All-Star Survivor: Greece Episode #7 Goodbye, Little Children

Taygete Tribe: Dirk Been, Jessie Camacho, Debb Eaton, Ramona Gray
Alkyone Tribe: Ryan Aiken, Gabriel Cade, Stephanie Dill, Peter Harkey, John Raymond, Tanya Vance

DAY 19



John Raymond got up early, wanting to go for a walk.

"So, last night we voted off Hunter," he said, as he walked along the coast. Barefoot, enjoying the sensation of the cold wet sand between his toes, the pastor from Louisiana reflected upon the events of last night. He had made a bold move, a calculated gamble. He had taken the bull by the horns and changed the tribe's voting plans at the last minute. Whereas the plan -had- been, all along, to get rid of Ryan Aiken, John had done his best to change that.

It had all been up to him.

"It's called bottom feeding," he said, as he tossed a small stick into the sea. It disappeared into the water without a sound. "Ryan was obviously in desperate need of some help, and what you have to do in that situation is use it to your advantage. You just offer him a little security, a little power, and you have yourself a valuable bargaining chip for later on in the game. And frankly, I was a little stunned that no one else had been thinking the same way." Quite truthfully, John had expected that -someone- would have tried to pull Ryan into the game, somewhere along the line. And sure, no one really cared much for the kid, but that shouldn't have mattered. This wasn't a personal game. This was a game of numbers.

And -any- ally could be valuable down the line. Whether you cared for him or you didn't.

"No one has to know that he and I are together," John finished. "All they have to know is that we needed to get rid of Hunter, right before the merge. No one wanted Hunter around, or really Gabe for that matter. But Gabe was in the alliance, so voting him off wasn't gonna fly real well. It had to be Hunter." He nodded, loving to spell it all out for the cameras. After all, John had failed miserably at this game last time. Greece was going to be his chance to shine. Greece was his chance to show that he could play this game as well as anyone.

"You just gotta stay two steps ahead of everyone else," John smiled. "You just have to think down the road a little."

The pastor -had-, however, been a little worried about the fallout, what with the last minute change of plans and all. Stephanie hadn't seemed thrilled, nor had Peter. Both of them had seemed quite agitated with the last minute change of plans. And although they had -both- ultimately gone along with the vote, as had Gabriel, there was still a little bitterness in the air today. Just a little resentment, hanging over the tribe, over a John's little power grab at Tribal Council.

"All throughout the day I knew it was gonna be Ryan," said Steph, as she cooked up the tribe's breakfast. "And I told him so too." She flipped the patty of lamb meat over, testing to see if it was done. "What I was concerned about is that I had burned some bridges with Ryan. He'd prob'ly be pissed at me for throwin' the challenge, and I didn't want him comin' after me today. But... you know." She sighed, continuing to cook the meat. "So with us mergin' today, it was prob'ly the right move. Hunter scared all of us. He'd be tough to beat down the line, so I guess he had to go after all."

Sure enough, John had come to Stephanie first last night-- his most trusted ally, his fishing buddy. He had smoothed over any hard feelings right away, explaining his logic, as he should have done. And in the end, she had been fine with it. Stephanie always came around, in the end.

"I'm just a bit of a hothead," she smiled, "But everyone knows that, so it's no big deal."

Peter, however, had been a harder sell.

"I was pissed," Peter admitted, "And I told him so. I didn't think we should have lost Huntah." Peter was currently talking with Gabriel, the two philosophers discussing the current state of the game as they walked along the beach.

"So, what, you still don't like Ryan?" asked Gabe, looking up. He was cleaning some sand out of his shoes at the moment.

"It's not really a matter of like or dislike," Peter admitted. "I just don't trust him. I'd take Huntah ten times over a kid like Ryan. Huntah's strong, and a threat, but he's not a schemah." He paused, to overemphasize the next part. "Huntah was a loyalist, he wouldn't backstab anybody. He would have stuck with the team, all the way."

Gabriel nodded, agreeing on a certain level. He had certainly seen the logic in the Hunter boot, yet he knew that it had also come at a bad time. But, of course, it was bound to happen eventually. It had only been a matter of time before Gabe had to boot someone that he had bonded with. And Hunter had been his first.

"It was my..." Gabe said in a confessional, searching for just the right word, "My introduction, if you will, to the game of Survivor." He smiled. "It was the first time I ever really had to look someone in the face, smile, and vote them out. And I -hated- it. I mean, I'm just a buddhist kid from a commune, this sort of stuff isn't in my nature. But you just have to tell yourself you are doing it on a -game level-. Because no matter how they package the game itself, it's just that: A game."

Gabriel had agreed to the Hunter vote last night, although with a small degree of trepidation. And no, it wasn't that he had liked Hunter, although he -had-. And it wasn't that he feared Ryan, although he -did-. No, Gabriel was looking long term, and had come to the immediate realization that with Hunter gone, Gabe was now the best athlete left in the game. By far.

Right before the merge, Gabe was suddenly going to stand out like a sore thumb.

Uh oh.

"But despite my fears," Gabe continued, "I didn't have much of a choice. John already had the votes. He had Steph. He had Ryan. And he had Tanya. So anything I might have done would have been pointless. Hunter was going to go, and instead we decided to keep our..." He smiled, trying to think of just the right word for Ryan Aiken. "Our shifty little rapscallion friend."

So Gabriel had voted against Hunter. Even though it hadn't been fun.

"There's one thing to keep in mind with Survivor," Gabe explained, trying to summarize his angst in one quick soundbyte. "None of this is real. We're not really surviving. We're not really facing the elements together. This is a -game show-, no matter how cleverly it's disguised. And I'm here to win just like everyone else." He smiled. "It may just take some getting used to first."

Gabe did make one promise, though.

"But as soon as I'm out, I owe Hunter a beer."




^^



Peter approached John soon after breakfast, wanting to discuss things. John was wary, of course, but was up for it. He liked Peter a lot. John appreciated the man's thoughtfulness and gentle nature. But deep down, they -still- all thought Peter was a little nuts. Even those who liked him were a little nervous around the guy sometimes.

"Look," said Peter, "I just want you to know I'm sorry for my angah last night." Peter offered his hand, and the smiling pastor shook it.

"Well, good," said John. "I was hoping we'd get a chance to talk about it."

"Look, I went into this game with one thing in mind," said Peter, sitting down. He struck his favorite sitting position, cross-legged as usual. "I told myself I'd have complete forgiveness for everybody here. No mattah what they did, to me or to anyone else, I'd just let it slide and move on."

John chuckled.

"Well, I appreciate it. We could all use a little absolution every now and then."

"No," said Peter, "I'm serious. That was my problem back in the Marquesas. I made enemies early, and we clashed. You probably wouldn't believe it, but Huntah and I butted heads something fierce."

"Yeah," nodded John, "Gabe told me. I knew you two had problems."

"So when I came out here," Peter continued, "I told myself that numbah one, I'd not hold anyone's actions against them. People do things for their own reasons, and it isn't my place to judge them for it." John nodded, understanding Peter's logic. After all, he was a spiritual man himself. "And numbah two, I really wanted to make things right with Huntah. We had some bad blood between us from before, and that just isn't healthy."

"So," asked John. "How'd that turn out? Are you two good again?"

"We did much bettah this time." Peter smiled. "I was legitimately mad when you wanted to boot him." This was a half-truth, of course. Peter -did- make friends with Hunter, but he was more mad at John's strategy, not at the loss of a friend. Peter was here to play the game, just like anyone else. Friendship had nothing to do with it.

"I didn't see any reason to keep Hunter over Ryan," John explained. "Hunter was in the way, and way too much of a threat for my tastes. And Ryan is too much of a hothead to win any challenges. He's gonna implode once the pressure of the game gets to him, you can just see it."

Peter nodded.

"Hunter," finished John, "Plain and simple, had to go. I felt that way, Tanya felt that way, Steph felt that way, and Gabe agreed too. It wasn't just my call, you know? We got a five man team here."

"I understand," Peter said, standing up. He clapped John on the shoulder. "I just want you to know there's no hahd feelings." He tapped fists with the pastor, the traditional Alkyone handshake. "We're still in this to the end."

"To the end," John agreed.

So it was over. The potential rift ended, Peter and John were once again on the same wavelength. Peter's strategy of total forgiveness for all was now in effect. He hoped that it, along with a lot of luck, would be all that was needed to get him to the end of this game.

"Let's go check tree mail," said John. "I think we've got a merge ahead of us in a couple hours."




^^




Transport boats were sent to each island right after lunch.

A large blue boat arrived at Taygete, complete with rowers, as usual, and a similar white one arrived at Alkyone. There was no tree mail warning, no notice, nothing. The tribes had been kept in the dark all morning as to what would happen, and it appeared that the big moment was finally here.

"Time to go," said the lead rower, a large Greek man with a stone face. His expression gave away nothing.

"Merge time!" said Ramona, calling out to her Taygete tribemates. Jessie was scraping their cooking pot and looked up, a smile on her face. Debb walked over, gave Ramona a high five, and the two women shared a hug. Despite all their misfortune early in the game, and all their bad luck, the Taygetes had grown into a surprisingly close family. For the past three or four days, they had actually enjoyed their meager little campsite.

It was going to be hard to say goodbye.

"Where's Dirk?" asked Ramona.

"Where do you think?" yelled back Jessie. "Praying!" She waved her hand in the general direction of the trees. "I don't know where."

Ramona sighed. As usual, Dirk was going to make them late.

"And men say -women- are bad at being on time," she grumbled to Debb, and the women shared a laugh. "You want to go get him, or should I?"

Within twenty minutes, the four Taygetes sat on their boat, as the rowers brought them out to a large gulet in the middle of the sea. It was the ship they had all come in on. It was the -Chalcis-.

"Come on up, guys," called Jeff, from the deck of the ship. He tossed down a rope, and the rowers anchored the two boats together. From there, it was just a short climb up a rope ladder, and soon they were all on board.

The Alkyones were already here. All ten players were now standing before Jeff.

"Welcome, guys," he said, as he looked over the tired and dirty players. They were a far cry from the eager and green group of castaways he had greeted just a few weeks ago. These people had actually -survived-. These ten people had taken their second chance, and they had run with it. And now, each one of them now stood a 10% chance of winning a million dollars.

"You guys have done great," he smiled, "Congratulations are in order for all of you. A very, very nice performance turned in by all." And with that, he pulled a cover off a large platter of meats, cheeses and fruit. "For making it to day nineteen, this is your reward." He grinned at Tanya. "Eat up!"

Also included were three bottles of authentic Greek red wine. And they were very, very popular.

The next fifteen minutes were spent in joyous celebration, as the players intermingled, dropping their game faces for just a short while. Tanya and Ramona had a long animated giggle fest, Peter and Dirk talked about religion, and Ryan took the chance to start flirting with Jessie. Alcohol in the air and bellies full of food, it was as if the game had stopped for the moment.

But, of course, it hadn't.

"And while we're eating," smiled Jeff, as he stood off to one side. "I want to tell you a story. I know you guys have heard a lot of tales out here, both heroic and otherwise, but this one's a little different." He waited for the noise to die down, as he pulled up a wooden crate to sit on. "This is the story of Medea."

Gabriel's mind raced back through his knowledge of mythology. He was the most learned in this particular area, and he searched, trying to remember that story. Why did Jeff's tone suddenly fill him with dread? What happened to Medea? The name sounded so familiar...

"Medea was a woman in ancient Greece," continued Jeff. "A princess, really, but also a sorceress. But she gave all that up one day when she met Jason." Jeff smiled. "Jason was a great hero, one of the Argonauts, and the two of them fell deeply in love. They fell in love, and, as expected, got married. And they made a wonderful couple." Jeff looked at Ramona, who was smiling. It all sounded like such a nice story.

"Jason and Medea had two children," continued Jeff, "Both sons. And they were a perfectly happy family." He nodded to the two teams. "Just as you are here today." Jeff paused, letting the moment soak in. "But there were problems. You see, one day Jason wanted a divorce, and he ending up leaving Medea for another woman."

All of a sudden, Gabe's mind figured it out. Medea! He knew that name, he knew where Jeff was going with this. The story ended with...

"Medea did not take this well," said Jeff, grinning, "And she got back at her no-good husband the best way she knew how." Jeff paused again, now no longer smiling. Now he was dead serious.

"Medea got her revenge by murdering their two sons."

Ramona winced, as she sat in front. So did Tanya. This story just got a whole lot darker.

"Captains," said Jeff, "Come on up here." He beckoned for Dirk and Gabriel to step up. Gabe hung his head, sadly, pausing for a moment before approaching. He knew -exactly- what was coming.

And it wasn't going to be pretty.

"We're not here to merge today," said Jeff. He put his arm around Dirk's shoulder. "You guys are here to play Medea." He listened to the tribes groan, audibly, before turning to Dirk. "Dirk, you're gonna cut loose half your team today. Give me two names. Those are the two who will go over to Alkyone."

Dirk Been was speechless. His throat ran dry as he was suddenly put on the spot, right in front of his teammates. He was basically going to sign a death sentence for two of them. The two people he named would be dead meat over on Alkyone, and everyone knew it.

"One minute," said Jeff, helpfully. "Or I'll let Gabriel pick for you."

"I give up Debb," said Dirk, automatically, as he quickly picked the person whom he was least close to. And that left Ramona or Jessie. But really, it wasn't that difficult of a choice at all. It was clear enough, in his mind, who he wanted around. He wanted Jessie.

"...And I give up Mona."

Ramona Gray dropped her head, sadly. She had known -exactly- who Dirk was going to pick. The minute the choice had been offered to him, Ramona had already mentally packed her bags for Alkyone. Dirk was going to stay with his little girlfriend. That was obvious.

But there wasn't much she could do about it now. Ramona simply grabbed her pack, stood up, and gave Jessie a hug. The two women had been inseparable since day one. And now, they would be on different teams. It was going to be awful. Ramona could already see the panic in Jessie Camacho's eyes.

"See you later, honey," whispered Ramona, as the two of them finished their hug. But now it was over. Ramona and Jessie were no more. The chemist joined Debb over on the Alkyone side. They were now part of the team in white.

And they had never felt so alone in their lives.

"Your turn, Gabe," said Jeff, turning to the blond-haired Alkyone captain. "You're cutting loose half your team. I want three names. Those three are going to Taygete."

Gabe stood at the front of the boat, looking over his teammates. He loved them all, this was going to be impossible. Well, okay, there was one he wasn't particularly fond of...

"Ryan," he said, as he quickly zoomed in on the Alkyone troublemaker. Ryan Aiken chuckled, hands on hips. Gabe didn't want him around. How could he have guessed?

Gabriel scanned the rest of his team, searching for two others. There was Tanya, who was like a little sister. There was John, who had been the center of their alliance since day one. There was Peter, who was Gabe's source of strength in the tribe. He clearly wasn't going -anywhere-. And then there was Stephanie, who, when compared to the other three, was a bit of an outsider. Gabe could afford to spare her. Above the other three, anyway.

"Steph," he said, watching as she smirked a bit, underneath her floppy white hat.

"One more name," said Jeff, watching as Gabe scanned their faces. And in the end, Gabe hated to do it, but he had to. He couldn't get rid of Tanya, he just -couldn't-. The two of them were too close. No, it had to be the pastor from Slidell instead. There simply was no other choice.

"John," he said, watching as the pastor nodded, emotionless. John knew of the bond between Tanya and Gabe, he was quite certain his name would be coming up instead.

"Okay," said Jeff. "As of right now, we've got two new teams. You guys will be living on the same islands as before, and you'll be heading off immediately." He called out the names. "Dirk, Jessie, Ryan, Stephanie and John, you are now Taygete." He collected their old buffs, and handed out five new blue ones. They all seemed a bit stunned by the turn of events, particularly Jessie. She just stared at the ground, very upset.

"Gabe, Peter, Tanya, Ramona and Debb," said Jeff, collecting their buffs. "You five are now Alkyone." He handed out their new white ones. But the five of them all appeared to be in good spirits, although Debb had essentially clammed up again. Her newfound extraversion seemed to have disappeared altogether.

"This is gonna be fun," said Jeff, smiling, as he rubbed his hands together. He was gleeful. "Are you guys as excited as I am?"

"So wait..." asked Dirk, still trying to figure all this out. "When are we merging?"

"Hey, who said we're -ever- going to merge?" asked Jeff, with a smile. "I certainly never said that. Why don't we just leave things the way they are for a while?"

And with that, he ushered them to their transport boats. The ten players said their goodbyes, some with a little more emotion than the rest, but as of now, the game was back on.

It was going to be a long day. And it wasn't even noon yet.






DAY 20





Taygete beach was quiet today, as Stephanie Dill woke up early. She wanted to go for a swim.

"We had a fun day yesterday," she said, "If you like being crapped on, that is." She spoke as she walked, away from the camp, onto the sand, and down towards the beach. She was also removing her clothes as she walked, one piece at a time. After all, it was a nice morning. The water was warm, and the air was calm.

It was the perfect day for a little skinny dipping.

"None of us were really ready for the twist," she explained, as she kicked off her black shorts. They fell into a heap at the edge of the surf. "Especially John. We got over here to Taygete and he was just shellshocked. He didn't know what to say. I thought the guy was gonna start crying." True enough, John Raymond had taken it harder than his two ex-Alkyone teammates. Stephanie hadn't seemed to care, one way or another. She was always more of a "roll with the punches" type of girl. And Ryan Aiken had been overjoyed, of course. All of a sudden, he had a new lease on life.

"He's like a kid on Christmas morning," Stephanie said, as she finally finished disrobing. "He couldn'ta been more happy." She laughed, chuckling. "Besides, he gets to sleep next to Jessie now. I don't think we'll be hearin' any more of his grumblin' for a while." She shook her head, smiling. "That kid's crazy, he really is." And with that, she was off into the water. Naked as the day she was born, Stephanie splashed into the warm Aegean Sea.

As Stephanie swam, John was off on his first fishing trip for the new team. As much as he had hated the idea of having his alliance yanked out from under him, there were still some positives to be found in all of it.

Number one, they were -still- in the majority. True, it was a new team, but they had three Alkyones over here, and two Taygetes. A simple look at the numbers was enough to ease his anxiety.

Number two, he was on good terms with Ryan. He had been very fortunate to make friends with the kid before yesterday's twist. And sure, the circumstances had changed, but at the very least, they had a positive line of communication, and a certain level of trust between them. Otherwise, things could have been disastrous.

"Plus we have this boat," John said, as he cast his fishing line into the water. He was currently sitting with Dirk, the energetic young dairy farmer, as the two men went on their first fishing trip together.

"You have no idea," John said, "What it is like trying to catch fish out here without a boat. You practically have to wade right up to 'em and kick 'em in the head. If you don't stun 'em, you're not gonna catch -anything!- It's no wonder we were starving to death over there."

Dirk laughed out loud, already enjoying the pastor's stories.

"How many were you bringing in?" John asked, curious as to the fishing skills of his new teammate.

"Usually two or three," Dirk answered, as he lounged against the side of the boat. "Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending."

John was astonished. He looked into his bucket. There were already five fish inside, already enough for a small feast. And they had only been out here for an hour! Either Dirk wasn't much of a fisherman, or he just didn't try very hard. But John suddenly saw his situation in a whole different light.

"Do you guys eat much?" he asked.

"Some days we do," answered Dirk. "The girls are in charge of getting fruit, but sometimes they just don't get around to it."

John suddenly realized his value to the the tribe. He knew he had the numbers, knew that he was in the majority, but deep down he had been very nervous upon his arrival here. Simply put, he was the old guy. All the rest of them were young kids. If Ryan and Stephanie had decided to switch sides and align with Dirk and Jessie instead, John would have been doomed. He would have been the odd man out, both strategically and demographically.

But he knew he had an ace in the hole. John knew how to find food out here. He was a survivalist, and no one else here was even close. They were going to -love- him, if he had anything to do with it.

"What say we bring in ten fish today?" John asked, smiling. "What'll y'all think of that?"

"Sweet!" said Dirk, as he poked his head over the side of the boat. His own line sat in the water, motionless. He shrugged, not doing much to change it.

"We're gonna be eating like kings tonight, my friend," said John. He smiled, happily.

Yes, it was always good to be needed.




^^



As Taygete adjusted to their new team members, Debb Eaton was doing her best to fit in with the Alkyones.

And it was not going to be easy.

"This camp is a -much- different place," she admitted, as she talked with Peter. "You have no idea. It's like night and day over here."

"Why?" joked Peter, "Because we actually win challenges?"

"Cute," she said. "No, okay, look at it like this. Our usual morning at Taygete was me getting up to make breakfast, and everyone else sleeping in until it was ready."

"Mona too?" asked Peter.

"Mona was the worst one!" Debb whispered. "She's the biggest princess of them all!"

Peter suppressed a laugh. He couldn't really picture Ramona Gray just laying around. It seemed like she had gone out of her way to put on a good show and look productive since coming over here. In fact, the chemist was currently out with Tanya right now, picking figs for the morning's breakfast.

"She's a good actress," continued Debb, "But she and Jessie haven't lifted a finger since the moment they got to Greece." Deep down, Debb realized that she was pretty much trying to torpedo her friend's reputation with the new tribe, but she didn't care. It was just nice to have someone to talk to around here. Someone that actually did some -work-, and seemed to care.

Someone like Peter Harkey.

"Well you don't have to worry about us sitting around," Peter explained. Sitting cross-legged, he pointed to Gabe, who was hacking at a tree with the big double-headed axe. "Gabe goes out every morning, at the crack of dawn, trying to reinforce our sheltah. You won't even see the guy until noon." He cupped his hand behind his left ear. "Just listen for the chopping sound, you'll know where he is."

Debb chuckled, already having noticed the sounds of trees being chopped. It never seemed to stop over here. The sound was always in the background, and eventually you just didn't notice it anymore.

"Tanya is our fruit queen," explained Peter. "She's like a supermahket. You tell her what you want, she'll go and find it. You want an orange? Just tell her, she'll bring you back three of 'em."

"So what do you do?" asked Debb.

"I'm in charge of entertainment," he said, smiling. "Well, okay, that and carrying stuff. I'll carry back the wood, or keep people hydrated, whatever needs to be done."

"Who caught the fish?" asked Debb.

"John tried, but without a boat, he never got much."

"And what about Ryan?"

Peter smiled. He didn't want to elaborate too much but, oh well, what the heck? Ryan wasn't here anymore.

"Ryan was very, very good at staying out of the way. He pretty much turned it into an aht fohm."

"Well," said Debb, "He'll probably get along very well with Jessie then. The two of them could be twins."

Peter and Debb shared a laugh. Amidst the blowing of the wind, the delicious smells of lamb roasting, and the ubiquitous sounds of Gabriel chopping trees, it was turning into a nice day.

Debb Eaton had finally found herself a home.




^^




The day stretched on, with both teams slowly getting used to their new lineups. John brought a bucketful of fish back to Taygete, and his team had themselves an honest to goodness feast. They each got a fish and a half, which was the most they had eaten in two weeks. Although Jessie, naturally, ate only half of her portion.

At Alkyone, Ramona was doing her best to fit in with her new teammates. Her first priority was creating a bond with Tanya, whom she loved already. After all, who didn't love Tanya? But Ramona was still a little worried. She could already feel the tension in the air.

"I'm worried that Debb is selling me out," she admitted to the cameras, as she sat under a tree. She was watching a turtle, a large sea turtle, as it crawled up and out of the sea.

"Debb hasn't been talking with me much since we got here," she continued. "It's as if she is trying to distance herself from me, and I don't like it. I can see it, and it kind of pisses me off."

Ramona Gray was a very perceptive person. She was very much in tune with her relationships with people, and what she thought of them, and, most importantly, what -they- thought of -her-.

"If we were to go to Tribal Council tomorrow, I would probably be going home." She laughed to herself, out of more frustration than anything. "Sure, might as well admit that now. Peter and Gabriel are nice enough guys, but they are going to vote the same way. They'll flat out come right out and say it. And as much as I've been trying to get Tanya to come over and help me out, she's just not going to do it."

Sure enough, Ramona had been working on the young social worker -hard- for the past twenty-four hours. They had shared laughs, they had gone on fruit runs, and they had bonded. They had pretty much done it all, as their relationship had clicked right off the bat.

But Tanya wasn't going to switch sides. Not in a million years.

"Tanya is a sweetheart," Ramona admitted. "She'll pull you right in with her laugh, and her easygoing manner, and that sweet, Southern accent. And unless you're paying attention, you'll kind of dismiss her." Ramona had felt herself making the same mistake herself, until her common sense caught on. "But she's probably as cutthroat as -anyone- out here. And she has even told me, she's going to ride her alliance to the end. And she's sorry, but she can't do much to save me."

Ramona sighed, sadly.

"So it looks like homegirl's going home pretty soon."

Ramona stood up, intending to go check on her turtle friend. It had made it halfway up the beach, and now sat, staring at her. The turtle looked curious, not scared, which was always a good sign. So Ramona went over to go talk to it.

"Mona!" yelled a voice, from further up the beach. "Come back to camp!"

Ramona looked up, startled. She saw Tanya standing there, her brown hair blowing in the breeze. Tanya appeared to be holding a piece of tree mail.

"Come back!" yelled Tanya. "We got mail!"

Ramona said a quick goodbye to her turtle friend, wiped the sand off her hands, and jogged slowly over to her teammate.

"You found Yertle," Tanya said, smiling, as Ramona got to within speaking distance.

"Who?"

"Yertle the Turtle," Tanya said, giggling. "Peter and I found her back on the first day, hiding in the leaves. She's pretty much the camp mascot." She paused, and then explained. "Peter named her. But it sounds funny when he says it."

"Figures," said Ramona, laughing. Tanya handed her the treemail and she glanced it over, expecting news of today's reward challenge. But she was wrong.

"Good afternoon, Alkyone," the parchment read, in large, Greek script. "Welcome to your new home. Due to the new team situations, you have the afternoon off. There will be no reward challenge today, so enjoy your evening." Ramona finished reading it out loud, and flipped it over to read the back. "Your first immunity challenge is tomorrow. It will take place at dawn, so be ready to go. And make sure to take a deep breath first!"

"Awww man!" complained Ramona. She dropped the paper, letting it flutter down to the sand.

"What?" asked Tanya.

"Swimming," Ramona said, grimacing. She wrinkled up her nose in disgust. "Ugh." It was well known that Ramona was not the strongest swimmer in the world.

"Maybe it's something else," suggested Tanya.

"It's going to be swimming," said Ramona, frustrated, "Out there." She pointed at the sea. "And y'all are going to lose because I'm the weak link, and then you're gonna vote me out. And it won't even be a hard choice."

"Now hold on," Tanya said, trying to soothe some nerves, "Have you seen this team in the water yet? I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but Gabe is like a fish out there. Aint no one ever going to beat him in a swimming challenge. And I'm no slouch myself."

Ramona stared at her, through suspicious eyes. She still didn't trust Tanya a whole lot, but at least she was starting to see a small ray of hope in all of this. She may be the minority in Alkyone, in more ways than one, but that didn't necessarily mean they would be going to Tribal Council anytime soon. They still had Gabriel, and he was clearly the best athlete in the game. So long as this was still a team game, she would probably be safe for a while.

"Well, tell him to drag my sorry landloving butt to victory then," said Ramona, finally smiling somewhat.

"Tell him yourself," grinned Tanya. "But let's get back. Debb has dinner ready."

The two of them walked back to camp, trudging through the deep sand of Alkyone beach. Ramona seemed to have her head in the game, which was good. But despite all of Tanya's best pep talk efforts, it still hadn't changed the truth about the situation. Tanya was good at putting on a happy face, but she knew the truth as well as anyone. Tanya always knew what was going on.

The guys already liked Debb more than Ramona. Ramona was just too darn sneaky.

And that meant the chemist from Jersey better hope for a miracle tomorrow.





DAY 21




Jeff came to each camp right around dawn, as he stirred the castaways out of their sleep.

"Let's go," he said, shaking Ryan's shoulder. The model was currently hunkered down near Jessie, the two of them trying to stay warm against the crisp morning air.

"What?" stirred Ryan, sleepily.

"Immunity challenge," said Jeff, as he moved outside the shelter to make sure the rest of the Taygetes were awake.

Ryan sat up, rubbing his eyes. He saw Jessie next to him, still dozing peacefully, her glasses resting gently on the ground beside her. Dirk was now starting to stir as well, as he sat up on the other side of Jessie. But it was just the three of them in here. It looked like Stephanie and John were already up, and off doing chores somewhere.

"Let's go," Jeff called, clapping his hands. He now stood in the doorway of their small white house. "Alkyone is already up and ready to go. Move it, you three!"



^^



This morning's immunity challenge would be something a little bit different. Jeff directed both teams to a spot just off Taygete beach. It was going to be held in the ocean, as Ramona had feared, but luckily, it would not involve swimming. It looked like Ramona was going to cut a break, after all.

"Today's challenge is all about will," Jeff smiled, as he stood before the sleepy castaways. Most of them were awake now, but Ryan and Jessie both appeared to be asleep on their feet. Jeff grinned at this sight. The two of them would be awake soon enough.

Mortal terror had a way of doing that to you.

"Who wants it most?" Jeff asked. "That's the name of the game today. And, as always, I have a little story to tell you. Today's challenge is based on a guy named Tantalus." He watched as Gabe nodded, in recognition. "Tantalus was a great king, well known throughout Greece. But he made the mistake, as always, of angering the gods. And as we all know by now, when you take on the gods..."

He paused, waiting for someone to answer.

"The gods always win," said a few people, in unison. A few others giggled.

"That's right," said Jeff. "You guys are catching on." He smiled. "So what the gods did is they punished this guy. They placed Tantalus in a pool of water, up to his chin. And every time he leaned down to take a drink, the water would recede, making him unable to -ever- quench his thirst. So Tantalus had to stay there for all of eternity, with water just inches from his lips, and was never able to get any." Jeff smiled, as he walked down into the sea. He waded up to his waist, talking as he walked.

"You guys are going to do something very similar today, although it will be somewhat different. You will all stand here, in the sea, with the water up to your chin. We have placed stones here on the bottom, at varying heights, to make up for your height differences. So you guys will stand more or less in a straight line." Jeff walked over and tapped an iron railing. "You will hold onto this bar, and try to stand here for as long as you can, with the water up to your necks. And let me warn you that the waves -will- cover your face from time to time, so this will not be an easy challenge. It is your job to stand here for as long as you can hold out." He smiled. "If you let go of the bar at any time, or step off your platform, you are eliminated. And that means it's just a matter of who wants this one the most."

There was silence, and then John finally asked the question that had been on their minds throughout Jeff's speech.

"So wait, this is an individual challenge?"

Jeff nodded, smiling.

"Yes. But you will be scored as a team. Whomever stands here the longest will win immunity for their entire team. It's gonna be a little strange, I know, but get to used to stuff like this for a while."

"Until we merge," Stephanie said, smiling.

"No," corrected Jeff. "-If- you merge."

With that, it was time to begin the challenge. The ten castaways waded out into the sea, trying to find a platform that was their height. Luckily, most of the females were fairly tall, so the size differences weren't that extreme. And within ten minutes, everyone was ready to go. They all held onto the bar, about thirty feet from shore. Only their heads were visible from the beach, a sight that amused Jeff. Some faced the sea, while some faced the beach. They had all been given that option.

"And make sure you face forward," added Jeff. He was now standing on the beach, alone. "Those of you facing the shore, don't turn around. Same to you facing the sea." He smiled. "You'll all get a chance to rotate spots later, so just stand there and relax."

Jessie Camacho heard this and suddenly was very frightened. She realized she was facing the wrong way. Facing the beach, she would be blind to the waves behind her. She suddenly wanted to turn around, but it was too late now.

The contest was ready to begin.

"This is for immunity!" said Jeff. He called out over the wind. "Survivors ready... GO!"

And with that, it started. Jeff sat on the beach, watching, as the players dug in for what looked to be a long challenge.

"How long do you think this will take?" asked John. Standing in the warmish blue water, he didn't think the temperature would be much of a factor. He was more worried about the waves. The water was currently touching just the tip of his chin, a feeling that was more than a bit disconcerting. And he knew that -any- wave that came along would cover his face completely.

That wasn't likely to be fun at all.

"It would take a lot longer if the fish didn't keep BUMPING INTO ME!" yelled Ramona, next to him, in mock anger. But she was laughing, too. This wasn't actually all that bad. She just didn't particularly like the feel of fish against her skin.

"Wave!" called Peter, as he stood at the extreme right end of the line. He was one of the few who was facing out to sea, so he could see the water cresting towards them. Most of the rest could not.

"Take a deep breath!" he yelled.

And with that, a small wave came crashing into the players, completely covering them. It hit Peter square in the face, as well as Gabriel and Stephanie. They were the two others facing out to sea. And for a few seconds, there was no air to be found by anybody, as water cascaded over them all. It was a feeling that was far too frightening for some.

Jessie was the first to let go of her bar, as she floundered and splashed to the surface. She was joined by her old friend Ramona, the two women laughing as they took deep gasps of air.

"Okay, you two," said Jeff, "Come on in."

The two of them swam to shore, Ramona rather shakily, as they were now eliminated. But they put the time to good use. They talked for a few minutes, and then both just rested on the sand. After all, it was still -way- too early to be up.

"Eight players left!" announced Jeff, watching as the players struggled against another wave. This one was smaller, and caught John without warning, but he managed to hang on.

An hour passed, and the players appeared to be doing pretty well. Wave after wave had come and gone, and through the warnings of those facing the ocean, they had done okay. But Peter Harkey spotted the big wave coming next. He knew this would be the biggest one yet, and he looked over at the competition.

Ryan.

Stephanie.

John.

Dirk.

For Alkyone to win this one, those four Taygetes had to be eliminated. And so Peter tried something different this time.

He didn't shout out a warning.

CRASH!

The large wave engulfed all eight players, completely covering them. No one had any chance to take a breath, save for the three who were facing the sea: Peter, Gabriel and Stephanie. And since they were used to Peter shouting the warning, neither of them had made a peep.

Jeff watched as the water finally receded. He counted heads. He could see Peter, Gabriel, Stephanie, Debb and John. Only five were left. And Stephanie was spitting up great mouthfuls of water. She had barely made it through that one.

"Are you guys okay?" he called.

"Yeah!" Steph shouted, angrily. She knew that Peter had not warned them on purpose. She glared at him, furious, but he wouldn't return her stare.

The three who had been eliminated, Tanya, Ryan and Dirk, all swam to shore. Tanya looked like she was going to throw up, as she had swallowed a lot of sea water on that one.

"Five left!" shouted Jeff. And with that, he looked at his watch. "Two hours, guys. Everyone switch sides of the bar! Those of you facing the beach are now facing the sea."

With that, the five switched their positions. They ducked their heads under the water, being careful not to let go of the bar, and moved to the other side of it. And now, it looked to be an entirely different game.

Debb and John were now the only two facing the sea. All of a sudden, they were the ones calling the action. Stephanie, Gabriel and Peter were now at the mercy of their warnings. And that was never a good place to be.

"Wave!" yelled John, as he laughed to himself. He watched, amused, as the three blind ones closed their eyes and held their breath. But there was no wave coming. He had fooled them, it had just been a practical joke. A John specialty.

"Come on!" said Peter, upset, but that was just where the fun was just beginning. -Now- the wave crashed into them, blindsiding all three of them. Peter, Gabe and Stephanie had taken their breaths too early, and were unprepared for the sudden rush of water over their heads. Panicked, Peter and Stephanie let go immediately, scrambling to the surface for air.
"You ass!" called Stephanie, angrily, but John just laughed, reassuring her.

"Just strategy, my friend. Had to get rid of them."

But John had been mistaken. Debb still stood, of course, and suddenly the blond hair of Gabriel Cade came slowly into view. He was still in place. He had not budged, despite being underwater, without air, for a good thirty seconds. From the shore came a burst of applause, the eliminated players cheering Gabe's resilience.

"Gonna have to do better than that," Gabe said, looking over to wink at John. And now, the game was -really- on.

"Three players remaining," shouted Jeff, as he watched the bobbing heads of John, Gabriel and Debb. "John is Taygete's last chance."

"Let's go, John!" cheered Jessie, now sitting up.

"Go pastor!" said Ryan, starting a chant. "Go pastor! Go pastor!"

"You hear that?" asked John, to Gabe. "They want me to win."

"Well then it's too bad," smiled Gabe, "Because I'm -going- to win."

All this time, Debb had stood, silently, watching as the two men tried to trash talk one another. A very calm, silent person, she hadn't said a word this entire time, preferring to just concentrate on her breaths. But they had been out here nearly three hours now, and she was starting to shiver.

"You okay, Debb?" asked Jeff, watching as her teeth started to chatter.

"No problem!" she called. "I can do it."

"It's okay," Gabe called over to her. "Only one of us has to win. Go back in if you're cold. I can stay out here all day."

Debb hesitated. She wasn't one to give up easily.

"Debb, honey," shouted Tanya, "Don't catch pneumonia, come on in! It's not worth it!"

"Just come in!" encouraged Peter, and after a moment of deliberation, Debb let go of her bar. The players applauded as she swam to shore, an embarrassed grin on her face. Jeff then handed her a towel, with which to wrap herself up.

"Final two," said Jeff, watching Gabe and John's heads out in the sea. And he could also see two other things as well: The large wave coming at them, and the fact that John wasn't going to say a word.

"Can we warn Gabe?" asked Debb, but Jeff simply shook his head. This was all going to be up to the two of them out there.

John suddenly closed his eyes and held his breath, as the wave crashed head-on into his face. It submerged him, and he kept his eyes shut for a good ten seconds, before opening them. He was still underwater, the surface high above his head. He looked up, breath still held, as the surface slowly came down to his eye level. And then it was calm again. He could breathe. He looked to the side, fully expecting to see Gabriel gone.

But the young man was still there, smiling.

"Don't you ever breathe?" John asked him, laughing.

Gabe didn't answer. He only laughed, a smaller, more ironic version of his normal giggle. But he knew that he was in trouble now. He was starting to shiver, just like Debb had done. He knew enough about physiology to know that he was coming close to some problems. His body was about to give up on him. The water was just too cold.

But then, when all appeared to be lost, he heard the four sweetest words in the English language.

"Four hours!" yelled Jeff. "Switch sides!"

"No way!" said John, in disbelief. He hadn't realized the time was going so fast. But he begrudgingly switched sides of his bar. He was now facing the beach, with Gabe facing the ocean. That was not a good place to be.

"Don't worry, brother," said Gabriel. "I'll warn you."

"Thanks," said John, right as a wave came crashing into the back of his head. Gabe had tricked him, causing him to speak right at the moment the wave crested, and water rushed into John's open mouth. John yelled, panicked, and let go of his bar. It hadn't been a big wave, it hadn't been a violent wave, but it had been just enough. It had just been a matter of timing.

John had been defeated.

"Alkyone!" shouted Jeff, amid shrieks of joy from Tanya and Ramona, "Wins immunity!" Gabe thrust his fist in the air, shouting, as John waded over to congratulate him.

"Sorry, man," said Gabe, laughing. "Had to do it."

"Hey," smiled John, "No problem. You got me." He winked. "But I'll get you next time. Nice job." He clapped Gabriel on the shoulder and swam back to shore.

"Gabe, come on in!" shouted Jeff, holding up the immunity idol. "You want this?"





^^




With Alkyone immune, the Taygetes were now facing the very real prospect that they would lose somebody important tonight. And unfortunately, they didn't have a whole lot to lose.

That was the problem.

"If I had to make a prediction," said John, as he stoked the campfire, "I would guess that Jessie is going home tonight." He looked over at her, as she sat with Dirk, talking about something.

"Jessie doesn't do a whole lot around camp. And, as a teammate, I just don't see her bringing much to the table."

Jessie Camacho had come into this game with the greatest of intentions. A proud woman, very strong, and used to getting her way in life, her experience in Africa had been humiliating, to say the least. She had just flat out crashed and burned, wilted under the pressure. And now, with Greece, she had been given a second chance. And she had very much hoped to do something special out here. Jessie Camacho had really wanted her Survivor experience to be different this time around.

"I got voted out before," she would say, "Because I wouldn't drink the water. How stupid was that?"

And to make matters worse, upon coming back from Africa, Jessie had to sit through two months of pre-show publicity. She had heard over and over that she would be "blazing trails" for minorities on the show. Plus she was going to be a role model for young women everywhere, and the cast sweetheart to boot! It had all sounded so wonderful!

But then reality had hit her like a cold slap across the face. Despite the fact that she was consistently ranked as the most popular castmember, Jessie had been voted out second. Her friends, family, and fans had been stunned when she was all of a sudden gone, without so much as a whimper.

"And then," she would admit, "I was gone. Before people even got to know my name!"

But after the show, that had been the worst. Jessie had to sit and watch as other players, more successful players, had all become stars. People like Elisabeth Filarski, Colleen Haskell, and Neleh Dennis, all of them had become well known personalities. They had all become stars. And it had nagged at Jessie. It had nagged at her to no end, mainly because that was supposed to have been -her-! Jessie had been cast as the cute, young one. She was the one the producers had expected to be the fan favorite, the sweetheart, the innocent ingenue.

And she had let them all down.

"I cried when I came back," she had admitted, early on day two, "Because I knew I had blown it. I had a great opportunity, and I let everyone down, and I felt horrible." You see, Jessie had a tough exterior, a very fierce exterior when crossed, but deep down she was very sensitive. Deep down, she still considered herself to be a little girl sometimes.

"So when I got a second try," she would often say, "I told myself, I'm not gonna blow this one. I'm -not- gonna do it. And I put myself through some heavy duty training, just to be sure." Sure enough, Jessie had gone through an intensive physical fitness regimen beforehand this time. She had tried to toughen herself up, which was not easy to do for a person who spent most of her days as a swimsuit model nowadays. But she had worked at it, she had planned, and she had trained.

And look what had happened... Jessie Camacho had made it for 21 days.

"And I'm still going strong," she smiled. "If they vote me out, I'm not going down without a fight. I stopped giving up the moment I left Africa."

And sure enough, Jessie had been approached by a few people already, wanting to talk about tonight's vote.

"It's going to be you or Dirk," Stephanie had admitted. "You both know it. And I don't think there's a whole lot that can change it, either."

Jessie found Stephanie to be quiet and sensitive, although, to be honest, she was a bit hard to talk with. Steph just seemed to be in her own world. So yeah, the firefighter was pretty eccentric, but above all she was known for her honesty. Stephanie Dill wouldn't bullshit you. She would tell you the truth. And that, at least, was a good thing to have in a teammate.

"Is there any way we could get John out instead?" asked Jessie, to which Steph shook her head.

"Aint gonna happen. We need him."

Jessie nodded, understanding. John caught fish. And John could build. He wasn't going anywhere.

"What about Ryan?"

"You'd have a shot," said Steph, shrugging. "Maybe. I don't know. I got no connection to the guy, but I think John would like to keep him around. So you'd have a hard time getting a third vote."

"Dirk would probably vote for him," said Jessie. "They don't like each other much."

Stephanie grinned.

"Yeah, I kind of sensed that."

Jessie stared at Stephanie, trying to read her. She was weighing the odds of whether Steph would vote for Ryan Aiken or not. But in the end, Jessie decided to simply asked her. If you wanted a straight answer out of Steph, all you had to do was ask. After all, that was her policy.

"Well then, who are -you- voting for?"

"Um... you," said Steph, not even trying to sound diplomatic. She shrugged. "Sorry. Nothing personal. But unless a good case for Dirk comes up, you're gonna get my vote."



^^



John Raymond liked Dirk Been. He liked the kid a lot.

"Dirk reminds me a lot of myself," John admitted, "At that age. He's got this great sense of spirituality, and a great heart. But you see in his actions that sometimes he's a bit misguided." John was packing up his bag, getting ready to leave for Tribal Council. "He's no more than a boy really, but you can see the man in him." He smiled. "Although he's probably still got a few years to go."

Dirk and John had done the fishing trips together every day since the twist. And where John first saw it as a chance to teach the kid how to do it correctly, in time the two of them had formed a very real bond. To outsiders, it would almost appear to be a father-son thing.

"And I told him I will not vote against him tonight," continued John. "Jessie is going to get my vote, and that's that. We don't need Jessie, but we need Dirk badly. Because if we want to have any chance to win, we're gonna need his athleticism and his leadership down the line."

Sure enough, John had walked around the landmine of the leadership issue since he had arrived. Dirk was the leader of Taygete. That was it. No question. He had been the leader for a while now, and just because John was older and more experienced in the wild, that didn't mean he had an automatic claim to being the leader.

It was Dirk's title. And John wanted no part of taking it away.

"I told him right when I got here," John admitted. "This is his ship. He's the captain, and I'm just the first mate. And I think he really appreciated it." Sure enough, John -had- soothed Dirk's fears and anxieties, and it had made for a harmonious transition.

Even if Dirk was essentially powerless right now.

But as John was getting ready for what he thought was an easy vote, he was unaware that there was some dissention in the ranks. And, as you would expect, it was coming from a kid named Ryan Aiken.

"I went into Survivor with one strategy," Ryan explained, "And one strategy alone." He was talking to Stephanie, having pulled her aside from her packing. He was currently hissing under his breath, not much louder than a whisper. "I wanted to form an alliance with the females, and take this thing to the end."

Stephanie chuckled, letting loose her wry, ironic smile. It was the one that always made people think she knew something that they didn't.

"And I thought I had one with you and Tanya," he explained, "But we were just outnumbered. But over -here-, we could easily do it."

"With Jessie?" she asked, incredulous.

"Jessie, me, you," he said, laying out the cards.

"What about John?"

Ryan smiled.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?"

Stephanie scoffed, audibly. If someone was going to try to throw a monkey wrench into this thing, it made sense that it would be Ryan. Ryan tended to go where the action was.

"I'm not voting out John," said Stephanie, flatly. "I've come too far with him, we're buddies, and I aint gonna do it."

"I don't want to vote him out!" Ryan explained. "I promised him I wouldn't, and I aint no fink. I just want to... uh... change the plans around a little." He grinned. "I just say, take out Dirk, and keep Jessie instead. Jessie's a cool chick. Dirk's just jacked up, man. He's weird."

Stephanie chewed her lip, thinking this over. While it was true that Dirk had been a bit awkward around the newcomers, she wasn't as bothered by him as Ryan seemed to be. No, Ryan and Dirk were like oil and water. The two of them hadn't said more than two words to one another since they got here. They had stayed well away from one another, and Stephanie was pretty sure why...

"Are you threatened by him?" she asked, needling Ryan. She liked to see him squirm a little. She was referring, of course, to the Jessie-Dirk bond. She knew that if Ryan wanted Jessie on his side, Dirk needed to be removed from the picture. Quickly.

"He got something you don't?" she teased.

"I just don't like him," Ryan explained. "Dude, we've had two fistfights since we got to Greece. That aint no secret." He paused. "I kicked his butt twice, and I'm gonna do it again."

In her enthusiasm to tease Ryan, Stephanie had completely forgotten about the fights. She had forgotten the bad blood between the two. And it had definitely been there. She could have smacked herself in the forehead. Of -course- Ryan would take any chance he could get, when it came to ripping Dirk Been's world apart. So this had -nothing- to do with getting to Jessie. This was just a grudge.

This was just Ryan Aiken's personal vendetta. And tonight was where it would all come to a head.

"There's no way you're voting for Jessie tonight," she said, "Is there?"

"D-I-R-K," he said, spelling it out. "That's what I'm doing."

"John won't vote for Dirk," Stephanie said. "He likes the guy. You're asking for trouble."

"So I guess it's up to you then," he said, almost threatening her. "Dirk or Jessie?"

"What if I voted Ryan?" she said, amusing herself with the look of shock on his face. "Ah, I'm just messin' with ya," she added, smacking him on the shoulder.

She stopped to think about it. She did the math in her head. John was going to vote for Jessie. Ryan was going to vote for Dirk. And Dirk would likely vote for Ryan. That left two votes wide open.

"Hmm..." she said.

"What?"

"I think," she finally explained, "I need to go talk to Jessie."

And before he could protest, she winked at him.

"You know, girl talk."




^^




An hour later, the Taygetes were seated at Tribal Council. The boat ride over had gone smoothly, although they had to wait for Dirk before they left. As usual, he had been off in the forest, praying.

Jeff now stood before them, as he took his first look at the new team.

John Raymond. stephanie Dill. Ryan Aiken. Jessie Camacho. Dirk Been.

-Not bad-, he thought. -Better than before, anyway.-

"So," he asked, "New tribe. New game. New captain?"

"No," answered John, quickly. "Dirk has been our captain, and he remains so today. He's done a great job."

"Dirk," asked the host, "So what do you think of your new team? Stronger than before?"

"A -lot- stronger," Dirk answered. "As much as I loved Mona and Debb, I'd take these three over them any day." He grinned. "We've pretty much got a dream team now."

"What about you?" Jeff asked, turning to Jessie. "Would you call it a Dream Team?"

"Well, we're not going to lose again," she said, a confident smile on her face. "So yes."

"Okay," said Jeff, standing up. "We've got kind of a unique situation here tonight. We have, basically, two teams that are living together. Common sense says that the three of you," he looked at Stephanie, "Would pick off the two of you." He nodded at Dirk. "Stephanie, would you say that is going to be the case tonight?"

Steph paused before answering. She was smart enough to know the pitfalls inherent in this question.

"Nah," she drawled. "I think that the game is pretty much wide open tonight. I honestly don't know what's gonna happen."

Ryan flashed a quick glance at her, trying to read his eccentric teammate. But she just teased him with a grin.

"So, anyone could go tonight?" Jeff asked. "Is that what you're telling me?"

"I think it will be one of three people," Steph answered, with a smile.

"And are you one of them?"

Steph chuckled, before she could catch herself.

"Lord, I hope not."

"Okay," said Jeff, "It's time to vote. You guys will be cutting yourselves from five, down to four. Hope you're ready. John," he pointed to the pastor. "You're up first."

John Raymond stood up, a serious look on his face. His blue buff tied around his neck, he walked up to the podium to vote. And at that moment, Dirk turned to Jessie. Sitting next to her, he patted her on the knee, and whispered into her ear.

"I tried to get him to vote Ryan. But he wouldn't do it."

Jessie nodded, quickly. She knew Dirk had been trying. Dirk had been trying all day to get John to vote for Ryan, and spare Jessie. But the pastor simply wouldn't budge. He had said it was no hard feelings, but Jessie had to go. Simple as that.

"I tried," he said, to which Jessie patted him on the hand, sympathetically. She had no hard feelings. No hard feelings at all. Especially since she knew she wasn't going tonight.

Dirk was.

And he didn't have a clue yet.

John finally reached the podium and, as expected, wrote down the name of Jessie Camacho.

"Jessie," he explained, smiling. "No real reason. Just a numbers game. I'll see you around."

As John returned, Jessie leaned over to Dirk.

"You tried your best. Thank you."

Dirk was heartened, but could only stare at the fire, frustrated, as Stephanie Dill walked up to vote. She reached the podium, and wrote down a name. And after her chat session with Jessie, it had been a pretty easy choice. After all, Jessie said she would vote for Dirk. The choice had been simple after that.

Jessie Camacho came up to cast her vote. She smiled sadly as she wrote down the name of Dirk Been.

"You're a great guy," she said, "But one of us is going tonight. And I don't want it to be me."

She shrugged, helplessly. She felt bad, of course, but this was still just business. This was a game. It was going to be her or him, and she intended to still be here tomorrow. She really hadn't had a choice.

Ryan Aiken was fourth, and cast his ballot for Dirk Been, of course. And there was more than just strategy behind this one. There was a little sting in Ryan's words as he taunted his downed rival.

"This aint nothin' personal, man. It's just time for you to go." He placed it in the box, and couldn't resist one final dig at Dirk as he closed the lid.

"She likes me more, anyway."

The final one to come up was Dirk Been. He carefully wrote out the name Ryan, in big, block letters.

"Never shuts up," he said, a wide smile on his face. "Too loud. Too obnoxious. We won't miss him much around camp."

With that, the five votes had been cast. Jeff walked over to retrieve the ballots, and walked back to his podium.

"The player voted out must leave the Tribal Council area immediately," he said. John nodded, as did Stephanie. Each of them had a pretty good idea of who was leaving. Even if they had a different name in mind.

And with that, Jeff pulled out the first vote.

"Dirk," it read. The tall dairy farmer nodded, smiling, his blue buff tied around his head like a pirate.

"Second vote," said Jeff, pulling it out. "Jessie."

Jessie Camacho raised her eyebrow, and looked at Stephanie. Dirk saw this as well, and it made him smile. The three of them had split their votes! So long as he and Jessie both voted for Ryan, they could force a tie tonight! They still had a chance!

"Third vote," said Jeff, pulling it out. "Ryan."

Ryan smiled, sitting in the front row. He knew that Dirk would vote for him. That was no surprise at all.

"One vote Jessie," said Jeff, "One vote Dirk, one vote Ryan."

With that, he pulled out the fourth vote.

He paused before reading it.

"Dirk," it read. "Farm Boy," was scrawled beneath it. That was Ryan's vote. And with it, Dirk's smile suddenly faded. He had a bad feeling about this all of a sudden. But Jessie wouldn't vote for him... would she?

He cast a quick glance at his friend from Orlando. And she wouldn't look back.

"Final vote," said Jeff, pulling it out. He looked at it for a second, before turning it around. It was the deciding vote.


"Dirk."


Dirk sat in disbelief, stunned beyond words. The Alkyones had split their votes, and he had -still- gone? And he was smart enough to know -exactly- what had happened.

He looked at Jessie again, but she would not return his gaze. She only stared at the ground, trying desperately not to look back. Jessie Camacho had voted against him. He had no way of knowing, but Jessie had pleaded with Stephanie not to vote her out. Jessie had promised Steph her loyalty, to the end. And she had done it by selling out Dirk Been.

"Dirk," said Jeff, "Please bring your torch up."

Dirk grabbed his torch and walked up to have it extinguished. Jeff lowered the ivory snuffer down, watching as the flame suddenly disappeared.

"Dirk," he said, nodding, "The tribe has spoken."

With that, Dirk turned and waved to his ex-teammates. John raised his hand in reply, still bothered that Ryan and Stephanie had gone over his head on this one. But Stephanie wouldn't vote out Ryan. She wouldn't vote out John. They needed the numbers. And with Jessie's promise of loyalty, she had only one choice. Dirk simply had to go.

And now he was gone.

Dirk walked through the gate, down the dirt path, and soon disappeared into the night sky, ferried away by the mysterious boatman. And with that, Jeff turned to the four Taygetes.

"Once again," he said, shaking his head, "You elect a guy captain, and then vote him off. And I guess we'll find out tomorrow if you need a new one or not." He smiled at John. "But be reminded that the job may come with... certain risks." He nodded at Ryan now. "But you guys have reached an important milestone in the game. As of this moment, all of you will be here to the end. You will all be here, either in the final two, or in the jury." He watched as Jessie smiled. "So congratulations, and I'll see you guys tomorrow."

John led the way back to their boat, followed by Jessie, Stephanie and then Ryan. He supposed he was the leader now, and it wasn't even going to be a hard choice. No election would be needed. He was going to just inherit the title.

But they were going to miss Dirk. They -needed- Dirk, for more than just his athletic ability. They needed his strength around, his mental strength. And most importantly, his spiritual strength. That was something that John was very sure of. Dirk was someone they could have used.

No, at the moment, this wasn't the team that John Raymond wanted.

This definitely wasn't the team that he wanted.

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