to tell him when he got home!"

"I don't understand," Linda said.

Simon stood up and took his mother's arm, leading her away hastily.

"¡Mamá, no puedes soltarme eso delante de todos! ¡La mayoría de ellos no me conocen! ¡Si se enteran de la gira, me expulsarán!"

"I'm sorry, mi amor. I wasn’t thinking!"

Simon sighed and clasped his hands behind his head. "It’s fine. I'm sorry I reacted like that. What exactly did my manager say about Mercedes and Starchild?"

Linda thought carefully. "He said everything was taken care of, and that you would be opening for Mercedes Jones and Starchild, who will be touring together for nine months."

Simon thought he was going to faint again. "Mama, do you know what this means?"

"¿Qué?”

“It means that everyone is going to hear my music! Mercedes Jones is only the hottest artist on the charts right now! And Starchild’s last tour broke records for attendance!”

…

“One name kept coming up again and again throughout the season.” Another short clip played, this time it was just different Survivors saying the name ‘Mercedes Jones’ over and over.

“So let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Jeff started. “Simon is on tour with Mercedes Jones, Charlie has played drums on her albums, Blaine, you’ve written songs for her, and Kurt, you went to high school with her? Anyone else have a connection to Mercedes?”

“I danced in a couple of her videos,” Brittany replied.

“I met her once on a plane before she was famous,” Santana added.

“And I spilled coffee on her once at a coffee shop in Boston,” Quinn said.

“Wow. Well, as a special surprise to close out our reunion show, Mercedes is here tonight to debut a new duet, co-written by Blaine and Simon, accompanied on the drums by our winner, Charlie. Please welcome, Mercedes Jones and Simon, AKA Omar!”

The audience screamed and jumped to their feet as the superstar joined Simon at the piano, as Charlie took residence behind the drum kit. Simon began playing softly at first, as Mercedes began to sing.

I walked through life with blinders on my eyes

Couldn’t see through all the pain and past the lies

Thought I’d never find my way,

Never really even tried

Never knew I was drowning in a turning sea