All-Star Survivor: Greece Episode #13 Challenging the Gods

Xanathos Tribe: Stephanie Dill, Tanya Vance

Jury: Ryan Aiken, Gabriel Cade, Jessie Camacho, Debb Eaton, Ramona Gray, Peter Harkey, John Raymond

DAY 39




Tanya Vance was the first to rise. She sat up in her sleeping bag, squinting her eyes against the bright morning sun. She rubbed them, yawning as she did so. Then she stretched.

It was just another morning. Just another day on the Aegean Sea. Just like the past thirty-eight.

And then... it hit her.

"Oh my God," she said to herself, sudden realization setting in, "This is it. Today's the day!"

Sure enough, it was Judgement Day.

She stood up quickly, stepping out of the bag, and into the morning air. Her navy blue sweatpants rippled in the wind as she did some early morning stretches.

It was time to get ready. Time to get the heck out of here, and go work on her jury answers. But first, she would need a little breakfast.

"You know," she said, as she slipped on her sandals, "I'm sick of fruit. I -hate- it. I never want to eat another orange again in my life." She laughed. "But I think I can do it for one more day." She glanced at the camera crew. "Just one more, or else I'd probably start going postal on you guys."

With Tanya gathering her last meal on Taygete, Stephanie was using her last morning on Maia to sleep in.

She lay here now, resting peacefully inside her blue sleeping bag. She hadn't stirred in hours. Which made sense, since she had stayed up most all of last night. From the time she had returned from Tribal Council, she had perched herself down at the beach, just watching the waves. She had been there nearly five hours, moving very little, as she had just watched the moonlight reflect off the ocean.

That had always been how she wanted to spend the last night. Once it became clear that she was a lock for the final two, Stephanie Dill had planned for it in advance.

The last night, just sit here and reflect. Just relax, and don't even worry about the final vote.

And she hadn't. Sure, Stephanie had a rudimentary idea of what she wanted to say tonight, how she wanted to present herself to the jury. And she knew her answers would be important too, since she felt a lot of them really kind of misunderstood her.

"No one has ever really gotten to know me here," she had once said, in a candid confessional. "With maybe the exception of John. I thought he kind of had a good sense of who I was, and then he got voted out. But after that?" She had smirked. "Nuh uh."

So despite the fact that a lot of money would depend on her final speech and answers, Stephanie had spent her last night without a care in the world. She just didn't see the point of stressing over it. Either they were going to vote for her tonight, or they weren't.

And frankly, she didn't even care all that much.

"Getting to the end," she would often say, "Is more important to me than the money. Just to say I got there, that I conquered the islands, that's really what it's all about. Especially since I did so piss-poorly in Thailand, and felt like a turd. That wasn't much fun at all."

So around 4 A.M., Stephanie had finally drifted off to sleep. She had made peace with all around her, and was ready to face the final challenge. The final showdown.

Today, she would be squaring off against Tanya. Squaring off against her friend, in a contest she wasn't entirely sure she could even win. But it didn't matter that much to her. After all, in Stephanie's mind, she had already won. Stephanie Dill was in the final two. She was happy.

And she was sleeping.

She was so relaxed, in fact, that she wasn't going to wake up for another three hours.




^^



At noon, both Steph and Tanya received their final piece of tree mail.

"Now is the time," the crinkled parchment read, "For one last confessional. Take this camera, and take it to a peaceful place. Record your final thoughts, your final words, the message you wish to leave to the world. Speak your mind, and then go to your beach. Your destiny will then soon await."

Stephanie dug into her treemail box and found a small, handheld camera.

"Very cool," she smiled.

Stephanie turned and left the clearing, intending to cross the entire island of Maia. Because she had a place she wanted to go. She had been here for a while now, through all sorts of trials and tribulations, and she already knew the precise place she wanted to film her final confessional.

She walked across a grassy plain, remembering how she had helped catch a sheep here. This was the spot that she and John had finally wrestled it down to the ground.

She crossed the southern beach, seeing the remains of the Xanathos shelter off in the distance. Gabe and Peter would be crushed to see it now, decimated and unloved. They had worked so hard on it. That shelter was their baby.

She passed a field of small purple flowers. Like all the other islands, Maia was overrun by them. And per the tradition of all the females in the game, she plucked one to place in her hair.

Finally, Stephanie arrived at the western shore of the island.

And there it was.

Her spot.

She climbed up a section of rock, onto a small rocky overhang. It stretched out over the sea, just a bit, but enough that you could see the entire Pleaides chain from here. This was her quiet place, the spot that she had come most every afternoon, when she wanted to get away. The place that had kept her mind clear all throughout the game, despite the fact that most everyone else thought she was bonkers. They just didn't understand. No one ever understood.

And with that, she started to film.

"Hey guys," she said, as she held the camera out in front of her. It was kind of awkward talking to yourself like this, but she figured she'd get used to it. There was lots of stuff she'd had to get used to out here, one more little weird confessional wasn't going to throw her off.

"I just want to thank everyone," she drawled, "For playing with us out here. I know a lot of you are gonna be kind of P.O'd tonight, when you have to award the money, but I just want you to know I'm not gonna take anything personal. I know it's just part of the game, so take your best shot, and I won't care."

She paused, not knowing how to continue. Without a producer here, it was kind of awkward knowing what they wanted to hear. She usually relied on prompted questions to steer her in the right direction. So instead, she tried to just wing it.

"Ny goal out here was to always have a good time. I wanted to put on a good show for y'all and keep it from getting boring. And I know people don't always know how to react to me, that's somethin' I've lived with for all my life. But I just want y'all to know that I enjoyed every minute out here." She smirked. "Well, okay, sometimes not with Ryan, but we'll talk about that later, don't you worry about us. Oh... and Jessie too. Girl, we need to sit down and have a drink, I'm sure we'll have a chance later."

She smiled now, something funny now striking her.

"I think it's really cool that a chick is gonna win this thing, being that the guys pretty much ran the show for so long. But we never really gave up, any of us. I know Tanya got frustrated sometimes, but she's just like that. I'd tell her to just chill out and be cool, but she was always worryin' about it. But we made it, and one of us is gonna win, and I just think that's so cool."

She stopped the camera, having said enough. She stood up, ready to walk down to the beach. But then she realized she wanted to add something.

"Oh yeah," she said, as she started the tape again, "Sorry, I forgot. You probably want to know if I think I can win. Well, honestly I don't really think I can. I don't think I coulda beat Peter, and I don't think it will be any easier against Tanya. People like her, that's just the way she is." She shrugged. "But I'll tell you what, Tanya -has- made some enemies over the past few days, and I know she realizes it. And I don't want to, like, do anything dirty tonight, but I know it will come up. And I can just say, honestly, guys I never stabbed anyone in the back, and I never lied. I know a lot of you didn't know me very well, but if you're gonna vote for someone who was true to herself every step of the way, I think you know who that is. And it aint Tanya."

And with that, she placed her camera down. She was done.



^^



Tanya was just finishing up her confessional at about the same time. She filmed herself under a tree on Taygete, taking a break from the sun. The shade was very welcome out here, particularly on warm mornings such as this.

"...And Gabriel," she continued, talking into the camera, "I had to vote you out for strategic reasons. I know you know this, but I want to make sure you realize I had a -hard- time with it. And Ryan, I know I was kind of giddy about it before, but I was just havin' fun when I teased you. You're a good guy, and I mean it."

She paused now to take a breath. She was almost done reeling off the reasons for every one of her voting choices. It seemed like something she had to do, so here she was.

"Peter, you know I love you. I really do. But I never felt like I really got to know you out here. It was something in your eyes, you're a very guarded person, and I think you closed off everyone who wasn't Gabe. So when it came down to Steph or you, it was never much of a choice in my mind. I'm sorry."

She was almost finished. She had been speaking for nearly twenty minutes, her ability to talk quickly helping her to let the words pour out, in the sweet southern voice that was her trademark. She had already bared her soul, pretty much. And now, it was time to wrap up.

"So lastly," she smiled, "I just want to say that I hope I win. I -think- I'm gonna win, because I know what you all pretty much think about Steph. She's a fun girl and all, but she just doesn't care about winning. She really doesn't. And I do. That's why I came here, that's why I set out to do this in the first place, and I just want to say I hope it all works out. That's all, take care everyone, and I'll see you later tonight."

Like Stephanie, she thought she was done, but then quickly thought of something else she wanted to add.

"Oh," she said, rolling tape again, "And a special shout out to Yertle the turtle, our mascot on Alkyone. I know we never got to see you after we switched islands, but I want you to know you're always my girl. Stay safe, and watch out for the big fish. We had a lot of fun playing with you."

And with that, she placed her camera down in the grass, and picked up her backpack. She took one last look behind her, at her island, and took a deep breath.

Now, it was time to go.

She walked across an open meadow, towards her beach. She could already see a boat waiting there, and a rower inside. He would be shuttling her to the final Tribal Council. So she approached him, again running over possible jury questions and answers in her head. She was trying to prepare for anything they could hit her with tonight. And she was almost to the boat too, when she stopped.

She realized she had forgotten something.

She turned around and jogged back towards her sleeping bag. She remembered that there was a patch there, a large field of the small purple flowers that all the girls loved to wear. She thought maybe they were violets.

Tanya reached down and plucked one from the grass. Then she took another. She twirled one behind her left ear, and one behind her right.

They would be her good luck charms for tonight.

And with that, she was ready to go.



^^



Tanya and Stephanie thought they were going to Merope Island. After all, that was where all the Tribal Councils had been held. That was where fates were decided, and dreams were crushed.

But this time, they were wrong.

Once she was out at sea, Tanya's boat immediately turned to the west. She looked at the oarsman, curiously, but he remained silent. She looked out to the northeast, where they -should- be going, but it was clear they were going somewhere new today.

-Hmmm...-, she thought, placing her chin in her hands.

About ten minutes later, she could see Stephanie's boat. Steph and her oarsman were about ten minutes ahead of them, just another speck in the vast sea. And she could also see land. The Greek mainland loomed ahead of them, probably about an hour away.

-Jeff Probst,- she thought now, smiling, -What do you have in store for us today?-

And sure enough, there stood Jeff, on the shore. He was waiting for them.

Jeff stood on the beach, hands clasped behind his back. He stood in his favorite khaki outfit and watched as the two boats approached. And behind him stood a helicopter. They would be going somewhere -extra- special today.

After all, this was Greece, one of the oldest places on Earth. And how could you visit Greece without paying homage to the gods?

What would a trip to Greece be... without a pilgrimage to Mount Olympus?



^^



Tanya and Stephanie stepped nervously into the helicopter, as Jeff had them fasten their seatbelts.

"We're going for a little ride," he said, turning to face them. He was sitting in the front seat, next to the pilot.

"Where to?" asked Steph, as she furrowed her brow in curiosity.

"There," said Jeff, pointing.

Both women followed his finger, as he gestured towards a mountain range off in the distance. But they didn't get it, not right away.

"Going to the mountains?" asked Tanya.

By now, the helicopter was lifting off the ground. The pilot pulled back on the throttle, and it rose up into the sky. Tanya had to clutch the strap hanging from the roof, to keep her balance, but eventually the pilot reached the proper altitude. Now they were flying, in a straight, low line, over the Greek countryside.

And they were headed right for the mountains.

"We'll be up here for about thirty minutes," explained Jeff. "So just relax. You'll see where we're headed when we get there."

With that, he turned around to face front. He conversed with the pilot for a while, but Steph and Tanya were left alone, in the backseat. Tanya turned to Steph a few times, to at least make small talk, but the firefighter stared out of the window for most of the trip, just watching the landscape. So Tanya turned back to her window, trying to do the same.

But butterflies were beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. She had been fighting them all day, but now they were here. The enormity of the situation was beginning to hit her. And thoughts started racing through her head again.

This is for a million dollars!

This is the final jury vote!

Tanya Vance, you better not blow this, this is your big chance!

This is to win Survivor!

"Oh, just shut up!" she whispered to herself, trying to stop her mind from racing off in some strange direction again.

But she was bombarded by these thoughts for most of the ride. She tried her best to calm herself, knowing that Stephanie was all too relaxed sitting next to her, Stephanie was just like that. But it was useless. This was a big deal. This was a -big- deal.

"There it is," said Jeff, finally. And he pointed to the largest peak among the mountain range. "That's where we're going."

Steph and Tanya peered forward, to look at their destination. But neither of them caught on. Not until Jeff said the magic words.

"That, my friends, is Mount Olympus."




^^



A large and ornate Tribal Council set had been constructed near the base of Mount Olympus, and they could all see it now from the air. It looked like a pair of large white rings, one resting just above the other. They couldn't really make out the details from here, but it looked large, it looked white, and it looked impressive.

"Man...," said Stephanie, as the helicopter finally touched down.

Jeff exited the craft and helped Steph and Tanya do the same. They were more or less under the Tribal Council set now, and could look up to see it. It was set in the side of the mountain, kind of dug into the rock. And beneath it lay a large white staircase. The stairs meandered slowly up the side of the mountain, right up to the base of the Council set. It looked like about ten stories, and Tanya winced at the thought of that walk.

But a walk it would be.

"We're going up the stairs," said Jeff, as the helicopter took off. "Come on."

Jeff walked ahead of them, about twenty paces ahead, as they all started to traverse the staircase. Up they went, Jeff in the lead, and Tanya and Steph trailing him. They walked slowly, three figures on a large white stone staircase, slowly climbing up the side of one of the most famous mountains in the world.

It took about fifteen minutes, as the steps were steep, but soon they reached their destination.

Jeff had already entered the set, so Tanya and Steph were alone as they reached the top step. Now they were standing on a large, white platform. It was completely empty, save for three things.

Jeff's podium stood at one end. And he was standing behind it, watching them.

And two chairs sat in the middle. Their chairs. This is where they would be judged, for one last time.

"Welcome," smiled Jeff, as he beckoned for them to enter.

Tanya took the chair on the left, and sat down. She was wearing a black tank top and blue shorts, her hair pulled back into tight braids. She had two purple flowers in her hair.

Stephanie took the chair on the right, and sat down. She wore a black t-shirt, gray shorts, and her hair was braided into two pigtails. She had a purple flower in her hair as well.

Jeff smiled.

They had dressed almost exactly alike.

With that, Jeff motioned with his hand, and the jury members entered. And it was now evident why the stage was divided into two rings. Because the jury sat on the top ring of the stage, about five feet above the players.

One by one they filed in, and took their places.

Debb.

John.

Jessie.

Ryan.

Gabriel.

Ramona.

And Peter.

The seven jurors sat on throne-like seats, and were spread out in a semi-circle on the top ring. They looked down at Steph and Tanya sternly now. None of them were smiling. They looked like jurors. They looked like judges.

And they looked like gods.

"This is our final Tribal Council," said Jeff, once everyone had taken their place. "And today, we'll be doing something a little bit different. Today, we are determining our winner. We are picking both the winner of All-Star Survivor: Greece, as well as the winner of a million dollars."

He smiled.

"We'll start off with opening statements. Tanya and Stephanie, you'll have a chance to speak, and explain why you think you should be the winner of this game. Then once you have spoken, the jurors will have a chance to ask you questions. Or make comments. Or do... whatever it is they need to do."

He paused, and nodded.

"And then, you'll both get a chance to issue final remarks before we vote. Any questions?"

Tanya shook her head. Steph shook her head. And with that, it was time to begin.

"Tanya, you're up first."




^^



Tanya Vance stood up now, and took a deep breath.

She smiled up at the jurors. None of them smiled back.

"Hi there," she said. "Well, I'm sure by now, most of you have figured out how I got here. You all probably know by now that Steph and I were friends, and we kind of worked as a team, and all of that. So I'm not gonna really go into that right now. We've covered that already."

She paused, to compose herself.

"I'm not really big on speeches, so this'll be quick. But here's what I wanted to say, to all of you." She paused again. "Guys, I worked really hard to get to where I am right now. I know some of you might view me as lucky, or kind of sneaky, but I definitely planned this thing out in advance. Every day, I was thinking, how can I get to the end? What do I need to do? Who needs to be voted off for me to succeed?"

She smiled now, hoping to see some friendly faces smile back.

"I feel I played this game honestly. I tried very hard not to lie to anybody, and I always gave a hundred and ten percent. Most of you, I gave a chance to have an alliance with me, and I felt I had a strong bond with most of you as well. I stayed honest about my place in the game, and I feel that I have earned your vote."

She paused, before finally delivering the kicker. This was the line she knew would get them.

"I think you all know how much it means to me to be here today. I was voted off second in my last experience, and I think you all know how hard I tried to do well this time around. I conditioned myself better, I trained better, and I tried very, very hard to adapt to the elements in Greece. And I think I succeeded. So I feel like I have come a long way, and I hope you will remember this when you cast your vote. Thank you."

With that, she smiled and nodded. Then she sat down.

-Not bad-, she thought. She had probably left out one or two small points, but for the most part, she was happy. That was the tone she had wanted to take. She had nailed it, in her mind anyway.

"Okay Stephanie," said Jeff, "You're up."

Stephanie Dill stood up now, and looked around at the jurors. Already, she looked awkward, and Jessie had to stifle a small smile. None of the jurors expected much from Stephanie today. She wasn't exactly known as a slick talker. And Steph helped to further the image as well, taking a few moments before she even said a word.

But then, the words started to come out.

"Hey guys," she said, nodding her head at them. "Um... this isn't really my strong suit, so I'm not gonna say much right now. If you don't mind, I'll save most of it for the questions part. But I just want to thank you all for coming here and making this decision today."

She paused, not really knowing what else to say. But at least she was getting a little more at ease now. So she tried to take a different approach. She tried to make them laugh.

"I'm here for one reason today, and one reason only. And that's because none of you were ever able to vote me out."

Peter let loose a laugh in the jury box, despite his attempts to keep a stoic face. Steph heard this and was heartened. So she kept it up.

"Seriously, some of you tried to vote me out, but it didn't work. I had a ton of votes against me, but for some reason, it never happened. Meanwhile, Tanya over there," she gestured with her hand, "Never had a vote against her. No one ever thought enough of her to try to get rid of her. But me? Oh sure, let's vote Steph out. Sure, let's toss four votes at her today, maybe three next time. Let's make sure she never sleeps."

A few of the jurors were smiling now, and Tanya watched with dismay. Even Jessie seemed to be smiling. Stephanie couldn't possibly win them over, could she? Stephanie??

"So I think I've earned your vote," said Steph, "Just on the basis of hazard pay. You guys have been after me since day one, and I don't think Tanya even remembers how her name is spelled. She aint seen it written since she got her plane ticket in the mail."

That one got a chuckle out of Debb.

"And I've worked hard," Steph continued. "I've done my part. I kicked butt in the challenges, I haven't been slacking out here. So please don't write me off simply because a lot of you don't know me real well. You just have to get to know me first, and then maybe you'll see I deserve to be here as much as anyone else."

She started to sit down, and then remembered she had one more thing to add.

"And remember, you probably voted for me once before already, so it won't hurt you to do it again. Thanks."

^^

Debb Eaton was the first juror to speak. She stood up now, from her seat on the far left.

And right off the bat, she directed her questions at Tanya Vance.

"Tanya," she said, watching as the social worker stared up at her, "I have something that I've wanted to say to you for a long time."

She paused.

"Well, to -all- of the Alkyones, actually, but since you're the only one left, it's more or less directed at you. And I want to talk about your position that you have been honest out here with everybody."

Tanya nodded.

"I want to take you back to the day I got voted out," said Debb. "Do you remember that?"

"Sure," nodded Tanya. "Day twenty-four. We all had hangovers from the wine. It was a nice day, though."

Debb chuckled. If nothing else, the girl had a mind for details.

"Well I want to congratulate you," said Debb. "Because you were honest that day. In fact, you were honest all week. Because you told me I was going. You basically came right up to me and said, 'Debb, you're going next.'"

She paused, still seething a little. Debb was not good at letting things like this go.

"And do you know how you told me? Oh no, you didn't so much as tell me in words. No, because that would be too polite. No, you let me know, as did the rest of you, because none of you would really speak to me. Once I got to your team, I got the silent treatment from everybody but Peter. And that, to me, is a pretty good sign that I was next. Wouldn't you say?"

Tanya nodded, slowly. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to answer this.

"So I just want to thank you," said Debb, "For being so honest. I would have liked to know you, of course, but maybe that can happen next time. We'll see. Cause I've heard you're a nice person."

Even Stephanie had to wince at that one. She could see that Tanya wasn't expecting to be hit so hard.

"Well," said Tanya, slowly, "I... uh... that was an awkward situation you're talking about. Because we -did- know that you were next. And I'm sorry, but that's hard on anybody, to try to talk to somebody you know you have to vote out. So I apologize, Debb, I apologize from the bottom of my heart if you felt I treated you poorly. I can assure you it was not intentional at all."

"I'm not even saying it was just you," explained Debb. "It was all of you, so this isn't a direct attack on you. It was just something I needed to say."

With that, she turned to Stephanie.

"Stephanie. I'm sorry but I just never got a chance to meet you. Not formally, anyway. But I've seen you at Tribal Council every few days, and I just have to say... who are you?"

A few people laughed, Jeff Probst among them.

"Who are you, Stephanie?" continued Debb. "I've watched you every time, and every time, you're different. Some nights, you were giggling and laughing like a little kid. Some nights, you were as focused and determined as anyone I ever saw. And some nights, I don't even think you knew where you were."

She shrugged.

"Just explain to me, in twenty words or less, why you came here. Who you are. How you played. -Something-. Give me something to go by here."

Steph paused for a moment, thinking over the question. Then she answered.

"I played Survivor for one reason, the challenge. I didn't care about the money, and I still don't. I would have played for free. All I wanted to do was win."

"But why?" asked Debb. "Why do you need to win?"

"Because that's all I know how to do."

Debb remained silent at this answer, so Jeff piped up.

"Anything else, Debb?"

"Nah," she sighed. "I'm okay. Thanks."

She sat down.



^^



John Raymond stood up now, and both Stephanie and Tanya smiled. They both knew John. They both liked John. He would be a fair juror.

And they both thought he was a slam dunk vote in their favor.

"Welcome you two," he smiled. "Tanya, Steph. You guys are great. And I know both of you deserve to be here tonight, probably more than any of the rest of us. So don't let anyone tell you otherwise, okay?"

He smiled. He had relaxed them. That had been his intent.

"I have one point to make, for everyone. And this is something I don't think either of them will say, so it is important."

He turned towards Tanya.

"Tanya Vance was planning to take down Gabriel and the Alkyones from the moment I knew her. She was talking about it early on, and reiterated it to me many times. She rode nobody's coattails, she did it all herself, and she and I even had a final two alliance at one point, to the end."

Tanya nodded.

"But don't think that Stephanie did any less planning," explained John. "She and I sat in that fishing boat for three weeks, just about. We talked nearly every day, and she has a lot more going on, strategically, than most of you will give her credit for. She was one of the first people to talk alliance with me, she stuck with me when Ryan wanted to take over the tribe, and she never once backstabbed me or any person she was friends with. She is as honest and true as the day is long."

Stephanie smirked, almost smiling. She didn't want to show any emotion, but John's speech was touching. Her friend was sticking up for her. He was building her up for the jury.

"My question to you two," said John, "Is this. Number one, what was the best strategic move you feel you made, and number two, was the game ever not fun for you, at any time?"

Stephanie was the first to answer.

"My best strategic move was aligning with you. Cause you were the only one talking strategy right off the bat, and it helped me get into that aspect of the game right away."

John nodded.

"And no, the game was never not fun for me. I always tried to keep a positive frame of mind."

"Even when Jessie and Ryan were after you?" asked John.

"It was a little harder then. But yeah."

Tanya waited for Stephanie to finish, and then started her answer.

"My best strategic move," she thought, "Was simple. It's when I decided to vote out Gabe." She shrugged up at Gabe. "Just something that had to happen."

She paused for a moment.

"And I always enjoyed myself out here. I don't think there's anyone here that can say I was ever a sourpuss. I tried to always have a smile on my face, even if things weren't going my way."

"Did things ever not go your way?" followed up John.

"Only when you got voted out. Other than that, I guess I was pretty fortunate most of the time."




^^



Jessie Camacho was the third juror to speak, and she stood up.

"Tanya," she said. "First off, hi."

Tanya smiled.

"Secondly, how does it feel tonight? To know that you're going to win?"

"Um..." started Tanya. She didn't know how to respond. "It feels... good?"

"I'm serious," said Jessie. "You're going to win tonight, and it isn't even going to be close. You have all your friends on the jury, plus two of us who had a pretty serious grudge with Stephanie. So how does it feel? You're going to win tonight and you don't even have to say a word. You could call us all names, and it wouldn't even make a difference. How do you feel about that?"

"Well," said Tanya, "If I win, I'd feel exhilirated, of course. I mean, we all want to win, don't we?"

"That's all I have to say, Jeff," said Jessie. "I'm done."

"Nothing for Stephanie?"

"No. Nothing."

Jessie sat down.



^^



Ryan Aiken stood up now. He was the fourth juror to speak.

This oughta be good, thought Stephanie. Tanya was thinking pretty much the same thing.

"First off," said Ryan, "Congratulations to both of you. You've both done well, and have earned it. Nice job."

He turned to Tanya.

"And I know Jessie said you could just call us names, but if you wanted to talk dirty to us, I don't think most of us would mind."

Tanya rolled her eyes, smiling, as a few people laughed.

"I'm joking," said Ryan. "But okay, check it out. I was pretty good friends with both of you, so I know both of you pretty well, and I know what you were up to. John is right, in that Tanya was trying to get rid of Gabe and Peter pretty early on. She talked about it all the time, and tried to get me in with her, but I wouldn't do it."

Tanya snorted to herself. Um, it wasn't quite like that, but thanks anyway.

"And Steph, man, you're just nuts. I mean, I love you, and you're nuts in a good way, but I always had a hard time figuring out what you were up to. But I want you to know that even though we fought a little in Taygete, I still had nothing but love and respect for you. It was just a game, you know? You're still my girl. Me and you are tight."

"You bet," said Steph, relaxing somewhat. She had expected worse from Ryan, but apparently he didn't hold a grudge like Jessie did.

Well, at least not until he saw the show, and heard her confessionals about him. But luckily, that day was well off in the future. He could be mad then.

"Now I've heard talk," continued Ryan, "That you two are lucky to be here. That seems to be the word in the jury box. That Tanya, you're a cherry picker, and Steph, you're just lucky. Now I don't agree, but I want you guys to respond to that. How do you answer claims that you're lucky to be here?"

Stephanie was given the first chance to respond.

"I don't think I got lucky at all," she said, "I was very aware of a few things all along. First off, I tried to hold back in the challenges, because I didn't want to look like a threat. I didn't want to scare any of you guys if I kicked your ass in something."

Ryan chuckled.

"Secondly," she continued, "I was very aware of what you guys thought of me. I knew people thought I was a basket case, and I kind of, you know, played with that. I'd act up, just to get people to forget about me. Oh you know, that's crazy Steph, that kind of stuff. So you could probably -say- I was lucky if you wanted to, but I know I did plenty of things to help my status in the game. The deal is just nobody else knew about it."

With Stephanie done, it was Tanya's turn. And this was a big question. She knew that people viewed her as lucky, and this was her chance to help deflect a lot of that criticism. Maybe her only chance.

"I was lucky only in the sense that I had a strong team," she explained. "Because Alkyone never lost! We were on such a roll at the start that we never had to start backstabbing each other, and we all bonded. So I was lucky in the sense that my team was strong, and we all trusted one another. But other than that..."

She wasn't sure she wanted to do this, but she made a split second choice. Contrite Tanya or strategic Tanya, which one did she want to be? And, of course, she went for strategic. This was no time to be meek. Not now. Not at the final Tribal Council.

She held up one finger.

"Sonja was the first Alkyone voted off... and I voted for her."

She held up a second finger.

"Hunter was the second... and I voted for him."

She held up a third.

"Debb was third... and I voted for her."

She held up a fourth.

"Jessie was first after the merge, and I voted for her."

She held up a fifth.

"Then I voted for Ryan. You can see the point. I voted for every person that ended up going. I was always aware of who was going, sometimes even suggesting names. The only way you can call me less of a player than someone like Gabriel, or you Ryan, is that I'm not as obvious about it. That's it."

She paused.

"I always knew who was going. And there aint no luck involved with that. It's just called paying attention."




^^



Gabriel was the fifth juror to speak, and he stood up. He smiled at them and immediately, both women relaxed. Tanya knew Gabe still -might- hold a grudge, but she was banking that he didn't. In fact, she was banking a million dollars on the fact that Gabe would be able to forgive and forget.

But now it was his turn to speak. Both women expected him to ask something deep. Something non-threatening. Something philosophical.

And he did not disappoint.

"Asking why -you- deserve to be there is ridiculous. You deserve to be there because you're there. You figured out how to vote everyone off without getting voted off yourself. And it doesn't really matter how because, whatever it was, it worked."

He smiled at them.

"Like in life, you move ahead or stay behind by cunning, the forces of nature, and with luck. The final two is made up of the two people who played the game the -best.- You're both there, you both -deserve- to be there equally. So by that rationale, I don't know how any of us can really choose, if we were to choose logically. So I'm going to take a different approach to this than most would."

He paused.

"I try to make my life about the process, not the ending. So my question will relate to that. How important is it to you to win this game?"

He stepped back now, and nodded. That was it. He only wanted to know how badly they wanted to win.

"Well," said Tanya, "For me, it's really quite simple. I want to win this more badly than just about anything. You know how hard I worked to get here, and how much I love this game. I think everybody here knows that. And I told myself if I won, I'd do something good with the money too, not just spend it. But still, to get there, you have to win, and you have to play hard. So I'd say that yes, it is -very- important to me to win this game. I don't think I could go home if I didn't win."

She smiled. She hoped he wouldn't take that answer the wrong way.

"So you would give some of the money away?" asked Gabe, a little smile on his face, "And not just keep it all for yourself?"

"Well," said Tanya, almost flirtingly, "If I do, I promise not to give any of it to you."

Gabe giggled, and she knew she had him. She had his vote. Gabe couldn't hold a grudge if his life depended on it.

"How about you, Steph?" he asked. "How important is it for you to win?"

Steph paused before she answered. She wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to hear. Gabe was weird like that, you could never quite figure out what he was asking.

"It's very important to me," she said, "From the standpoint of a challenge. I mean, I don't want to lose to anybody, in anything. But would I be able to sleep at night if I lost? Of course. It's not that kind of important. It's different."

"And the money?" asked Gabe. "Does that enter into your mind at all?"

"Not at all," she confirmed, truthfully. "I don't even care about the money."

"Okay," he smiled. "And thanks to both of you. Personally, I think it is awesome that you kept your relationship a secret for all this time. I never had a clue, I don't think anybody did. So nice job, and good luck."

He sat down.



^^



Ramona Gray was the sixth juror to speak, and she stood up now. She eyed the two finalists, warily, and Tanya took a deep breath. Ramona was the only juror she was really nervous about. Ramona was the only one she had really screwed over, and in a deliberate fashion, too.

If Ramona wanted to, she could severely damage Tanya's reputation right now. In front of the jury.

"For a day or so," she finally started, "I wasn't sure what I wanted to say to you two. I was just stunned for a while, not believing that I had been voted out. I just couldn't accept it, and you can probably guess why."

She looked at Tanya, and Tanya knew it was coming.

"Tanya, I trusted you. I trusted you with my life out here, and you know it. You -knew- it."

Tanya dropped her eyes now, not wanting to make eye contact. But Ramona continued.

"The way you voted me out was possibly the harshest thing I have experienced in a long time. You looked me right in the eyes, and you lied to me."

"I didn't lie...," started Tanya.

"No," interrupted Ramona, "You -didn't- lie. You didn't say, 'Ramona, I'm not going to vote you off. You never said that. But you did tell me to what...?"

"To have faith."

"That's right. To have faith. You deliberately used my own faith against me, and did it in a manner so I wouldn't see it coming. Am I correct?"

"No," said Tanya, "Not at all."

"Well then, please explain to me how I misinterpreted that. Because from my end, it sure seems like you used me."

"I didn't mean to phrase it like that," said Tanya. "I honestly didn't!" And this was true, Tanya was not lying. She didn't even realize how it was going to come off when she said it.

"I was just trying," she continued, "To throw Peter off. I didn't want him to know who I was voting for. Because that would have ruined everything!"

"But you had no intention to ever go to the final two with me?" asked Ramona.

"No. Never."

"And you call that honest?"

"Well," explained Tanya, "I can't say I didn't stumble some along the way. But eventually I had a final two alliance with just about everyone, and you just happened to be one name on the list."

Ramona sighed now, and shook her head. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of Tanya. In one sense, Tanya was a player. She was definitely a player, even though Ramona didn't necessarily respect her all that much. But as for Stephanie?

Bleh.

Ramona had -zero- respect for Stephanie. In her mind, Stephanie Dill had not even -begun- to start playing this game strategically.

"Stephanie," asked Ramona, "Did you ever have a final two alliance with anybody?"

"Sure," answered Steph. "John and I had one on day two."

"Any after that?"

"Tanya and I had one."

"When?"

"A little after the merge."

"So let me get this straight," sighed Ramona. "You were friends with her all along. You went into this game as a team, and thought it would be fun to fool everybody. You talked together all the time, but you never thought to form a final two alliance with her until... what... day twenty seven?"

"We weren't going to vote for one another. That was it," admitted Steph. "We just never thought about formalizing it like that."

"-You- didn't," said Ramona. "But I know -she- did. I don't even have to ask, you think she would let that slip by?" She sighed. "Oh okay, just for fun, let's ask. Tanya, did you ever consider Steph for a final two alliance?"

"Of course," smiled Tanya. "But she wasn't my first choice. She's too flaky. I tried to get John or Gabe instead. Steph is kind of unpredictable. Plus she doesn't really know how to play the game."

Steph frowned somewhat at this, but Tanya had made her point.

"Well," said Ramona, "I guess it comes down to this. Tanya, you were a cherry picker out here, and don't even try to convince yourself otherwise. You hide behind people until they aren't convenient, and then you drop them like an old shoe. You play just like Jessie, only you are more subtle about it. So don't get yourself off on playing the honest and sweet card, because that's not always the case, and you know it."

She turned to Stephanie.

"And Steph, I just... I don't even know where you fit in. I mean, you seem like a nice person and all, but like Debb said, who are you? I know you're not a cherry picker, because you don't hide behind anything or anyone. In fact, I don't even know -what- you were picking, you were off picking some other fruit altogether. Maybe you were on some other show, and we didn't see it, I don't know."

She shrugged.

"But I can say without a doubt, with a hundred percent certainty, that you never lied to me or stabbed me right in the back. Unlike your friend there. So I guess I'll take it all into consideration when I vote."

She sat down.




^^



Peter Harkey was the seventh, and final, juror.

He stood up from his seat, at the far right of the jury panel, and turned to address them.

"Tanya, Steph, I just want to congratulate you both on getting here. I know you both had a lot of fun along the way, and I tip my cap to you. You beat me at my best yesterday, and there wasn't much I could do. So here's my question, and it is a simple one."

He smiled.

"We all have an ego out here. And for some of us, it gets in the way. So please tell me this. Has your ego been your friend or enemy for these last thirty-nine days?"

Stephanie closed her eyes at this question. Oohh... that was a deep one. And like with Gabriel, she was a little baffled by the question. She wasn't sure what Peter was looking for, although she knew he would be looking. He loved to interpret answers you gave him, that was one of his trademarks. So she would have to be careful to pick and choose her words carefully.

Because she knew he would be listening.

"I would say..." she began, "That my ego kind of got in the way a few times. I know with Jessie and Ryan, I kind of held a grudge longer than I had to, and it took me out of the game I should have been playing. I feel bad about that now, because it isn't me. But at the time, I couldn't much help it. I was pissed off. I'm not gonna lie to you. I acted like a bitch, just because I was pissed off."

Peter nodded. Good, that was the kind of answer he was looking for. Something honest. Something humble.

He turned to Tanya.

"I can't really say," she began, "Because I don't really know what you mean by ego. Do you mean was I cocky?"

"I just mean," said Peter, "If you were your own worst enemy here, or if you were able to deal with success or failure in a way that could positively affect your status in the game. Did you get a big head over your successes?"

"Well, I probably did," she said. "And I certainly didn't mean to, but when things are going good, it's kind of human nature to start celebrating. So yes, my ego probably did get in the way, and made me less cautious than I should have been."

"So do you think you'll win tonight?"

Tanya was not ready for this question, and she paused for a moment. Of course she thought she was going to win. But did she really want to admit that? Did Peter want the truth, or did he want her to sound humble?

"Yes," she finally nodded. "I think I probably will."

She saw Jessie now out of the corner of her eye. Jessie was nodding vigorously.

"Stephanie," asked Peter, "Do you think you will win tonight?"

"No, sir."

"Thanks, Jeff," said Peter.

He sat down.



^^



Stephanie and Tanya were given one chance to wrap up their arguments, although neither had a whole lot to say. Most everything had been covered so far in the question portion. There wasn't much left to add.

"I just want to say," said Steph, "That I am my own person, and I play the game my own way. Please don't judge me by the standards that you set for yourself, because that's not me. I was here to put on a good show, to have fun, and for the competition. And I think I had a pretty darn good time in the process."

She paused.

"I never lied to anybody, I never cheated, I never deceived, and I never backstabbed. I was true to everybody I said I would, and I didn't do anything here I wouldn't be proud of."

She smirked now.

"Well, okay maybe except for that getting drunk and stripping night, but that's the -only- thing. So don't hold that against me, even if you -are- a pastor and probably wouldn't approve."

She looked up at John, and he smiled.

"So thanks for listening to me," she said, "And best of luck in your decision. Vote with your hearts, vote with your head, and try not to be pissed off that you're gonna to lose to someone with an accent."

Several of the jurors laughed at that one, and Steph felt like she was making some headway. At least they seemed to like her.

"Vote for whoever you want to," she finished, "And you know I'll be happy with it either way."

She sat down.

Tanya stood up now, and looked over the faces of the jury members. She was trying to figure out whose vote she had already wrapped up. And in her mind, she counted five. Gabriel, Peter, John, Ryan and Jessie. She had it. She knew she had it. So she decided to keep her final comments short, and just add maybe a little more icing to the cake.

Just in case.

"I just want to reiterate once more how hard I worked to get here, and how much it means to me to do well at this game. You know that if I win, it will be a life changing event. It will be something that will very much affect my life, as well as my desire to help many charities along the way. If you know me, you know how important that is to me. And you can contrast that to Stephanie if you want, because you can probably tell that she -doesn't- care about it. Any of it. She doesn't care about the game. She doesn't care about the money. And quite honestly, she doesn't care about most of you either."

Stephanie winced next to her. That one had been a bit of a low blow.

"So that's all I can say," said Tanya. "It's in your hands now, and I thank you for making the choice."



^^




"Okay," said Jeff. "Here's what we're going to do. One by one, the jurors are going to vote."

He pointed to the ivory ballot box, which stood on the upper ring of the set.

"And jurors, let me remind you that tonight, you are voting -for- somebody. You are voting for the person you want to win this game."

And with that, he paused. This was it. This was the big moment.

"Debb, you're up."

Debb Eaton stood up from her seat, and walked over to the ballot box.

She uncapped the pen and wrote down a name.

She held up the ballot.

"Stephanie," it read.

"Tanya," she said, "I really never got a sense that you cared about the people here. You not only treated -me- like crap, but you took poor Gabriel and Ramona out without them ever seeing it coming. And I'd be fine with that in most cases, after all, it's a game! That's how to play. But I think you try to hide behind your honest and sweet image a little too much, and I just don't see much honor in that. It's not how I'd play." She shrugged. "And Stephanie, I liked your answers, simple as that. You're straightforward, you don't jerk people around, and I think you're a tough chick. I wish you would have been on my tribe all along, we would have been a good team."

With that, she placed her ballot in the box.

John Raymond was the second juror to vote, and he walked over to the ballot box.

He paused for a moment before voting, as he had to think this one over. As he had admitted, he -did- have ties to both women. He liked them both, and either one would be a deserving winner, in his mind.

But at the same time, there was only one who he had always been a bit sweet on. And it wasn't Stephanie.

"Tanya," he said, holding up her name, "I thought you played an excellent game. Just dynamite. You impressed me so much with our little talk on the boat, you were able to remember just about everything that anyone had ever said to you. And I knew at that moment, you were gonna go far. And I apologize to Stephanie, since I know she expects this vote, but let me say this. If I had voted in Thailand, I would have voted for Brian Heidik. But luckily, tonight I get to vote for his little sister. Congratulations."

Jessie was the third juror to vote, and was followed by Ryan. Then, it was Gabriel's turn.

"Tanya," he said, holding up her name. As she expected, he hadn't been able to hold a grudge. He would have voted for her, no matter what her answers had been.

"Next time we watch the show," he said, "You pay for the pizza, okay? You should be able to afford it from now on. Take care."

Ramona Gray was the sixth juror, and cast her vote without hesitation.

Then, it was Peter's turn.

He strode over to the ballot box, and uncapped the pen.

And surprised everyone with his vote.

"Stephanie," he said, holding up the brown piece of paper.

"You know, all along I was gonna vote for Tanya. I was just gonna say, you got me, more powah to you. In fact, when I looked in her eyes back on day one, I could see it. She was going to be here on the final day. You could just see it. But tonight...," he sighed. "I get the sense that Tanya feels she -deserves- this money. She didn't come right out and say it, but she does kind of give off that aura. And with Stephanie, you don't get that sense. Sure, she didn't play as hard, and she probably -doesn't- want to win all that badly, but she shows humility. She is honest, and I never got the sense she was skirting around a question. She answered every question right from her gut, right from her heart. And while I really don't think she can win tonight, I want her to get my vote. I think she earned it."

All seven ballots were now in the box, and the jurors were back in their places.

"I'll go tally the votes," said Jeff, as he left his podium. He walked up a small flight of stairs and appeared on the top ring. He got the ballot box, came back down, and was now at his podium again.

He smiled.

"Annnnnd cut," said a voice offstage.

The cameras were turned off. The Greek part of the adventure was over.



^^



[LOS ANGELES - Three months later]



Tanya and Stephanie sat now, on a sound stage at CBS.

They were dressed in the same clothes they had been wearing back in Greece. And they were sitting in their chairs, on an exact make-up of the Tribal Council set back on Mount Olympus. But this was a soundstage. This was California. This was live TV.

And along with a studio audience, they were watching the show unfold, above them on a video monitor.

"And while I really don't think she can win tonight," Peter's image said from the screen, "I want her to get my vote. I think she earned it."

Tanya looked at Peter, sitting above her on the jury ring.

"Peter!" she mouthed, but he only laughed. He hadn't told her she didn't get his vote. He hadn't even hinted at it. And all of a sudden Tanya was getting a little worried. If Ramona voted for Steph... that was three Steph votes. Was it possible that Ryan or Jessie could have voted for her as well?

Was it possible??

But now, it was just about time for the live switchover. They were about to go from tape to live. The cameramen were warning them.

Jeff's image on the screen walked to retrieve the ballots.

"Three..." counted a cameraman, "Two... One..."

And now, they were live.

Jeff Probst appeared on stage, and walked over to his podium. He held the ivory box in his hands, and placed it down.

"I want to remind you that this vote is to -win- Survivor," he said, "You -want- to see your name on the ballots this time around."

Tanya and Steph nodded. Then they held hands. They still had purple flowers in their hair.

"And now," nodded Jeff, "I'll read the votes."

He pulled out the first vote.

He looked at it.

And turned it around.

"Tanya."

That was Gabriel's vote. Her friend. She looked up at the upper ring and smiled at him. He smiled back, nodding.

Jeff pulled out vote number two.

He turned it around.

"Stephanie."

Stephanie grinned broadly as Tanya squeezed her hand. That was Debb's vote.

"That's one vote Tanya," said Jeff, "One vote Stephanie."

With that, he pulled out the third vote.

He paused, and then turned it around.

"Stephanie."

Stephanie raised one hand to her mouth now, and covered it. This was more tense than she had imagined. She didn't think it would be this bad, but she was starting to shake.

"Fourth vote," said Jeff. He pulled it out.

And turned it around.

"T"

That was Ryan's vote. He was the one who called her "T" the most. And she smiled up at him, gratefully. He smiled back, and winked.

"Two votes Tanya," said Jeff, "Two votes Stephanie."

With that, he pulled out vote number five.

He paused for an extra long moment, causing Tanya to hold her breath.

He looked up, and then turned it around.

"Tanya."

Tanya closed her eyes and smiled now, trying not to bounce her feet in excitement. She was trying to stay calm, but she knew the next vote would be hers. She just -knew- it. All she needed was one more.

Jeff pulled out the sixth vote from the urn.

He looked at it.

Now he looked up.

And smiled.

"And the winner," he said, "Of All-Star Survivor: Greece..."

Meet the winner...