Cartoon X-overs 1. Plenty of New, A Little Bit of Old

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>An adult female's voice filled the air as the sights of this season's filming location were shown.<p>

"When someone asks you where to go if they want to compete in either the Ironman World Championship or the Triple Crown of Surfing, would you know where to send them? If someone sent you a postcard from Pearl Harbor, would you know where it was sent from without looking at the return address? Okay, how about this one... do you know where the current President of the United States was born?

"The answer to all three of those questions is the same. Honolulu, Hawai'i. The southernmost major city in the United States, this paradise will now serve as the answer to a fourth question...

"What non-Japanese city was the first to play exclusive host of the reality competition series 'Roomies?'

"Well, now you know the answer. For the next few weeks, sixteen complete strangers, from sixteen different animated series from Japan, Europe, Canada, and the United States, are being brought together to compete for a chance to go home with up to half a million U.S. dollars! And most importantly all of, **YOU**, the readers, will make the ultimate decision that will change one of their lives.

"Ladies and gentlemen... this is 'Roomies Goes Global!'"

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<strong>  
><strong>Episode One - Plenty of New, A Little Bit of Old (05.15.11)<strong>  
><strong>-<strong>

Day One  
>Honolulu International Airport<p>

It was still relatively early in the morning, but the first group of cast members were already beginning to arrive in Honolulu. The first to walk into the terminal? A teenage male ninja wearing a green jumpsuit. All he bothered to bring with him was a backpack, plus whatever small 'tools' he could fit into the many pockets of his flak jacket.

Oh... and his over-bounding enthusiasm.

"I have come from a far away land to compete on and win a reality show!" he boastful declared. "Look out, Honolulu, because Rock Lee is here!"

_Cast Introduction - Rock Lee, Naruto Shippuden_

_"The name's Rock Lee, but everyone just calls me Lee. As you can tell, I intend to win this competition, and will work as hard as I can and then some to achieve my goal!"_

Nearby, from another terminal, another Japanese teenager emerged, this one a girl. She was wearing a blue short sleeve shirt and white cargo pants. She was pulling two large suitcases behind her, and although both had wheels on them, that did not make them that much easier to move. Especially since they were packed pretty full.

_Cast Introduction - Rachel Moore, Case Closed_

_"So, hi, my name is Rachel! Glad to finally make it on this show. __Been trying for years. Plus, who could resist a free trip to Hawai'i?_ _Not me, I tell you!"_

Upon seeing Rachel having difficulty, Lee hopped up from the bench he was sitting on and ran over to help. Rachel accepted the offer of assistance without hesitation.

"Thanks!" Rachel told him.

"No problem!" Lee said in response. "I'm Lee!"

"And I'm Rachel. Pleased to meet you!"

* * *

><p>The two got outside to a waiting taxi, as Lee pulled along both of Rachel's suitcases and had the weight of his backpack taxing him as well.<p>

"Oh my," Rachel gasped. "Are you sure you've got it?"

Lee nodded. "Trust me... this is nothing compared to my training!"

"Training? As in martial arts? Me too!"

Having already found a common bond between them, the trip for the duo to the beach house where they would be staying was quite enjoyable.

* * *

><p>Back at the airport, a third competitor had arrived. Another teenage girl, though a year or two younger than Rachel, with dark skin, was sitting at a table peacefully. She was dressed in a matching-colored tunic and pants, and was also sporting fingerless gloves and a pair of boots, the latter of which made her look somewhat out of place. She had a small knapsack with her, which was currently on the seat of the chair next to her.<p>

Suddenly, an auburn-haired gentleman, in his early 20s, walked up. He was wearing a black V-neck short sleeve shirt and khaki pants. He had one suitcase with him, which he placed on the floor temporarily as he stuck out his hand to greet her.

"Good morning!"

The girl politely reached out and shook hands with him.

"Good morning!"

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dante."

"Dante, huh? Well, I'm Katara."

_Cast Introduction - Dante Vale, Huntik: Secrets and Seekers_

_"I'm Dante, and I'm happy that I was invited to compete here! I've_ _heard some good stories about the experience. And who knows... if I_ _win, the money can go to some much-needed Titan research."_

_Cast Introduction - Katara, Avatar: The Last Airbender_

_"My name's Katara, and suffice to say, this place is a bit warmer __than I expected. Nevertheless, I'm sure that whatever troubles may_ _come my way while I'm here, I'll be able to overcome them!"_

"I must say," Dante observed, "you must come from a far away place!"

"I guess you could say that," answered Katara.

"So I take it you're not wearing Inuit clothing?"

"Nope. Southern Water Tribe."

"Hmmm... never heard of it."

Suddenly, Dante felt a tug at his pants. He looked down and saw a small blonde girl in a maroon gown that covered her whole body.

"Looks like somebody lost their kid."

Katara stood up and saw who Dante was referring. She squatted down in front of the girl, whom reacted by frowning at her.

"Oh, aren't you a cutie?" cooed Katara.

She reached in to pinch her on the cheek, but the girl slapped it away.

"**HEY!**"

"Trust me," the little one warned her. "You **DON'T** want to do that. Now, come on... I've got a competition to win."

With that, she headed for the exit with a briefcase in hand.

_Cast Introduction - Heloise, Jimmy Two-Shoes_

_"Just so you know, my number one reason for being here is not to win_ _the money. I'm here because I wanted to have a little fun... and by_ _fun, I mean making other people's lives miserable! Because that's_ _what I do! I'm Heloise, and I'm not here to make friends."_

Dante chuckled. "Heh. Shouldn't surprise me that even here, there's someone like her here. So much for my vacation from the supernatural!"

"I'm sure it's nothing," Katara blew off Heloise's unfriendliness. "Her trip must've been rough, that's all."

The two followed Heloise out of the airport, and soon are off to the beach house.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the taxi carrying Lee and Rachel had pulled into the driveway, and the two of them saw the beach house that they were going to spend the next three weeks in.<p>

"This looks amazing!" Rachel exclaimed cheerfully.

"Whoa," gasped Lee. "I've never seen a place quite like this before!"

Once they stepped out of the cab, they got a better look at their new abode. They took note of the sunny yellow paint scheme, the solar panels on the roof, the fountain in the yard, and their proximity to the beach.

But that was nothing compared to the inside.

"Incredible!"

They made their way into the lobby, welcomed by the golden-esque chandelier lighting the way and a two-foot tall Buddha on a pedestal. Rachel ran ahead, leaving her suitcases behind as she barreled down the hall to check out the rest of the house.

"Wait up!" Lee called as he gave chase.

The two of them ended up in the living room, which was decorated from floor to roof with Hawaiian knickknacks, as well as a few modern home conveniences, like a fifty-inch screen TV.

"Unfathomable!" Lee shouted as he walked up to the TV. "What is this?"

"Forget about that!" Rachel said. "Come over here!"

Rachel opened the rear sliding door and walked out onto the back patio, where there was a grill, an outdoor pool, and...

"A hot tub! **WE'VE GOT A HOT TUB!**"

"A hot spring?"

"No, not a hot spring, Lee, a hot tub! Two entirely different things!"

"But don't they actually kinda work the same way... Rachel?"

Rachel had disappeared, and Lee's head shot every which way as he tried to find her. Eventually, he stuck his head back inside and saw that she was now in the kitchen... or, to be more specific, the pantry.

"Whoa! There's so much food in here! I have to..."

Rachel then stopped.

"Wait a minute! I'm not at home! I don't have to cook for Dad or Conan! Besides, surely there'll be someone here who can do all that!"

She closed the pantry door and began to walk back over to Lee, when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a note clipped to the refrigerator door.

"What's this?"

Rachel pulled it off and read it aloud.

"Greetings, and welcome to Honolulu! There are six bedrooms in the house: two doubles on the ground floor, and four triples on the second. All bedrooms are first-come, first-serve, and no co-ed rooms. Otherwise, have at it!"

"**I AM ALREADY HAVING IT!**" Lee shouted.

"Huh? Lee?"

Lee had found one of the bedrooms, and he stuck his head out and waved at her.

"Miss Rachel, Miss Rachel!"

Rachel ran over and saw that Lee was in a room that had a volcano motif. There were fire red curtains, a pair of red lava lamps, and the wall was filled with images of famous Hawaiian volcanoes, which included Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

"The design of the rooms burns into the soul like the burning passion inside of me!" Lee determinedly clenched his fist. "This room is **PERFECT**!"

"But..." calmly argued Rachel, "you haven't seen the other bedrooms yet."

"It doesn't matter! I know what I like, and I like this room!"

But that was not the only thing that would get Lee fired up, as also on the ground floor was a workout gym, complete with a treadmill, dumbbells, a medicine ball, and a few weightlifting machines.

"And I can train while I'm here?" Lee shook with glee. "**THIS IS THE BEST PLACE EVER!**"

They also found the other first floor bedroom, which had a pineapple motif. But that did not seem to interest Rachel all that much, who decided to head upstairs.

"Guess I'll take one of the triples. Besides, it'll be more fun to have two girls to chat with at night instead of one!"

Rachel picked one room at random and ended up walking into one of the triples. Everything in it was hand-carved from wood, including the bed frames, and the wallpaper had a tiki idol pattern.

"Not bad, not bad. And... didn't I once hear that tikis were good luck?"

Still, with nobody else in the house yet, Rachel had time to check out the other bedrooms...

* * *

><p>But Lee and Rachel would not be alone for much longer, as the cab carrying Katara, Dante, and Heloise had pulled up outside.<p>

"I hate it," Heloise quickly complained upon seeing the house.

"Oh, come on!" Katara said to her. "You haven't even seen the inside yet!"

"Don't have to. I'll probably hate that, too."

Katara looked at Dante, who just shrugged his shoulders, as he was apparently at a loss for words. Heloise headed inside.

"Looks like we're not the first ones here," she noted as she spotted Rachel's luggage propped against a wall in the lobby. "**HELLO?**"

* * *

><p>Up on the third floor, Katara's shouts were finally heard by Rachel and Lee, who were in an observatory that led to a balcony overlooking the back patio and pointed out towards the ocean.<p>

"I hear someone!" Lee exclaimed.

The two walked down a set of spiraling stairs to the second floor, and Lee almost ran right into Dante upon reaching the bottom.

"Whoa there!" Dante said, catching him. "Let's not get carried away and get injured on the first day!"

"You guys are living here too?" Lee asked, seeing Dante and then Katara, who was right behind him.

"I'm Dante, and this young lady behind me is Katara!"

"Pleased to meet you!"

"Likewise. I'm Lee..."

"And my name's Rachel," his traveling partner cut in.

"Great!" shouted Lee. "Twice as many people, twice as nice!"

"Actually," Dante told him, "there was someone else with us."

The foursome went back down the hall, and they eventually found Heloise in one of the bedrooms. The tiki-themed one, to be exact. And she had wasted no time in getting the room to her liking, as she was starting to construct a mini-laboratory on the dresser.

"What do you guys want?" Heloise asked. "This is my room!"

"Actually, this is a triple," answered Rachel, "as in, three people have to sleep here, not just you!"

Heloise groaned. "Fine, whatever! Just stay out of my third of the room!"

"Hmmm... someone should room with her to make sure she doesn't blow up the house before everyone else gets here."

Katara snapped her fingers.

"That's it! You, me, and Heloise! The three of us can be roommates!"

Rachel pulled Katara aside to speak with her privately.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Oh, she just needs a little comforting, that's all! That, and some girl bonding!"

"Alright, fine. But you're getting the bed next to hers!"

"Well, well," Dante noted as the situation resolved itself before him, "seem like the girls have figured out their arrangements."

"Oh, **OH!**" Lee shouted. "Dante-sensei!"

"Whoa, whoa! I appreciate the kudos, but you can just call me Dante."

"Okay, Dante, sir... would you like to be my roommate? I've got a kick-ass room!"

"Is that so? Well, my friend... I accept your offer."

The two shook hands on it, then Lee led the way downstairs to show him where to put his bags.

* * *

><p>As the first five were settling in, the next group was setting foot on the island for the first time... starting with a teen male wearing a red sweater vest over a blue polo shirt and brown cargo shorts. He had one suitcase with him.<p>

And yet, unlike the others, he did not seem pleased to be here...

"If I knew they were sending us here, I would've said no!"

_Cast Introduction - Noah, Total Drama Island/World Tour_

_"Yeah, I'm Noah. You already know who I am, because I've done this twice already. But now that I'm away from a certain crackpot of a host and his innate ability to not care for our lives, perhaps I'll finally be able to do what I promised back on Wawanakwa. Outwit, outplay, and outlast everyone!"_

_Suddenly, somebody whispered to him off-screen._

_"Yes, I realize that's the mantra of 'Survivor.' They don't own it, you know."_

Noah did not have to wait long, for he spotted a blonde-haired male about his age walking his way. He was wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt with a palm tree pattern and blue pants. But the part about him that stood out the most was the orange ascot adorning his neck.

_Cast Introduction - Fred Jones, Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated_

_"The name's Fred Jones, and I've come here to solve a mystery! I __am on that show, right?"_

"Aloha!" Fred greeted.

"The '70s called," quipped Noah. "They want their unhip clothes back."

"What are you talking about? Hawaiian shirts are **ALWAYS** in in Hawai'i!"

"There you guys are!" a female voice interrupted them. "For a minute there, I thought I was at the wrong airport!"

The two turned around and saw that the voice belonged to a beautiful adult woman, also with blonde hair. She was wearing a lacey pink knee-length dress that showed off her cleavage. For some odd reason, though, it had no effect on either Noah or Fred.

"You guys are kinda young," she said out loud. "Are you sure I didn't accidentally sign up to be the new 'Nanny 9-1-1?'"

_Cast Introduction - Francine Smith, American Dad_

_"Hi, there, world! My name's Francine, and I'm here! I was kinda_ _apprehensive at first, because I'm going to be away from my husband_ _and kids for the next three weeks. And then I realized... **THESE ARE**_** _GOING TO BE THE BEST FRIKKIN' THREE WEEKS OF MY LIFE! GO CHANGE YOUR _**_**OWN DIAPER, STEVE!**"_

"You too, huh?" Fred laughed. "I thought I signed up to be on 'Mystery Solvers.'"

Fred paused, then looked over at Noah.

"This... isn't 'Mystery Solvers,' is it?"

Noah frowned, obviously annoyed at the two dumb blondes before him.

_Confessional Cam - Noah_

_"A stepford wife and a 'Hawaii Five-O' wannabe. Again, I'm gonna be surrounded by idiots. Honestly, how is it always their ilk that manages to get on these shows?"_

"Let's just get out of here so we can get this over with," stated Noah.

"Alright!" shouted Francine. "Let's hit it, boys!"

With that, the trio departed for the beach house.

* * *

><p>A fifty-minute cab ride later...<p>

"Oh my God!" gasped Francine. "This place... is amazing!"

Noah, surprisingly, had to agree.

"I have to admit," he said, as he lifted a hand up to shield his eyes, "a beach house painted in a color that can make you go blind at certain points of the day is preferable than flying around in a junk of a jetliner that manages to stay in the air for hours at a time, much less last a trip that traverses the planet several times over."

"I dunno," Fred was hesitant to agree, "it still needs something. But I'm not sure what..."

"Fred's right," stated Francine. "There **IS** something missing."

The trio walked inside with their luggage, and they saw Dante walk up to them. Instantly, Francine started to eye him deliciously.

"And who might you be?"

"Dante Vale, at your service. And you?"

"Francine. Francine Smith."

"Glad you here. It's nice to finally have another adult in the house."

As Dante and Francine got acquainted, Fred and Noah began their own private tour of the house. Together, much to Noah's chagrin.

* * *

><p>Before long, another competitor-carrying taxi had come to a stop in front of the house. After a few seconds, a young teen boy stepped out at last. He had on a blue short sleeve shirt, blue-jean shorts, and a white hat that covered his entire head except for his face.<p>

"Thanks for the ride in this... whatevermajig."

"It's called a taxi, you stupid kid!"

With that, the annoyed cabbie sped away. The boy only had with him a small green bag which was slung over his shoulder. He shrugged over the odd feelings of his escort and took in his first glimpse of the beach house.

"Whoa..."

_Cast Introduction - Finn, Adventure Time_

_"I'm Finn, and I'm an adventurer! Currently, I'm trying to figure out where the math I am! There's so many things here I've never seen before here! Oh, and humans! Other humans other than me! Lots of them! I have so many questions! Man, three weeks doesn't sound like enough time to ask them all!"_

Finn entered the house through the front door, and was instantly greeted by Rachel.

"Hi there!"

"Hi! So... are you the princess of this castle?"

"A princess? Me?" Rachel giggled. "In my dreams, maybe."

Suddenly, Katara appeared, having gotten her necklace back from Heloise, and she came down the stairs to meet the new arrival.

"Hark!" Finn turned to her. "Are **YOU** the princess of this castle?"

"No. I'm just Katara."

"And I'm Rachel."

"You mean..." Finn put two and two together. "Princess Katara and Princess Rachel?"

"No," Rachel calmly corrected him. "Just Katara and Rachel. No princess."

"Oh."

"Why? Were you expecting a princess?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno. I'm just so used to every girl I meet being a princess."

* * *

><p>Back at the airport...<p>

"One, two, three, four... I think that's all of 'em!"

The young girl, about the same age as Finn, had just claimed all of her luggage from baggage claim, and was heading off to meet with the person she would be traveling with to the beach house. She was dressed in a purple tank top that was short enough to show off her belly button, and a white skirt that ended just above her knees. And in the spirit of being in a tropical paradise, she was also sporting a pair of designer purple-framed sunglasses.

_Cast Introduction - Megan Clark, The Amazing Spiez_

_"What up, world? I'm Megan! I'm so happy I got cast for the show! __Now I'm here in Hawai'i! I can meet some cute boys, get a nice tan,_ _meet some cute boys, check out all the beautiful flora and fauna, win_ _some cash, and... I mentioned meeting cute boys, right?"_

As she wheeled her luggage along behind her, Megan seemed to be murmuring to herself as she approached the rendezvous point.

"Please let there be a boy waiting for me! Please let there be a boy waiting for me!"

She turned the corner and saw that her traveling buddy had long, red hair, had two red suitcases with her, and was wearing a red sleeveless shirt and a white skirt.

Suffice to say... said person was not a boy.

"So much for riding with a cute boy," Megan groaned.

"That makes two of us," the other, older teenager concurred.

_Cast Introduction - Candace Flynn, Phineas and Ferb_

_"So I'm Candace Flynn, and I'm on 'Roomies!' Finally, fame and fortune will be mine... after three weeks of competition, of course. Best of all, I'll get to be away from my annoying brothers for three weeks! Ah, three weeks of not having to worry about busting them. You know, because they always build something, and I try to tell Mom, and when she comes home it's gone, and then..."_

The duo made it outside, as Megan lowered her sunglasses and saw the clouds rolling in.

"Aw, man! How am I supposed to get a tan without any sun?"

She then turned to Candace.

"Hurry up, Candace!"

"I'm coming!" the redhead yelled back, as she strained to drag her two suitcases, neither of which had wheels, to the cab.

* * *

><p>A few minutes after they had left, the twelfth competitor's plane landed at the airport. And just in time, too, as a small rainstorm was settling in over the runways.<p>

This young individual was wearing a white gi, purple pants that flared from the knees down, and a pair of bamboo sandals. He had a backpack on, which seemed a bit on the heavy side, as made evident by the sigh of relief he took upon putting it down on the floor next to a table.

"Aw, man... why did I bring so much stuff?" he complained.

_Cast Introduction - Yoshimori Sumimura, Kekkaishi_

_"My name's Yoshimori, and... and... wait, what was I supposed to __say? Oh, yeah... everybody better look out, because I'm coming there_ _to win! **AND** show my grandpa that I can do anything I set my mind_ _to!"_

But Yoshimori's mind had decided to taken a siesta, as he had fallen asleep the moment he sat down. Oh well...

* * *

><p>The rain clouds were trailing the cab carrying Megan and Candace, but it remained about seven minutes or so behind them the whole way. Still, once their ride had pulled up to the beach house, they raced to get all of their stuff inside as fast as possible.<p>

Megan got to the door first, and knocked on it. It was hastily answered by Finn.

"Whoa! More humans!"

"Uh, yeah," Megan chuckled. "More... humans. That's what we are. I'm Megan."

"I'm Finn! Nice to meet you, princess!"

Megan gasped. "You... you think I'm a princess?"

Rachel appeared beside Finn, and then politely moved past him as she went over to help Megan lift her bags up and over the threshold.

"We really have to talk later," Rachel said to Finn before turning to Megan, "and, wow... you sure brought a lot of bags!"

"She's not the only one!" Candace yelled from afar.

Finn ran over to help out Candace.

"Allow me!"

He took one of her bags, lightening her load and making it easier for her to get to the door.

* * *

><p>Back at the airport, a Japanese man in his late 40s made his way to meet up with a cast member. He was wearing a white dress shirt with the top button undone, black pants, and brown leather loafers. He only had a dark green duffel bag with him, one that seemed pretty worn out, but had as much history as the carrier himself.<p>

"I just hope I'm not too late."

_Cast Introduction - Kenzo Tenma, Monster_

_"My name is Doctor Kenzo Tenma. I'm a world famous neurosurgeon __who's spent his entire career in Europe, particularly in Germany,_ _though I'm originally from Japan. I decided to come onto this show_ _in hopes of winning the prize money, which I plan to donate to those __less fortunate. And right now, there are none more needy than the_ _people of my birth country."_

Kenzo eventually arrived at where he was supposed to go, and he made his way over to Yoshimori, who was snoring loudly.

"It must've been a long trip."

Kenzo decided to not wake him, especially since he knew they were waiting for a third person, so he placed his bag on the seat across from Yoshimori, then walked off to get a newspaper.

While he was gone, though, that 'third' finally showed up. And she made her appearance known. Not just by her outfit, which also consisted of a white dress shirt, though the buttons on her wrist were also undone in addition to the one by her collar, plus a brown skirt and knee-length blue-and-white striped socks. But also by the sound of her voice...

...which she used to give Yoshimori an accidental rude awakening.

"**KIAI!**"

"**AAAAAAAAAH!**" screamed Yoshimori as his seat tipped over and he fell onto the floor.

"Oops! Sorry about that! Guess I don't know my own strength!"

_Cast Introduction - Candice, Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl_

_"Hey! I'm Candice! I'm the Snowpoint City gym leader, and I've come all the way down here for one reason! To finally break our show's losing streak in this series! Kiai!"_

"Don't you know it's rude to yell like that when someone's sleeping?" grumbled Yoshimori as Candice helped him up.

Yoshimori and Candice started staring each other down, but before any physicality could bubble its way out, Kenzo returned.

"So you're awake... and you're here. We should probably go."

Kenzo picked up his duffel bag and started heading for the exit. Both Yoshimori and Candice looked at each other, then grabbed their things and chased after him.

"Wait up!" they yelled.

* * *

><p>"HA!" Yoshimori shouted as he burst through the front door of the beach house.<p>

He tossed his backpack on the floor and started to do a celebratory dance. After doing so, he turned around just in time to watch Candice walk in.

"I told you I'd beat you to the door!"

"But..." Candice told him, "that wasn't a race. Besides, you shouldn't expend all your energy right away. What if we have our first challenge today?"

"You're just saying that because you don't want to admit defeat!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Now now, you two," Kenzo interrupted them, as he came in carrying not only his duffel bag, but Candice's one suitcase as well. "Let's not get riled up so much. That's not good for your heart."

* * *

><p>The cast was starting to mingle as a group of caterers began setting up tables outside. It was drizzling as they were, but the clouds were beginning to break up above them, instilling hope that the group would be able to see the sun set on the first night in Hawai'i.<p>

"I can't wait to eat!" Yoshimori exclaimed.

"I am so famished," remarked Lee, "that I could eat a whole pig!"

"Well, we **ARE** in Hawai'i," noted Megan.

They started counting chairs, and noticed something off.

"Sixteen?" Megan thought out loud. "Are there sixteen people here?"

"Only fourteen, by my count," replied Lee.

"Fourteen's a nice, round number," commented Noah, as he entered the conversation. "We can do without two more psychopaths."

Suddenly, they heard a knock at the front door.

"So much for that hope."

"**I GOT IT!**" yelled Fred, as he reached for the doorknob.

Fred opened the door, and saw two familiar adult figures in front of him.

"Howdy... or, should I say, aloha! Don't I know you two from somewhere?"

Standing before them were two very familiar faces. Terry McGinnis and Kari Kamiya.

"You might say that."

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The fourteen cast members had just realized that there were supposed to be sixteen of them there. As if on cue, someone knocked at the front door and Fred had just answered it.<p>

"Howdy... or, should I say, aloha! Don't I know you two from somewhere?"

Standing before them were two very familiar faces. The black-haired man, who was fairly tall and was dressed in all black - T-shirt, jeans, and sunglasses, decided to answer.

"You might say that."

_Cast Introduction - Terry McGinnis, Batman Beyond_

_"The name's Terry McGinnis. First time on 'Roomies,' but you may_ _know me from another reality series. Back in 2003, I won the_ _original edition of 'Mystery Solvers.'"_

_Flashback - "Mystery Solvers" Finale_

_Someone reached in and took the pen and the arrest warrant from_ _acting-game-sheriff Buzz Lightyear and signed the parchment. The_ _camera then pulled back to reveal that said person was Terry._

_"You're serious?" Terry asked. "I really won this thing?"_

_"Yep," nodded Buzz. "Well earned, detective."_

_"Won half a million on that show, and here am I, eight years later, __hoping I'll be leaving here with another half million! I'm not_ _expecting it to be easy, though."_

The brown-haired woman then chipped in her two cents, as she was wearing a pink baby tee and khaki pants. But her most noticeable features were the two pink hair clips, which kept the hair on the left side of her head from covering that side of her face.

"This isn't my first time here at the rodeo, my friend."

_Cast Introduction - Kari Kamiya, Digimon: Digital Monsters_

_"A pleasure to meet you. Let me reintroduce myself! My name's_ _Kari Kamiya, and... let's just say the first time I competed on_ _'Roomies,' I kinda surprised everyone..."_

_Flashback - "Roomies 1" Finale_

_Hostess Layla McKenzie had the final vote in hand, and it was down_ _to just Kari and Misty. After a moment of silence, Layla revealed_ _the final vote._

_"Kari, you have just won Roomies, the girls' edition!"_

_Kari jumps out of her seat and starts screaming her lungs out. __Misty is the first to give her a big hug. Sakura and Chelsea also_ _congratulate her, followed by the rest of the girls._

_"That was one of the best moments of my life, and it would absolutely __make my day if I were lucky enough to win a second time! Here's_ _hopin'!"_

Terry and Kari stepped into the beach house, and as curious eyes peeked down the hallway to see who their last two roommates were, some of them react similarly to the way Fred did.

"The two of them look familiar..." Rachel said, "particularly the girl..."

"I know, right?" Candice agreed. "But... I can't quite put my finger on it."

Dante walked over and introduced himself to them.

"Welcome! My name's Dante."

"Hi," Terry said as he shook hands with him. "I'm Terry."

"And I'm Kari," she chipped in without prompting.

"A pleasure," Dante said, as he took her hand, and bowed before her.

Seeing this, Francine leaned over to whisper something to Candace.

"Who's this little tartlet supposed to be?"

"Dunno, but I **LOVE** her hair!"

Surprisingly, only one person actually knew who Terry and Kari were and their history... but he did not seem intent on sharing that information with anyone else as of yet.

And that was Noah, who played dumb as he went over to introduce himself.

"I'm Noah," he said to them, "and let me say, I feel a bit relieved to see a few more responsible adults in here."

"We'll see how long that lasts," Terry chuckled. "Kari told me on the way here that she just turned 21 a few weeks ago!"

"Really?" Francine shouted, as she walked up, apparently happy about hearing that. "Well, one of the first things we should do is take you out on the night on the town!"

"Thanks, but... I'm not into that sort of thing."

"Oh, come on!" Francine said as she wrapped her arm around her shoulder and pulled her in as if she was a close friend. "We're the only two legal women in the house. We gotta stick together, y'know!"

"I suppose..."

"Good! We'll talk more over dinner!"

As Francine led Kari away to chat more, Dante decided to lead Terry on a tour of the house... all to burn some time until...

* * *

><p>Dinner!<p>

A large spread laid before the sixteen competitors, put together by a local catering company. There were assortment of Hawaiian delicacies, from well-known dishes like fried rice, macaroni salad, and poached onaga, or red snapper, to oddities very rarely seen outside the state, like poi, lau lau, and ahi poke. There were also a variety of local drinks available for consumption, like coconut juice. And it looked like the cast was enjoying them all.

The dinner also gave them a chance to converse, and boy, did some people take advantage of the opportunity.

"And there he was," Megan said, as Candace, Katara, and Rachel listened closely, "right around the corner! The hot, new transfer student from Texas! So, I start to walk over to him, and he turns and sees me!"

"And then?" Rachel asked.

"He winked at me!"

"No way!" Candace shouted.

"Yes, way!"

"He must really like you," commented Katara.

"You bet he does! Ooh... he's so dreamy!"

Meanwhile, Francine, Kari, and Candice had their eyes focused on a boy that was actually right in front of them. Or, rather, a man, as was the case for Dante, who was wrapping a story about one of his exploits.

"...and that's how me and my team managed to escape from the Tomb of Nefertiti."

"Wow!" gasped Candice. "Incredible!"

"I'll say," piped in Francine. "To have to deal with all of those monsters!"

"I wasn't worried," admitted Kari. "Dante's pretty strong, and smart too! Not many guys like you in the world."

"While that's true, hopefully one day you'll find that special someone for you."

But Dante was not the only one sharing adventure stories. Cue Finn, who was describing one of his to Lee.

"Oh, what about the time I had to create my own story for my pal, Jake. He was sick, and I went out to make an adventure tale that had romance, fighting, suspense, and a good ending!"

"Wow! How did that go?"

"Tried to get a goose to kiss a fox, started a fight with a bear, nearly planted in the soil because I picked on innocent creatures... a lot of fun stuff!"

"That is truly stupendous! If you go on an adventure while you're here, promise to take me with you?"

"No doubt! Adventures are always better in duos. You've got someone to live it with you."

* * *

><p>Later, inside the house, Finn was having another 'moment of awesome' as he watched Noah play a video game.<p>

"Now I've seen everything! A game that displays in actual color!"

"You're joking, right?" Noah asked without looking away. "You from the 1980's?"

"Let me give it a try!"

"Knock yourself out. Just grab a controller. It supports four-player co-op, so you, me, and two other schmoes can all play at the same time."

"Radical!"

Suddenly, Finn saw Megan walk into the room.

"Hey, schmoe! Wanna play with us?"

"What? Schmoe?"

Noah looked over and groaned as he spotted Megan, and then shook his head.

"Finn, you only call guys schmoes. Sheesh... don't you know how to talk to girls?"

"Sure I do, man. All the time."

"That's not what I... oh, never mind."

"Hey, Pri- I mean, Not-a-Princess Megan! You wanna play with us?"

"Dunno," Megan said, feigning interest, "video games **SO** aren't my thing."

"It's 'Little Big Planet 2,'" Noah stated matter-of-factly.

Upon hearing that, Megan had plopped onto the couch next to Finn and had a controller in hand before they knew it.

"I love this game!" she squealed. "Let's play, let's play!"

"See?" Noah whispered to Finn. "Easy way to pick up chicks... play video games they want to play. Consider it a freebie, buddy."

Finn froze in horror.

"You mean... we're doing this to pick up girls? Ick, man!"

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"I'd hate to go to your universe. Sounds like a very dull place."

"Not really," Finn replied, not catching onto Noah's sarcasm. "Stomping bad guys and fighting monsters never gets old."

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>Day Two<p>

The group's first night in Honolulu turned out to be very uneventful. But thanks to a big dinner and plenty still suffering from the time differential, many of the castmates were attempting to sleep late into the morning.

The lone exception? Francine, who has been up since seven thirty doing some minor cleaning and cooking breakfast... and this was relatively late in the day for her to be starting those tasks.

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"It's weird. My stomach's telling me it's lunch time already, but_ _the sun says it's breakfast! Why can't the entire planet run on the_ _same clock? Why is that so hard?"_

Eventually, the smell of food filled the air, and people started getting up... starting with those sleeping on the first floor: Dante, Lee, and Francine's roommate, Kari.

"What is that brain-tingling smell?" Lee asked.

"It's my all-American breakfast!" replied Francine. "Nothing like putting meat in ya to wake you up!"

"You're cooking for everyone?" Dante looked at her quizzically.

"Yes, it's what I do. Every day!"

"For a family of four. There's four times that many people here! You could of at least woken me up to help!"

"Oh, fine! But go wash up first! No one makes breakfast in my kitchen unless they've showered first."

Dante chuckled. "Your wish is our command. Let's go, Lee."

Dante and Lee walked off.

"That goes for you too, young woman," Francine said to Kari.

"Oh!" Kari squeaked, her mind still not fully awake. "Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

><p>Over the next couple hours, the other house members rose, did their morning business, and made their way downstairs for breakfast. Rachel and Candice were the last ones to make it to the table, and there was not much left for them.<p>

"First the shower runs out of hot water and now this?" complained Rachel. "I'm getting up earlier tomorrow, that's for sure!"

"Sorry, dear," apologized Francine, "but I underestimated how much food I needed to cook! That, and we ran out of eggs."

"But there were two cartons of it in the fridge last night," shouted Candice.

"There 'were', honey. I hope there's a ton of places around here that deliver, because I don't think what we have will last a week!"

Suddenly, Megan came running into the dining room, with her arms flailing.

"A huge truck just backed into the driveway!"

* * *

><p>They ran out the front door and joined the rest of the cast outside as the back door of the truck was pulled open. While the workers prepared to unload, one of them walked over with a phone in hand.<p>

"Hey..." he said, "I think this is for you."

He handed the phone over to Kari, who accepted it. Immediately, she could see that a video had been loaded and was ready to be played. As everyone gathered around her, she pushed play, then held it out so that they could all see.

The video started playing, and as it faded in, a green-haired woman appeared on the screen.

"Good morning!" she exclaimed. "If you're seeing this, then you survived your first night! Good job! I'm your host this season, and I'll be responsible for telling you everything you need to know. Oh, and my name's Kiyone Makibi. I competed on this show way back in Season Two, and boy, were things much different compared to what you'll be facing! Anyway, hopefully you're ready for your first challenge! It'll be just down the beach! Be there at noon!"

Kiyone was about to walk off when she stopped herself.

"Oh, almost forgot! One of the new things is that this season, you will be competing as pairs for the entire competition! Now, I've gone ahead and assigned pairings and team colors. Hopefully, they're to your liking. If not, well... I've said too much already! Suit up, and I'll see you all in a little bit!"

This time the video ended, and as it did, they saw the workers start to roll clothes racks off of the truck and over to the competitors. Once they were all out, they all grabbed their stuff...

* * *

><p>And soon afterwards, dressed in their new colored uniform shirts and with their swimsuits on underneath, with one exception - Heloise, who was wearing her red shirt over her body-length gown, they trotted along the beach away from the house until they reached the area where their first challenge was going to be held.<p>

Marching in team order, first were Candace and Candice of the Yellow Team. Accompanying Heloise for the Red Team was her partner, Finn. Then came the Blue Team, which had Katara and Megan on it. Lee and Noah were fourth in line, and they were the Brown Team. Behind them was the Orange Team, Fred and Rachel. Partnered up next were Dante and Yoshimori of the Purple Team. The Green Team was seventh, and their members were Kenzo and Francine. Last but not least was the Gray Team, which paired up Terry and Kari.

Upon their arrival, in the water they saw an odd-shaped single buoy out, and on the beach, eight rectangular pods set up for some sort of puzzle. They also saw Kiyone waiting for them. She was wearing a teal-colored short sleeve shirt, to match her hair, and a sky blue Hawaiian flower-print dress, which had a slit that went up to her knees.

The sixteen competitors stopped in front of her, forming a little semicircle around her.

"Good morning, Roomies!" she greeted them.

"Good morning!" they said in response.

"Allow me to, first off, welcome you to Honolulu! And I'm glad that all of you made it here safely. And, second, congratulations on making it onto 'Roomies!' I hope you all take time to really relish in this unique experience... though, I suppose for some of you, this **ISN'T** the first time you've been in a reality competition. And for a certain someone, this **ISN'T** your first time on 'Roomies.'"

A few eyes shifted Kari's way, but she paid them no mind.

"As I told you this morning," Kiyone continued, "this edition of 'Roomies' is being run much different than it has been in the past. This time around, there is only one type of challenge, and it's run in the same format as what was known as the Roommate Challenges. You will all be competing in teams of two. The top five teams in each challenge each receive at least one of these..."

Kiyone held up a gold coin for all of them to see.

"This coin represents twenty-five thousand dollars! Now... if you're the fifth-place team, each of you gets one of these. Fourth place gets two apiece, and so on, up to the first-place team, which gets five each! Your goal... to earn twenty chips, which gives you a shot at walking out of here with a maximum of five hundred thousand dollars!"

"**YEAH!**" Finn yelled.

"That's **SO** gonna be mine!" exclaimed Candace.

"But there is a new twist," Kiyone told them, "one that could play a huge factor on somebody's fate in this competition! The winning team in **EACH** challenge will get a chance to improve or worsen one other competitor's chance of getting to the Final Four... which is the **ONLY** way to be in the running for the grand prize!"

Some of the competitors murmured amongst themselves in speculation.

"What is this twist, you ask? I'll tell you... **AFTER** today's challenge!"

"Figures," groaned Noah.

"So what is your challenge, you ask? Your first challenge is called... King's Trial! There are two parts to this challenge! In the first, one at a time, each team member must swim out to that buoy, about 25 meters away from shore..."

Kiyone pointed to said buoy.

"...attached to the buoy are two lead ropes that go underneath the ocean's surface. At the end of each rope are fishnets, each with a coconut-shaped container in them. You will need to retrieve one bag from each side of the buoy, for the contents of those containers are needed to complete the second part of the challenge."

The hostess then directed their attention to the rectangular pods on shore, each color-coded to correspond to a specific team.

"Once your team has retrieved **BOTH** containers and brought them back to shore, run to your pod to begin the second part of the challenge. On the other side of those pods is a puzzle in which the answers are... well, you guys! Those containers hold letters which spell out ten of your names. But **THAT** is not how you finish the challenge!"

They all looked at Kiyone, curious as to what that meant.

"At a certain point, I will relay to you a question. The answer to that question should become apparent IF you've completed the puzzle correctly. Once you think you've got the correct answer, write it down on the mini-blackboard you'll be provided and call me over. To finish the challenge, **BOTH** the puzzle must be filled out correctly **AND** the trivia question must be answered correctly. First five teams to do so will be the first to start adding money to their personal pots and will get a step closer to possibly leaving Honolulu with half a million dollars!"

The group responded with applause.

"Sound simple enough? Good. I'll give you a few minutes to get ready, and then we'll get started!"

* * *

><p>After a brief amount time to form some strategy and do some stretches, the teams were lined up at the starting line. Before they could begin, though, all eyes were on Heloise, who had changed out of her gown... but had replaced it with a mermaid's tail, along with her red team shirt.<p>

"Wait," Finn scratched his head, "so... are you half-mermaid?"

"That's none of your beeswax!" his partner replied.

"Isn't that a bit unorthodox?" Francine asked. "And unfair?"

"I'm with Beach House Mom," Candace said in agreement. "Isn't that against the rules?"

"I have a special condition," Heloise explained. "Besides, it doesn't give me much of an advantage, if **THAT'S** what you're worried about!"

Everyone seemed to accept that answer, regardless of whether they agreed with it or not. They would have to wait to find out if she was telling the truth, though, because her partner Finn was at the line, ready to go out with the first group.

Lined with Finn were Candace, Megan, Lee, Fred, Dante, Francine, and Kari, all set and just waiting for the start signal. Kiyone had her starter pistol in hand and was ready to go.

"Racers, on your mark! Get set!"

Kiyone raised the pistol into the air, and almost immediately afterward, pulled the trigger.

**BANG!**

The eight competitors raced into the ocean. Dante and Lee were the first two in, followed by Fred, Candace, Kari, Francine, Finn, and Megan. Their partners cheered them on as they swam out to the buoy.

"Right off the bat," commentated Kiyone, "we're gonna see who the best swimmers are!"

Dante and Lee were matching each other stroke for stroke, Dante only inching ahead because he had longer arms. As a result, Dante just beat Lee to the buoy.

"Dante and Lee get to the buoy first, almost dead even!"

Dante dived, swimming to the buoy's left, and Lee followed him. Both reach the bottom and go to work untying a bag. They do so quickly, and head back up. Fred, meanwhile, had just reached the buoy, as Dante surfaced, then Lee. Kari was also just arriving as Dante and Lee began the swim back to shore.

"Purple and Brown off to a fast start, already heading back! Orange and Gray going under for the first time, with everyone else right on their heels!"

Fred was the first to go right, while Kari went left. Finn arrived shortly thereafter, and he decided to follow Fred under.

"Dante and Lee putting on a hell of a show! Yoshimori and Noah will be in the water before you know it!"

Meanwhile, business around the buoy was picking up. Candace and Francine were coming in just as Fred popped back up to their right.

"Fred's got one, and he's coming back!"

Candace dove left, while Francine went right. Candace almost bumped into Kari, who was on the way back up. Kari surfaced, gasping for air just as Megan arrived.

"Kari's up, but it doesn't look like she brought a bag with her! Meanwhile, Dante, now about a full body length ahead of Lee as he's close to shore."

Megan took a deep breath and went under. Kari composed herself as best as she could, then dipped down for her second attempt. As they disappear under the surface, Finn comes back up, rejoicing triumphantly as he held his catch in the air.

"Mathematical!"

Finn started to head back...

"Looks like the guys are dominating so far as Dante is now up on his feet..."

Sure enough, Dante was now standing and he ran the rest of the way in. He got back on the beach and tagged Yoshimori.

"First tag has been made... Yoshimori's heading out!"

Yoshimori ran past Lee, who came in and tagged Noah.

"And there goes Noah, right behind him!"

Out at the buoy, Candace was starting to swim back.

"Candace on her way back! And... is that..."

Megan surfaced, and she had retrieved her bag.

"Megan's got hers! Closer to shore, Fred's almost in... Rachel's anxious to get started!"

Francine and Kari both came back up at the same time.

"I couldn't get it!" Francine screamed. "I couldn't get it!"

"Stay strong!" Kenzo shouted at her from shore. "Keep at it!"

But Kari had succeeded the second time around, and she headed back. Francine took a deep breath, and dived again. Back on shore, Fred was out of the water, and was reaching forward for the tag...

"There!"

"Rachel's off and away! Three teams now on the second trip out!"

But Finn closed the distance on Fred a little, and he exited the water just as Rachel was going in.

"Finn in for the tag... and there rolls Heloise!"

Literally, apparently, as Heloise lied down on the ground and then rolled herself like a log into the ocean. Once in the water, she started her swim.

"Purple Team still in the lead, and it might've had grown a bit..."

Francine resurfaced, and again, she was empty-handed.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Francine, coming up empty again!" observed Kiyone.

Kenzo began to worry as Yoshimori reached the buoy and dived down without giving Francine a glance.

"Green Team continuing to fall back. Purple going for their second coconut! Here on shore, Candace is in, tagging off to Candice!

"Catch her!" Candace yelled, pointing ahead to Heloise. "**CATCH HER!**"

Rachel had just about caught up to Noah as the two of them got to the buoy. Noah used the rope to pull himself down towards the bags, but had to get out of the way for a second as Yoshimori was using it to frantically resurface.

Yoshimori made it a couple seconds later, and he was desperately gasping for air as he grabbed at the buoy to keep him above water.

"Yoshimori up, but with zip! That could open the door for another team to take the lead!"

A few seconds later...

"Megan finally back, tagging Katara... and she wants to make up time! Over at the buoy, Francine, finally with a bag in hand!"

Francine coughed some water out and brushed some hair out of her eye before beginning her swim back. But right behind her...

"Rachel's up, and **SHE'S** got her bag! And... so is Noah, it looks like!"

Noah surfaced on the other side of the buoy, right next to Yoshimori, who was preparing to dive down again. Just in time, because Heloise was now there, and Candice was coming in as well.

"Remember!" Kiyone reminded those on shore. "This is only part one! There's still plenty of challenge left! Anything can happen!"

Kiyone turned her attention towards the leaders, missing Kari's tag to Terry in the process.

"Rachel, still the class of the field in the second heat, is almost in. Noah's not far behind..."

Rachel stood up and ran the rest of the way in. She crossed the line, then joined her teammate Fred as their headed for their pod.

"Orange Team is the first to start the second part of the challenge!"

The duo raced to the other side of their pod and found this puzzle waiting for them...

_[Note: Letters are filled in where the 'X's are. All other characters used as filler for proper formatting.)_  
>(0000)XXXX<br>(000)XXXXX  
>XXXXXXXXX<br>(000)XXXXX  
>()XXXXXX<br>()XXXX  
>(000000)XXXXX<br>(0000)XXXXX  
>(00000000)XXXXXXX<br>()XXXXXXX

They twisted open their coconut-shaped containers and find between them a bunch of ping pong balls, each with a letter on them.

"Brown Team on shore, heading to their pod!"

Noah and Lee were in, and they went to work quickly.

"Here comes the Purple Team..."

Yoshimori had returned, and he joined his partner Dante. But right behind them...

"And the Yellow Team, nipping on their heels!"

...were Candace and Candice. In the water, Heloise, Katara, and Terry were all on the way back, while Kenzo was still on his way to retrieve his coconut container at the buoy.

"I think this one's supposed to be that Noah kid," Rachel suggested, as she pointed to the sixth line.

"Noah..." Fred said aloud as he tried to find the right letters.

They already had Kari in the first slot, the only team to have her there, as the Brown Team had Noah up there, and the Purple Team had instead Rock there.

"Since there are four teams here," Kiyone shouted, "I'm going to give you the question you're supposed to answer!"

The four teams listened as he tried to continue to work.

"The question is... 'who was the first king of Hawai'i?' Again, 'who was the first king of Hawai'i?'"

Among the four teams, one person actually knew the answer without having completed the puzzle.

"Kamehameha," Noah remarked.

"Say wha?" Lee looked at him, dumbfounded.

"Trust me... it's kamehameha. I researched Hawai'i before we came here."

Noah then pointed out that his name wasn't supposed to be on the first line. He took those balls off and corrected it to spell Kari's name.

"There! Kamehameha is supposed to go down from the K! Gimme some vowels!"

The Red Team had now joined the group at the puzzle. Kiyone repeated the question for them. Heloise smiled, as she knew the answer.

"Got it!" Heloise exclaimed. "Finn, it's kamehameha!"

Everyone was hard at work trying to solve the puzzle and answer the trivia question. Over with the Yellow Team, they had several names on the board, and down on the tenth line, they had 'Candice' in.

"This isn't making sense!" Candace shouted.

"I'm with you," concurred Candice. "This isn't right!"

Over at the edge of the water, Terry was a few strides ahead of Katara as the two got to their partners and headed back. Only Kenzo was still swimming, though he would be in shortly.

"We might have one team that's getting close..." commented Kiyone as she checked on everyone's progress.

Kiyone then saw Kenzo finally reach shore.

"Green Team, don't give up!" she shouted at him and Francine. "No one's finished yet... you are still very much in this!"

That would not be the case for long, for just as the Green Team reached their pod, somebody could be heard yelling...

"**DONE!**"

That cry had come from Lee, who signaled for Kiyone to check their work. She obliged their request.

"Okay, guys..."

Kiyone checked it. They had this solution...

(0000)**K**ARI  
>(000)D<strong>A<strong>NTE  
>YOSHI<strong>M<strong>ORI  
>(000)T<strong>E<strong>RRY  
>()RAC<strong>H<strong>EL  
>()NO<strong>A<strong>H  
>(000000)<strong>M<strong>EGAN  
>(0000)K<strong>E<strong>NZO  
>(00000000)<strong>H<strong>ELOISE  
>()CAND<strong>A<strong>CE

"Alright, and the answer to my question?"

Noah held up the blackboard, and it had 'kamehameha' written on it.

"**WE'VE GOT A WINNER! THE BROWN TEAM HAS FINISHED FIRST!**"

Lee hollered with glee, then grabbed Noah by the wrists and made him jump up and down with him.

"We may have a winner," Kiyone reminded the other teams, "but don't quit! There's still plenty at stake!"

The seven remaining teams kept working. Eventually...

"Yoo hoo!" whistled Heloise.

Kiyone ran over. After a few seconds.

"Yep. Good job, guys!"

Finn and Heloise high-fived each other.

"Two down, everyone! Three 'money' places left to claim!"

Over with Fred and Rachel, who had been working the longest... they only had seven balls left, and the last name in the puzzle, which was also seven letters.

"Gotta be Candace," Fred said. "The redhead."

They had solved the puzzle, but they had not figured out the answer to Kiyone's question. Or, where in the puzzle to look for it.

"It's gotta be in here somewhere!" Rachel shouted.

But as they continued to feel stumped, Dante did have the answer, and he was using it to fill the rest of the puzzle. Eventually, Fred and Rachel figured it out, but in time to get it before Dante and Yoshimori?

"**GOT IT!**"

"**YO, US TOO!**"

Kiyone ran over to the first person that yelled.

"That's three!"

Fred and Rachel shared a high-five.

"Great work, partner!" Rachel told him.

A few seconds later, Kiyone had deemed a fourth set correct.

"And four!"

"Alright!" Yoshimori exclaimed.

"One spot to go, guys!" Kiyone said as she wandered about. "And it may come down to the Yellow and Gray Teams, it looks like..."

Candace and Candice were working furiously, but so were Terry and Kari, who had almost caught up to them. But in the end...

"**FINISHED!**"

Candace's boisterous voice was heard loud and clear, as Kiyone ran over to their pod. Terry and Kari were only a name and a half from finishing, but...

"And, that does it! We've got five!"

The Yellow Team shared a hug, just relieved they finished in the money on their first challenge. Terry and Kari had disappointment written on their faces, and the Blue and Green Teams were equally unhappy with their performances.

* * *

><p>With the challenge completed, the teams had now gathered to hear the official results... as well as what the twist to the challenge was.<p>

"Great work today, guys!" Kiyone complimented them. "Very spirited, very competitive! But of course, there can only be one winner. Today, it's the Brown Team! C'mon up here, you guys!"

The gang applauded as Lee and Noah walked over and stood over to Kiyone's right.

"As winners of the challenge, you guys have each earned one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars!"

"Alright!" Lee pumped his fist in the air with glee.

"As a result, you two are, in just one challenge, already a quarter of the way to half a million! Great job!"

Kiyone then turned to the rest of the teams.

"As for the Red, Orange, Purple, and Yellow Teams, for finishing in the top five, you guys will also be putting money in your pots for the first time. Gray, Blue, and Green Teams... don't panic. There's still plenty of challenges left to earn some money."

The hostess then faced Lee and Noah again.

"Now, for the twist. As you know, this season the Final Four will consist of two people voted in by you, and two people voted in by the readers. Now, obviously, you have no control over the readers, but you can sway your fellow competitors to vote for. That pull, though, might be affected if you have one of these..."

Kiyone held up a wool lanyard. It had attached on it a small, red coin that resembled a poker chip.

"This is a Damage Counter. After each challenge, both members of the first-place team can each give one of these to any person on a team that finishes that challenge in fifth place or worse. Trust me, you do not want to get three of these. Why three? Because, at the end of the competition, if you have three damage counters, you will be taken off of the Final Four ballot. That means that your fellow competitors can NOT vote you into the Final Four! The only way you  
>get in is if the readers vote you in with one of their two selections."<p>

Assorted murmurs of worry were heard.

"That severely dampens your chances of getting into the Final Four, and thus reaching the Final Vote. So, trust me... do everything you can to avoid getting three 'strikes.'"

A tote board was pulled out, with all of the competitors' faces on it, grouped in rows of four, each with three slots to the right of their pictures to put the Damage Counters in.

"Lee and Noah, you two get to make the first strikes. When you've made your choice, come up and get a Damage Counter."

The two of them discussed their options for a minute, then came to a decision. Lee walked up first, immediately followed by Noah. Kiyone gave them one each, then stepped aside. Everyone watched as Lee went  
>and placed his next to Kari's picture. Noah, without hesitation, did the same. Their choice shocked a lot of people... even Kari.<p>

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"I was expecting this, definitely. But to see it actually happen? Boy, color me surprised! Noah's definitely playing this game like someone who wants to win. Why am I blaming only Noah? Well, it's because he's been on two reality shows and didn't win either of them! Of course he's against someone winning it twice! If that's his strategy, so be it. I'm not worried at all."_

"Kari," prompted Kiyone, "any reaction?"

"Nope. Knew it was coming."

"Noah? Lee? Care to explain your reasoning for giving them both to Kari?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Noah responded.

"Well... then... I guess it is! Kari, you're gonna have to find a way to dig out of this hole, and fast! That being said, you guys can head back to the beach house! 'Til next time, guys!"

Everyone started walking back up the beach, with a lot of eyes trained on Lee and Noah after their early pot-stirring decision.

**End Episode One**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>  
>The very first episode of "Roomies" aired exactly ten years ago here at Fanfiction-net today! Never thought I'd still be a fanfic writer today, but hey... that's how things work sometimes.<p>

I hope the length didn't put you off... this first episode is twice as long as what a normal episode should be because I needed to fit in all the introductions.

Don't forget... beginning this Tuesday, voting officially opens for you to pick which two competitors you'll send into the Final Four! You'll have to vote every week to make sure they get there, so make sure to do so to keep your favorite in the running!

If you like, be kind and leave a review!


	2. First Experiences

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**Content Warning:** Alcohol Usage. Note that all cast members shown partaking **ARE** of the legal drinking age of 21.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Two<p>

The gang had just returned to the beach house from the first challenge. But the results of the challenge were not at the forefront of their minds. It was the aftermath.

_Confessional Cam - Finn_

_"What the flip, man? I don't understand why Lee and Noah would do that to Kari! She's such a nice lady. I don't get it."_

Kari had already figured out the reason why, but she went up to the duo to hear it straight from their own mouths. And several others, including Francine, Finn, Fred, Candace, Yoshimori, and Terry were there to see it as well.

"Like I said on the beach," Noah told her. "It should be obvious."

"Really?" Kari looked at him. "That's it? Why can't you come out and say it?"

Noah groaned, as he grew tired of keeping up the charade.

"Fine. I know that not only have you been **ON** this show before, but you **ALSO** won your season. Is that what you want me to say?"

Everyone else in the room except for Lee, Francine, Terry, and Kari herself, gasped in shock.

"Look. I know that coming back here to try and win for a second time, that I'd have a target on my back from Day One. I know what I've gotten myself into, and I don't blame you for trying to handicap me."

Kari then addressed the others present.

"The same goes for all of you. Do what you need to do. If that's taking me out this way, then so be it. It's part of the rules of the game, and I don't want any special treatment. Okay?"

Everyone else nodded.

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"It was important for me to get that out in the open then and there. Even though it's against my nature to be confrontational, I just wanted everyone to know where I stood on the issue... and that I'm okay with whatever the outcome is."_

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Two - First Experiences (05.16.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Meanwhile, the two all-girls teams had partnered up to use the hot spa... which felt especially good after the challenge.

"I'd spend all day in here," Megan admitted. "If I wasn't worried about my skin pruning, that is."

"It's nice to just lay back..." purred Candice, "...and relax."

"Oh," moaned Katara, "this is so nice!"

"I'd agree with you all," Candace prefaced, "but what do you guys think about Kari?"

"Her? I think she's sweet."

"I meant... about having her here even though she already won on this show before!"

"That?" Candice queried. "Oh, it's not an issue!"

"Not an issue?" Candace shouted. "How is it **NOT** an issue?"

"Candace," Megan said to her, "I have my qualms about that myself! Still, I don't see anything wrong with it."

"Yeah," Katara agreed. "Just because she's done this before doesn't mean she has a better chance of winning than the rest of us. It's still one-in-sixteen."

"I suppose," relented Candace, "but it just bothers me that she's already rich and here she is trying to get more money!"

"Um..." Candice tapped her on the shoulder, "you **DO** realize that was ten years ago? She probably spent all that prize money by now!"

* * *

><p>Night Two<p>

That night, Francine had rounded up the adults and told them to get dressed up to go out drinking. She and Kari were getting gussied up, although the latter apprehensively, and Dante and Terry were getting ready as well. Soon after, they headed out.

_Confessional Cam - Dante_

_"There's a rule that because there are minors in the house, alcohol consumption is prohibited on the property. So, some of us are going out to do a little drinking."_

* * *

><p>But this being a Saturday night, many bars already had lines forming outside their establishments, as both locals and tourists were busy trying to get their drink andor dance on. Eventually, they gave up on being driven around, so they got out and started walking.

Francine was loud as she interacted with everyone that would even give her the slightest glance, and Dante, Terry, and Kari stayed a couple steps back, trying not to attract as much attention.

_Confessional Cam - Terry_

_"Being out with Francine is a hoot! I mean, there's the three of us, and we all look like your typical college students. And then there's Francine, who's into this more than all of us. And yet... she's old enough to be our mom!"_

Thankfully, Francine stopped trying to fit in with the boisterous college crowd once the group had found a place to drink. There was no line outside this particular bar, but it was still fairly busy inside. A live DJ kept the atmosphere upbeat, but most of the action was at the bar.

"You ever had martinis before?" Dante asked Terry over the noise.

"No."

And so, the first set for the group was a round of martinis. Terry tried it, as did Kari, who also had never had them before, as Dante and Francine watched to see how they'd like them.

"Not bad," Terry said.

Kari also nodded her approval.

"Hold on, was that just a **REGULAR**?" Francine asked Dante. "They're not babies! That's it... we're putting vodka in the next round!"

And as Francine commanded, so shall it be ordered... Kari seemed to hesitate, but Terry downed it in one gulp. But as soon as he put his glass down, he stumbled a bit, almost falling into Dante's arm.

"Blech," Terry stuck his tongue out, the aftertaste clearly getting to him.

"Uh..." Kari stuttered upon seeing that, "now I'm not so..."

"You're drinking it!" Francine told her. "Drink! Drink! Drink!"

The crowd quickly joined in Francine's chant, putting the pressure on Kari.

"**DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!**"

Finally, Kari gave in and took a fairly big sip. The reaction on her face was priceless.

"Gah! Oh God!"

The crowd cheered anyway as Kari tried to fathom what she had just drank.

"Why do I feel lightheaded?"

"You lightweight!" Francine groaned. "Don't tell me you're drunk already!"

Terry and Kari got up from the bar and they made their way over to an open table. Dante and Francine followed, and they all sat down to a place where they could better pace themselves.

"We just need to get some food in them," Dante said as he motioned for a waitress to bring them some menus.

"That's a great idea!" agreed Francine. "Then we can drink even more!"

"Hurray!" Terry and Kari pretended to cheer, although neither was looking forward to more drinking.

But Dante proved to be right, as the pair did seem to feel better after they started eating a gourmet smoked salmon pizza. Francine wanted them to drink more, but Dante convinced her to take it easy on the duo. As a result, when they ready to call it a night just after eleven, Francine was the only one who had trouble staying upright as the guys had to help her walk outside so they all could find a taxi.

* * *

><p>Day Three<p>

Things were pretty quiet the next morning, though that was a given since it was a Sunday. But the gang would not get to lounge around all day, given the phone Kiyone had sent to them yesterday was prompting them via text message to gather for a meeting.

Eventually, they were all together in the dining room. Even Francine, who was holding her head in pain and had still been asleep until recently. Megan had the phone in hand and accessed a video message, which Kiyone had just sent to them to play.

"Morning, Roomies! I've got another new wrinkle to add to the game, so listen closely! As you recall, I assigned you into pairs yesterday for the challenges. But obviously, some of you weren't happy with your teammates..."

A few people looked around to see if anyone had fallen into the category... but if they did, no one wanted to admit it.

"So you're probably wondering... Kiyone, how can I choose a new partner? The answer... is this!"

She held up a tiki idol painted red, and immediately Candace screamed in terror.

"**AAAAHHHH!**"

Everyone looked strangely at her.

"What? Tikis are bad luck!"

"No, genius," Heloise quipped sarcastically. "They're **GOOD** luck!"

"Hidden on the property," Kiyone continued, "are three idols. A red one, a blue one, and a green one. Each has the power to change the make-up of any and all teams in the game. The red one allows the user to rearrange the teams as they see fit. The blue one allows the teams to be mixed up and reassembled by random draw. And the green one will reform teams based on whatever money you have in your pots. For example, the person with the most money will get paired with the one with the least, and then we go towards the middle from there. Now, there is only one of each of these, and each of them can ONLY be used once! The good news is, you can use any idol and ask that you and your partner stay together. So if you like your partner, but you don't like some of the other teams... you can screw around with them. Okay?"

The concept had some intrigued, others confused, and a few just plain uninterested.

"I'll give you a clue to finding one of the idols every other day. And here's your first clue! Ahem... 'water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink, you might find this idol in a place it may or may not sink.' Got it? Okay then... happy hunting, guys!"

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"These tiki idols sound **GREAT**! I have to find them! I can't wait to see what misery unfolds when I use one!"_

And so Heloise was off, trying to think of places with water where the idol could be hidden. But he was not the only one searching, as Yoshimori decided to also participate in the search.

_Confessional Cam - Yoshimori_

_"Don't get me wrong... Dante's a great partner! But it's nice to have a back-up plan in case somebody tries to screw me over. And trust me, there are some screwy nut jobs around here!"_

Meanwhile, everyone else seemed to not have finding the tiki idols as a priority, so they all opt out of the search for now. That left only two of them to hunt... though both would search for several hours and not find what they're looking for.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Day Four<p>

Another day began, but this one a little earlier, as another phone call forced the cast members to rise early.

"Ready for your next challenge?" Kiyone asked them via video message. "Be ready to leave the house at 10 am sharp! Wear your team shirts and regular pants or slacks. No dresses, skirts, or any flared jeans, guys and gals! Trust me... it's for your own safety!"

* * *

><p>The group was driven to downtown Honolulu, but some gusty winds and on-and-off showers were threatening to derail today's challenge as they met Kiyone in the outdoor courtyard of the Sheraton Waikiki.<p>

"Good morning!" Kiyone greeted, even as it drizzled around them.

"Morning."

"Instead of explaining today's challenge, I figured it was better if I had someone **SHOW** you what you're doing today."

She pointed towards the side of the building, and up to the roof. Along the way, there were flags planted in the wall. And at the top, to their surprise, was someone hanging over the edge of the roof. Or he was, as he jumped off and started rappelling down.

"Jeepers!" gasped Candice.

"Wow," Katara could only shake her head in shock.

They watched as the stuntman rappelled all the way down, stopping every few floors to pluck a flag out. He eventually reached the bottom, with a total of five flags in hand.

"I so wanna do this!" Finn told Heloise.

"Your second challenge is called... Rappel Waikiki. It's simple... you just have to do what my friend here just did. As fast as possible. Everyone must make one run down the building. Make sure you get all those flags, because any flag you miss **OR** drop is a fifteen-second penalty. Your result will be based on both team members' times combined. Fastest combined time wins. Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then everyone decide who's going first, and let's do this!"

* * *

><p>Kiyone seemed ready to get this challenge done, but Mother Nature, on the other hand, had other plans, as the rain started to pick up.<p>

"So apparently," Terry explained, "in addition to the rain, it's unsafe to use the equipment to rappel if the wind is blowing harder than 20 MPH. And, at last check..."

He pointed to a windometer that one of the crew members was holding up.

"The winds are gusting around 27, 28. So, nobody's getting off this roof any time soon."

Meanwhile, Heloise was being fitted with a special harness, because she was so much smaller than the rest of the cast. It also required a different bungee cord, because they were afraid the standard one would put too much stress on her body if they needed to use it to pull her up in an emergency.

"This sucks," Heloise commented. "I'm being treated like a baby!"

But even though Heloise was ready to go, the rain kept going up and down in intensity, and the wind kept gusting over the acceptable threshold. So they waited... and waited... and waited...

And, after a few hours, there was a brief break in the weather. Heloise was moved into position, and with the winds staying tolerable, she was given the 'all clear' signal.

"Heloise!" Kiyone shouted at her from the ground below, through a megaphone. "Ready?"

"Let's do this!"

Kiyone pulled out an air horn to use as the starting signal. She set it off, and Heloise began her climb downward.

"Go for it, Heloise!" cheered Finn.

Heloise did not have much leg power, so she was essentially hopping backwards down the hotel instead of rappelling. Still, she was getting into a rhythm, and soon enough she reached the first flag.

"Come here, you!"

Heloise got a hold of it and continued on. The cheering continued as she obtained the second, third, fourth, and fifth flags. Finally, she made it down to the ground safely, touching the pavement and stopping the clock with a decent time.

[Heloise (Red), 2:15.9, no penalties]

"That was actually pretty fun!" Heloise exclaimed.

* * *

><p>Megan was second in line, followed by Terry, and both already had their harnesses on. But they had to wait until the normal equipment was put back in and tested. But while that happened, the skies decided to open up again, and those on the roof were getting soaked.<p>

"Sheesh!" cried Megan as she covered her head. "Why can't the weather around here make up its mind?"

All of the remaining first round jumpers, including Lee, Candice, Kenzo, Dante, and Rachel, had to head back inside and wait in the roof access stairway, hoping the rain would let up. But about half an hour later, one of the producers came up to tell them the bad news.

"So we just got told we're calling it a day," Rachel explained. "There's some darker clouds heading this way. We'll try again tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Day Five<p>

Bright and early the next morning, the competitors were all back in downtown Honolulu on the oceanfront side of the Sheraton Waikiki. The conditions were exactly the same as they were yesterday - a bit windy and clouds almost completely filling the sky. Thankfully, no rain was falling, and again the first group of jumpers, minus Heloise, who had turned down the option of a free redo, were back on the roof.

"Conditions are as crap as they were yesterday," Heloise said aloud. "Don't see any benefit to doing it again..."

But it was too late, as the workers had just finished securing Megan's harness and helmet, and they were preparing to clip on her safety cord.

"This is like the fourth or fifth time I've had to put this harness on, so I'm going over that edge, no matter what!"

Thankfully, rappelling does not work without said rope, so she had to wait for it. But once it had been done, Megan was guided to the edge of the roof and then carefully over it.

"Clock starts on the horn!" Kiyone shouted. "Ready?"

"**YOU BET I AM!**"

Kiyone held up an air horn and set it off. Megan sprung into action, kicking off of the top of the wall and making her way down the building. Before she knew it, she was already at the first flag. She reached for it and grabbed it on the first attempt.

"Go, Megan!" cheered Katara.

Megan picked up speed as she continued down, collecting the second, third, and fourth flags with no trouble at all. Her descent was so rapid, everyone watching on the ground was amazed by her performance.

"She's kickin' that building's guts in!" exclaimed Finn.

"I never knew such a little girl could be so athletic!" commented Fred.

The clock was at 1:23 when Megan got her fifth and final flag. She mustered up the last of her strength to get from there to the ground in three last pushes. She hollered with jubilation upon landing as a crew member rushed in to undo the cord from her harness.

"**THAT'S** how you do it!" she proclaimed.

"Unbelievable!" gasped Katara as she ran over and hugged her teammate. "Where did you learn to rappel like that?"

Megan opened her mouth, but caught herself in time to remember she could not tell her the truth... so she made up a convincing lie.

"My mom used to be a circus acrobat and I guess I got those genes."

"Well, thank goodness for that!"

[Megan (Blue), 1:33.4, no penalties]

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Terry went through his run. His turned out as fundamentally sound as Megan's, as he picked up his flags and got to the bottom without any trouble. Once both feet were on the ground...<p>

"Time?" he asked aloud.

"Minute thirty-five, flat!" Kiyone replied, reading it off the clock.

[Terry (Gray), 1:35.0, no penalties]

"You sure?"

Terry looked back up the building, wondering where he lost that second and a half.

_Confessional Cam - Terry_

_"I'm not one to make excuses, but man, did Megan not get affected by the wind as much as me?"_

* * *

><p>Next up was Lee, and he too was determined to give a jaw-dropping performance.<p>

"Megan and Terry were both so ninja-like!" he said as he was strapped in. "I guess I am gonna have to show them how a real ninja does it!"

The horn went off, and Lee wall kicked down the side of the building. He was making great time, as he got the first three flags with ease. The clock was just passing one minute as he stopped to go for flag number four.

"You've got this, Lee!" Noah shouted.

Lee swung for it, and grabbed it by the flag itself rather than the stick. But that turned out to be a mistake, for as he swung back, it slipped out of his hands and fell to the ground.

"Oh no!"

"He dropped it!" stated Yoshimori.

Lee knew he had rushed that one, but he would have time to dwell on it later. He finished his descent, getting the fifth flag and reaching the bottom. He did not even look at the clock, as he considered anything less than perfection a failure.

"Cannot believe that happened!" he said aloud.

[Lee (Brown), 1:31.9, one 15-second penalty]

* * *

><p>Candice seemed a bit nervous, but she managed to fare okay as she methodically made her way down. Candace was none too happy with her partner's safe run, but Candice was happy to get to the ground in one piece.<p>

[Candice (Yellow), 2:37.1, no penalties]

Kenzo was next to go, but it took him awhile to refine his technique, and by the time he saw the first flag, he was too far below it to reach up and get it. He realized that after a few attempts, and was forced to finish the challenge without it.

[Kenzo (Green), 2:50.5, one 15-second penalty]

Then it was Dante's turn, and he again showed his athleticism by bounding down the course. Unfortunately, he could not seem to time his jumps right to get into the optimal position to grab each of the flags, having to make a small push-off downward almost every time. And it added up, as he realized when he reached the bottom.

[Dante (Purple), 1:44.2, no penalties]

* * *

><p>"Last jumper of the first round, everyone!" Kiyone told everyone.<p>

Rachel was lucky number eight, and if she was nervous, it did not show, as she keep her nerves about her as she got ready for her run.

_Confessional Cam - Fred_

_"I have confidence in Rachel! We're the only team whose skills compliment each other! This challenge is in the bag!"_

Kiyone blew the air horn, and Rachel began her descent. She was not going quite as fast as the leaders, but her pace was still pretty good. She had three flags in hand and was making her way to the fourth. But then she noticed that this one would be easier to get with her left hand.

"Go for it, Rachel!" Fred shouted confidently.

Rachel made the transfer, then started swinging for the fourth flag. She swiped at it... and got it! She then reached up to her guide rope to steady herself... with her right hand!

"Rach!"

Rachel realized her mistake too late... as the three flags she had been holding in her right hand... had fallen to the ground below.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>Rachel was in the midst of her run and had just gotten the fourth flag, when disaster struck...<p>

"Rach!"

Rachel realized her mistake too late... as the three flags she had been holding in her right hand... had fallen to the ground below.

"Oh, shoot!" she cursed.

"It's okay!" Francine shouted encouragingly. "Just finish!"

Rachel heeded Francine's advice and regained her focus. She tightened her grip on the one flag she still had and made her way down to the last, and then down to the ground.

[Rachel (Orange), 2:01.8, three 15-second penalties]

"I'm sorry," Rachel apologized as Fred came up to console her. "I don't normally lose focus like that..."

* * *

><p>After a short break to check the equipment and decide the jumping order for the second round, the challenge was ready to resume, even with rain clouds looming.<p>

"They're telling us it's raining north and east of us," Yoshimori said, before pointing at what looked like raindrops falling just two blocks away. "It's like the rain is trying to avoid **US** today!"

Francine was in position, and waiting for the signal, set to go first after her partner, Kenzo, had the slowest time after penalties.

"Alright!" exclaimed Kiyone. "Francine, let's do this!"

The horn sounded, and Francine was off. She carefully made her way down... and by carefully, she was practically walking backwards, looking up at the sky.

"You've got to push off!" Kenzo tried to shout at her. "Trust in your equipment!"

"C'mon, Francine!" Dante shouted. "You can do it!"

She was trying to listen to them, but she was starting to panic. She was almost within reach of the first flag, but she find herself struggling just to stick her arm out towards it.

"Don't look down!" Heloise shouted.

"Heloise!" snapped Megan. "You don't tell people to look down **BECAUSE** then they'll actually look down!"

"Isn't that the point?"

Francine, luckily, had not heard Heloise's advice 'gem,' and extended her arm out carefully to pluck the flag out of its holder. A holder... that was six inches away from her body.

"That a girl!" Kenzo cheered. "Just four more!"

Having successfully grabbed one flag, Francine started to gather confidence. Slowly but surely, she made her way down, picking up speed with each new flag until she finally reached the bottom.

"I did it? I... did it!"

"Way to go, Francine!"

The two middle-agers shared a hug, the latter glad that her ordeal was finally over.

[Francine (Green), 4:21.7, no penalties]

* * *

><p>Fred was up next, and he attempted to speed through it to make up for time Rachel lost. But he was careless, missing one flag on the way down and dropping two others. He was befuddled by his performance afterwards, unable to figure out where he went wrong. Still, after all the penalties, the Orange Team was still two full minutes clear of the Green Team.<p>

[Fred (Orange), 1:52.3, three 15-second penalties]

Candace charged down the wall, also looking for a fast time. While she managed to hang onto all her flags all the way down, she ended up getting twisted around and was briefly tangled in her rope about two-thirds of the way down. The time she needed to spin out and then get back into her rhythm was costly... but not enough to keep the Yellow team from taking over the lead.

[Candace (Yellow), 2:12.9, no penalties]

Finn followed her, and he was the first of this group to successfully attack the course with no snafus. Heloise was ecstatic as her partner turned in the first sub-two minute time of the round, and Finn was equally exuberant as they rocketed into the lead.

[Finn (Red), 1:41.0, no penalties]

But trouble popped back up on Noah's turn. Although he could get down the wall, swinging out to get each of the flags was an entirely different challenge, as he struggled to get enough momentum to reach them... particularly the last two. His final time? Nothing to be proud about, as it knocked him and Lee down to third with three people still to go.

[Noah (Brown), 3:38.8, no penalties]

* * *

><p>Kari and Katara were in the process of getting fitted with their harnesses as Yoshimori was being guided into position for his attempt.<p>

The horn sounded, and he was off. Yoshimori pushed off with all of his might, resulting in a great first jump downwards. He used his good start to reach the area of the first flag in three jumps, grabbing it without even stopping. Sure, it was a time-saving technique, but it would become more risky further down. And Yoshi knew that, as he decided to stop and plant himself at each flag the rest of the way down.

But Dante noted he was losing steam, as he was starting to fall behind his own pace.

"Gotta pick it up!" he yelled.

Yoshimori did his best to respond, but he was tiring. He made it to the bottom with only four flags in hand, as he could not get a good hold of the last flag and it dropped out of his hands before he could secure it.

"Ugh," he groaned. "That's a **LOT** harder than it looks!"

[Yoshimori (Purple), 2:03.3, one 15-second penalty]

"Damn it."

Yoshimori glanced over towards Finn and Heloise.

"We're behind the small fries?"

[Red Team Overall Time - 3:56.9 / Purple Team Overall Time - 4:02.5]

* * *

><p>"Time to beat is 2:21.9, Kari!" Kiyone informed her. "You ready?"<p>

Kari gave her a double thumbs up, avoiding looking down to do so. Seeing this, Terry could tell she was focused.

"Just breath..." Kari said to herself. "Terry said if I just breath... I'll do just fine."

The air horn sounded, and Kari began her descent. She could hear the shouts and screams below her as she made her way to the first flag. Then, the second, and the third. No problems so far.

"Come on," Terry mumbled. "Just keep doing it... like that."

She was keeping a steady pace, but was it fast enough? The clock hit two minutes just as she grabbed the last flag. Kari centered herself and willed herself down the last few stories to the ground.

"Done!" she declared, raising her arms above her head the second her feet were flat on the ground.

[Kari (Gray), 2:14.1, no penalties / Gray Team Overall Time - 3:49.1]

Terry ran over and wrapped his arms around his teammate, impressed by her performance, as well as her composure.

"I knew you could do it!"

Kari giggled as he picked her up and spun her around.

* * *

><p>That left only one competitor to go... Katara.<p>

"Last one up, Katara!" Kiyone shouted at her through the megaphone. "The time to beat is 2:15.7! Are you ready?"

Katara took a deep breath to calm herself. She then yelled.

"**YES!**"

It was all on her now. She closed her mind off to everything around her, except for one thing... the sound of the air horn. Upon hearing it, Katara sprang into action. She knew there was no time for fear. She rappelled down to the first flag, plucked it, and continued on.

"**GO, KATARA!**" Megan yelled.

Katara picked up the next two flags, and she was about dead even with Kari's pace. She got to number four... and got a hold of that one, too.

"One to go..." Katara stated.

She lowered herself a few more stories, then steadied herself. She then pushed off and leaned towards the last flag. Katara reached out to grab it...

And she missed...

But Katara did not dwell on it for even an instant, as she quickly pushed the other way, hoping to use the pendulum effect to make a second pass as quickly as possible. Her maneuver worked, as she swung back over at a high speed, and snatched the last flag out of its perch. Katara then kicked her feet at the wall, propelling her away from the building as well as downward without the need for her to return to the center. Two more smaller jumps later, her feet touched down on the ground.

"Whew!" Katara breathed a sigh of relief. "So, how did I do?"

Kiyone showed everyone Katara's time.

[Katara (Blue), 2:20.5, no penalties / Blue Team Overall - 3:53.9]

Terry and Kari celebrated again, but Katara was still pleased with her performance.

* * *

><p>"Great job, all of you!" Kiyone exclaimed. "You put on a heck of a show! Especially our winners, the Gray Team! Terry and Kari, get on up here!"<p>

The two young adults obliged, as they stepped over to Kiyone's side.

"In addition to both of you getting on the board with a hundred twenty-five thousand each, you also get a pair of Damage Counters, which you may apply to two of your fellow Roomies."

Terry and Kari huddled to discuss their choices. Noah and Lee had to be concerned about possible revenge.

"You guys, ready?"

The two nodded, and walked over to receive their chips from Kiyone. Everyone watched as Terry went first, heading over and placing his next to Kenzo's pic. The doctor did not react at all to it. Kari then walked over. She put hers, surprisingly, next to Fred's photo. Which, of course, confused him.

"I thought she liked me," Fred said to Rachel, who shrugged her shoulders, not knowing Kari's rationale.

"Would either you like to explain your choices?" Kiyone asked.

"We just figured," answered Terry, "that since we have to give them to someone, we might as well give them to two people we think aren't gonna any more after today."

"Interesting. Well, we'll see if you're right down the road. Of course, it would help if you wouldn't have to worry about it."

"W-what do you mean?" asked Kari.

"From this challenge forward, the winning team will now **ALSO** get the chance to take a Counter that was applied in a previous challenge off the board. Of course, this is completely optional..."

Kiyone saw the bright smile on Kari's face...

"...but I'm gonna guess you wanna use it."

The host stepped aside and let Kari walk over and remove one of the two chips next to her photo. She then trotted back over and handed it to Kiyone.

"You and Terry win the challenge, and you have one less counter by your name. I'd say that qualifies as a great day at the office!"

"I guess so."

Kiyone then turned to the others.

"And hopefully you guys will enjoy the rest of your day! 'Til next time!"

With that, the gang headed off for their trip back to the beach house. Another day down, but plenty more were still to come.

**End Episode Two**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>  
>Two episodes down!<p>

Beginning tonight at midnight EST, don't forget to go to my profile page and vote for which four cast members you want to get into the Final Four! And make sure you vote **EVERY SINGLE WEEK**! Your favorite character's future may depend on it.

And be here every Monday night throughout the summer for new episodes! Episodes will be posted on Mondays at approximately 7 pm EST on Fanfiction-net, and on a one-week delay on my website, Freedom Fighter's Library! Don't you dare miss a second!


	3. Girls are Better Than Boys

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Don't forget to vote every week for whom you want in the Final Four! Polls go live on my profile page every Monday as soon as each episode is posted!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Five<p>

For the first time since their arrival, a in-house telephone was shown, allowing the cast to call loved ones at their leisure. And one contestant was taking full advantage of it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jeremy! How are you, my favorite fast food worker?"

"Good. You, Candace?"

"So great! Lemme tell you about the day I've had! It couldn't have turned out any better. Well, except if we had actually won... but I'm getting ahead of myself. I should start at the beginning."

Candace began the process of replaying her day for her boyfriend, as she had done each of the previous days beforehand.

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<strong>  
><strong>Episode Three - Girls are Better Than Boys (05.23.11)<strong>  
><strong>-<strong>

Candice walked into the kitchen, where Francine and Dante had begun preparing dinner and Yoshimori was putting together ingredients for a cake.

"Have you guys seen Candace?" Candice asked as she fiddled with her hair.

"Where do you think?" Yoshimori shot back in response before pointing towards where the phone was located.

Sure enough, Candace was there, still chatting with Jeremy.

"How does she go on and on like that?" Yoshimori asked aloud. "Don't girls ever run out of things to talk about?"

"Tee hee," giggled Candice. "And now I know you don't have a girlfriend!"

"**WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?**"

"Now, now, you two..." Francine cut in. "I think it's great that she's in love and that she's got a boyfriend who likes to listen to her. Besides, Candace showed me a picture of him yesterday... and ooh... he makes me wish I was twenty years younger. Rawr!"

"Oh, Mrs. Smith!" chuckled Candice. "You crack me up!"

"What's so special about this guy?" questioned Yoshimori.

"He's blond **AND** he plays guitar!"

"Gah! Really?"

"Don't knock it," Dante told Yoshimori. "That's what's popular among American girls these days."

"That," Candice commented, "and vampires. Although that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, they hate sunlight, so you can't show them off during the day, when you **WANT** everyone to see them."

"Vampires?" scoffed Yoshimori. "So glad I'm Japanese."

"Don't knock 'em 'til you've tried them," Francine said as she playfully jabbed Yoshimori in the shoulder.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Anyway... she'll get off the second she gets a whiff of my pupu platter!"

Candice and Yoshimori cringed in disgust.

* * *

><p>Shortly after dinner, but before nightfall, the cell phone Kiyone had given the cast began ringing.<p>

"Woo hoo!" cheered Lee. "Time for a new challenge!"

"Righteous!" exclaimed Finn. "I'm ready for anything!"

Kari had the phone in hand as the group gathered around her. She then played the video message that had been sent to them.

"Evening, everyone! How's the hunt for the tiki idols going?"

Kiyone waited for a response that, apparently, no one seemed in a rush to give.

"Not good, huh? Well... how about I give you all another clue? And remember, this will help you find one of the tiki idols, but not necessarily the same one I provided a clue to last time! So... heads up!"

She cleared her throat, then read the clue aloud.

"'Old MacDonald had a beach house, **EE-I-EE-I-O**. And in this house he had an idol, **EE-I-EE-I-O**. In an **OINK OINK** here and an **OINK OINK** there, there it **OINK**, look in **OINK**, it's hidden in an **OINK OINK**!'"

A few of the cast members look dumbfounded and stupefied by the familiar rhyme turned tiki clue.

"Don't look at me! I don't write these things! Oh, one more thing! If you find one AND want to use it, make sure to bring it with you to the challenge to present it to me! But remember... each idol can only be used, so make sure you're prepared for the consequences! Anyway, happy hunting!"

With that, again all the competitors debated whether to take up a search. But Heloise did not need to even think, as she was already off. And she knew where exactly to start, as she ran upstairs to the second floor and to the bedroom that Noah, Fred, and Finn were sharing.

Why there? Because the wallpaper and all the decorations in it were pig-shaped. She started tapping the walls, hoping to find a hollow spot where a secret compartment might be.

"Hey, Heloise... why are you here?"

Finn had returned to his bedroom, and caught Heloise in the act of searching clothes drawers... and the one she was in at that moment was the one where he had stored his backpack in.

"No reason," Heloise fibbed. "No reason at all..."

Heloise put on a fake smile as she scooted past Finn and out of the room.

"I wonder what she was up to," Finn thought aloud. "Oh well... I'm sure it's nothing. Now... to find that tiki! I must keep it from falling into the hands of evil! That is, once I find out whose hands are not good around here..."

* * *

><p>But Finn and Heloise were not the only pair of teammates searching for one of the idols, as Kenzo and Francine were also in the hunt. And they, too, had thought to look in the same place...<p>

The pantry.

"Are you... doing what I think you're doing?" Kenzo asked.

"Me?" Francine laughed. "Of course not! You?"

"Um... no? Besides, I think the two of us make great partners!"

"Yeah! Great partners! Woo!"

The two then endured an awkward period of silence before Francine decided to walk out, leaving Kenzo behind.

_Confessional Cam - Kenzo_

_"I don't believe much in betrayal... but Francine will understand if I think I'm better off taking my chances with someone else. Right?"_

* * *

><p>Day Six<p>

As usual, Lee was up bright and early, exercising. Despite the fact that it was drizzling, he had stepped out of the house to go on a morning run. But he was not alone, as Finn had managed to get out of bed early to join him.

"So," Finn asked, "how far are we running?"

"I have not perfected the ideal jogging route as of yet," replied Lee, "but if I had to guess, probably about ten kilometers."

Finn's jaw dropped in shock, either because that was a long distance for just a jog, or he had no idea how long a kilometer was.

"Do not worry, my new friend! I will take it easy and go at half my normal pace so you can keep up."

"Okay... I guess..."

With that, they headed off, with Lee leading the way.

_Confessional Cam - Lee_

_"I am glad that I have found a kindred spirit in Finn! Not only is he from some far away world that does not have to deal with the so-called wonders of modern day, like that thing with the moving pictures, just like me... but he also craves justice. And adventure! Especially adventure!"_

They returned about half an hour later, Lee having decided to cut the run short because Finn had gotten too exhausted to keep up after only about a mile.

"I apologize," Lee said, as Finn plopped down on the wet grass in the front yard. "I was led to believe you were in much better shape than that!"

"How can you do that?" queried Finn. "That's madness!"

"Madness? My friend, I do that every day! It is part of my training regimen!"

"You're screwy, man."

"Well, how do you train, Finn?"

Finn was not good at explaining things, so he decided if it was better to just show Lee his training methods. He ran inside to get some pen and paper, and then returned a minute later. He started to draw, as Lee waited.

As he did, though, he sensed someone eavesdropping nearby. He leaped into action and moved to subdue the spy... only to watch as she dodged his tackle attempt.

"What the..." Megan screamed. "What's the big idea, Lee?"

Seeing that it was just Megan, Lee relaxed, then bowed with remorse.

"I am sorry. I still have not adapted to everyone's low levels of chakra here, and I thought you were a spy!"

"A spy?" Megan nervously chuckled. "That's ridiculous!"

"But you are clearly not a ninja, and the only other type of people I know that can sense movements even as fast as mine just like that must be..."

Megan was about to change the subject, but Finn ended up doing it for her as he ran up to them, with his completed drawing in hand. But as he was about to show it to Lee, Finn noticed Megan standing there.

"Oh. Megan, right?"

Megan smiled. "Glad you remembered my name! So, Finn... what are you two up to?"

"Making plans for this..."

"Plans. As in... as in... alliance plans?"

Finn and Lee glanced at each other with confused looks on their faces, then at Megan.

"Um..." they both said, "what's an alliance?"

Now Megan was the one with the dumbfounded look on her face.

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"I know boys can be stupid... but this is way past! They signed up for this show and they **DON'T** know what an alliance is?"_

"So if you guys aren't planning an alliance... what **ARE** you planning?"

"Finn was about to share with me his training methods," Lee explained. "He is an adventurer, after all."

Finn showed off his crude drawing of an obstacle course, although it looked more dangerous than average.

"You climb up the cargo net," described Finn, "then avoid the pair of swinging saw blades, dodge the boots being launched towards you, leap through the flaming hoop, and leap off the end of the pier and into the water."

"Hmmm..." analyzed Lee, "not bad. But you could some wooden dummies and a tree to climb up using just your feet!"

"Maybe. But we're on a beach. No trees sturdy enough around here."

"We can improvise! We will find a tree in the forest and start building quickly!"

"No, you won't!" interrupted Megan.

The two boys turned towards Megan again.

"You're not uprooting any trees around here to make your silly obstacle course! You'll damage the island's delicate ecosystem! Besides, most of the stuff in your design isn't exactly 'readily available.' You'd need access to military weaponry and a mint's worth of money, for starters."

"Okay," Finn nodded. "So... you can get us all that?"

Megan groaned.

"The point I'm trying to make **IS** that couldn't you build your little training course using reusable and recyclable material? I'm sure if we looked hard enough, we can find some old wooden planks, seaweed, and plastic bottles here along the beach! And perhaps we can find items to substitute for things like your spinning saw blades of doom! Y'know, something that still gives you that element of danger, but with much less risk of losing a limb! What do you think?"

Finn pulled Lee aside to discuss Megan's proposal.

"I don't know about this," whispered Finn. "No offense, but she's a girl! What does she know about training?"

"You may find this hard to believe," Lee responded, "but you have to be able to recognize when a girl is right. And trust me, you do not go against them when they are correct!"

"Okay. If you believe in her, Lee, then so do I!"

They came out of their meeting and walked back over to Megan.

"Alright, Miss Megan!" Lee proclaimed. "That sounds great!"

"Glad to hear it!" Megan smiled. "Now, let's get to gathering!"

The trio headed for the beach to begin searching for materials...

* * *

><p>But they would not have much time to do so, as they were soon called in to prepare for the next challenge. Later, the group started to filing into the vans that were going to take them to the competition. Francine was the last one in the house, double-checking to make sure all the lights were off and such.<p>

But just as she was about to walk out the front door, she bumped into the Buddha in the lobby. Francine reached and kept the body from falling off of its pedestal, but the head, which was its own separate piece, dropped to the carpeted floor. Luckily, it did not break.

Francine placed the statue upright, then bent down to retrieve the head. But as she was about to put the head back on, she spotted something resting inside the body.

"What's that?"

She reached inside and pulled out...

"**HOLY BUDDHA, IT'S A TIKI!**"

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Francine could not believe her eyes! She had just stumbled upon one of the hidden tiki idols. It was a small charm that was on a thin, polyester lanyard. The idol itself was red in color.<p>

"What luck!" she declared, before a wave of apprehension swept over. "Still... I'm not quite ready to use it! I do kinda want a new partner, but I hadn't put much thought into whom!"

Francine ran into the kitchen and found a good place to hide it... on a shelf inside the cupboard, behind a bunch of cans and spice canisters.

"Don't you go anywhere!" she ordered the tiki. "Momma's got plans for you!"

With that, she closed the cupboard door and headed for the front door.

* * *

><p>The teams were transported to the location of today's challenge, on the famous North Shore. Not too far out to sea, five- and six-foot waves could be seen forming. The wind was also blowing as strong as it had been the past couple days, maybe even harder. At least it was not raining anymore.<p>

Kiyone was waiting for them. To one side of her were a set of eight small podiums, and to the other, was a long, horizontal wooden pole. And tied to the pole were two dozen balloons - all in the eight teams' colors, three for each.

"Afternoon, everyone!" greeted Kiyone, as she was holding one hand up to keep her hair from blowing in her face.

"Hey," they all responded.

"Quite a gusty day we have. A good day to send balloons into the air, never to see them again."

"That sounds fun **AND** miserable," commented Heloise aloud. "How does it work?"

"The third challenge of the competition is called... Who Do You Know and Who Can You Trust? Basically, I'm going to ask you all a series of questions. The answers deal with either stuff you know about each other... or events that have occurred here since your arrival last week!"

Megan was among the many who smiled upon hearing that, while a small minority, including Kenzo, were not as pleased.

"I'll ask all of you a question, you'll write down the answer, and, then when I tell you, all eight teams will show me their responses at the same time. Those of you who get it right get to cut loose one of the opposing team's balloons. Once all three of your team's balloons have been released into the wind, you're out of the challenge. Last team standing... will be today's winners!"

"Simple Simon!" exclaimed Lee.

"Now, before we begin... as you know, effective today, the Tiki Idols are officially in play. So I must ask... is there anyone who has one with them today **AND** would like to use them now?"

Some heads were seen turning the most likely suspects, such as Heloise, Yoshimori, and Fred. No one seemed to suspect Francine, though, who was trying to keep calm.

When no idol was presented after waiting for about a minute, Kiyone spoke up.

"Very well. Teams, take your positions, and we'll begin."

* * *

><p>Right before the challenge, Megan and Katara were talking strategy with Candace and Candice.<p>

"We need to take out the brains," Megan told them, "so the Red and Brown Teams gotta go first!"

"Okay," agreed Candace, "after that... may the best gal team win!"

* * *

><p>The teams were set up, from Kiyone's left to right, in this order: Yellow, Brown, Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Gray, and Purple. With the wind picking up, they all held on tightly to their handheld blackboards as Kiyone began by asking them the first question.<p>

"Here we go! Question 1: Which of the following is **NOT** a hometown of one of your fellow castmates? Your choices are: (A) Snowpoint City, (B) Venice, (C) Gotham City, or (D) Ba Sing Se."

Katara and Francine both knew the answer immediately, and they wrote their choice down. Some of the other teams needed to think for a second.

"Just write the letter of your choice," Kiyone told them.

"I think it's A," Rachel said to Fred.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Rachel nodded convincingly, and Fred wrote 'A' on their blackboard.

"Alright..." Kiyone called out. "Let's see what your answers are!"

The boards were revealed, and Kiyone read their responses aloud.

"Yellow says D, Brown says D, Blue says D, Red says A, Green says D, Orange says A, Gray says B, and Purple says D. The correct answer... is D!"

The teams that got it right cheered. Heloise glared at Finn for their wrong answer even though she was the one who wrote it down, while Terry and Kari looked like they just had a lapse in memory.

"Candice, with an 'I,' you get to make the first cut!"

Candice stepped up. Kiyone handed her a pair of scissors, and the gym leader started walking. Candice ended up cutting one of the Brown Team's balloons free.

"And the first strike goes against the Brown Team! Speaking of which, Noah, you're up!"

Noah did not like that gesture, and he showed that by cutting a yellow balloon's string.

"Quick revenge there by Noah! Next!"

Megan came up, and she set free a red balloon.

"Red's down one. Francine?"

Francine followed Megan's lead, and also cut a red balloon. Heloise was getting angry, while Finn was surprised at all the hate for them.

"Two down for Red! Yoshimori, will you be delivering the final blow?"

Yoshimori smiled, and took one step in the direction of the last red balloon... before changing direction and instead heading further down and sending the first gray balloon off into the sky to complete round one.

"Question 2: Who had the fastest individual time in the 'Rappel Waikiki' challenge, **BEFORE** penalties? (A) Megan, (B) Terry, or (C) Lee?"

Most of the teams acted as if they knew the answer, and they scribbled it down. After waiting a few seconds for the stragglers...

"Time's up! Show 'em!"

The boards were flipped forward...

"Yellow, Green, Orange, and Purple all say it was A, Megan! But Brown, Blue, Red, and Gray think it's C, Lee. Fifty-fifty split. The correct answer... is C."

Lee, Megan, Heloise, and Terry were all heard cheering with joy.

"Lee... c'mon up and see one of these guys behind me free!"

Lee took the scissors and shot an apologetic look to Dante right before cutting one of the purple balloons free.

"Katara!"

Katara went up... and seemed to forget the plan as she cut away the second gray balloon.

"Gray Team, down to their last balloon!"

Megan berated Katara upon her return.

"You cut the wrong one!"

Katara gasped upon realizing her mistake, but it was too late to fix it, as Heloise was snickering as she headed for the last gray balloon.

"Better luck next time, chumps!"

Heloise cut the string, and the third gray balloon floated off.

"Gray Team, you are the first team out of this challenge. **BUT**, you still did get a question right, so... Terry, how about offering one team a parting gift?"

"Gladly," Terry smirked.

The prevailing thought was that Terry would take a revenge strike, by eliminating the Red Team as well. Instead, though, he went over and cut loose a purple balloon, the second of those.

"Interesting choice," observed Kiyone. "Eh, whatever... Terry and Kari, take a seat over on the side. You guys are done for today."

Once the Gray Team had parked themselves on the makeshift bleachers off to the side, Kiyone continued on to the next question.

"Question 3: Which of the following girls was **NOT** in the Final Four with Kari back in the season she won? (A) Sasami, (B) Chelsea, (C) Misty, or (D) Sakura?"

Most of the teams seemed stunned, as apparently they did not know the answer.

_Confessional Cam - Candice_

_"That was ten years ago! I mean, who's gonna know that? Half of the people here weren't even born yet!"_

Terry was seen off to the side, whispering to Kari.

"Do you even remember?"

Kari nodded as Kiyone called for the answers to be shown.

"The correct answer... is A!"

Candace and Candice high-fived each other, and the Red, Green, and Purple teams all celebrated as well. Noah was visibly displeased with himself, as his team had answered C. Katara and Megan shook their heads in disbelief, having put down B. As for the Fred and Rachel, who had D... three questions, three incorrect answers.

"Candace, with an 'A!'"

Candace rubbed her hands together as if she were a megalomaniac as she got the scissors and cut loose the second red balloon.

"Finn?"

Finn walked up.

"**CUT THEIR BALLOON!**" Heloise yelled, pointing at the Yellow Team.

Finn did as he was told, and the second yellow balloon went flying. He was rewarded by a menacing glare from Candace as he headed back.

"Juicy!" noted Kiyone. "Kenzo... ready to end this challenge for one of these teams!"

Kenzo nodded, then proceeded to send the last red balloon on its way.

"Dante?"

Dante took mercy on the Yellow Team, and instead snipped at the string of the first orange balloon, sending it away.

"Red Team, you're done! Take a seat in the peanut gallery!"

Heloise grumbled incoherently over her breath as she was led to the loser's bench by Finn, who was not too pleased at their result, either.

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"I'll make them pay for mocking me! But seeing as how I can't kill them... I do wanna win this competition, after all... I have to think of another way to get my revenge. Heh heh..."_

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>"Question 4: Give the order in which the following Roomies first entered the house. (A) Candice, with an 'I,' (B) Candace, with an 'A,' (C) Yoshimori, and (D) Finn."<p>

This was a bit of a tricky question, especially with both Candace and Candice in the sequence. Speaking of which...

"You got here before me, right?" Candice asked Candace.

"Yeah."

"And..." Kiyone shouted, "reveal!"

Yellow and Purple showed DBAC as the correct order, Blue and Green had DBCA, and Brown and Orange had DACB.

"The correct answer... is D, B, C, A!"

"Boo yah!" exclaimed Francine.

"Megan?"

Megan stepped up and did not hesitate in her choice as she cut free the second orange balloon.

"Francine... will she be serving as executioner?"

Francine had no intention of obliging, as she released the second brown balloon.

"Orange, Brown, Yellow, and Purple are all now down to their last balloon. Blue and Green, you guys still have all three of yours! On to Question 5: Where is Finn from? (A) Langley Falls, (B) Crystal Cove, (C) Miseryville, or (D) Land of Ooo?"

All the teams wrote down their answer almost immediately...

"Show 'em!"

...and all of them had the correct answer.

"D is correct! Everyone's going to get a chop! Let's see who survives this!"

Candice was first up, and she set loose the first green balloon.

"Candice, continuing the trend to avoid the killing blow..."

Noah followed suit, cutting a green balloon as well.

"That's two. Katara, will you finish the job?"

She finished a team alright... the Brown Team, to Noah's annoyance.

"Kenzo... lot of possible revenge targets..."

Kenzo decided to cut the last orange balloon.

"And there's the Orange Team. But you guys still get to send a balloon off..."

And Fred obliged, as he took care of the final green balloon.

"Yoshimori... down to two choices..."

Yoshimori could have eliminated the Yellow Team with one snip, but he instead decided that the ignorance of the Blue Team could stand no longer if he and Dante wanted to win, as their first balloon was sent drifting into the gusty winds.

"Brown, Orange, and Green Teams... thanks for playing! Head on over to the side."

That left the Yellow, Blue, and Purple Teams in play.

"Question 6: Noah is a former competitor on the reality show 'Total Drama Island.' When was he voted off of the show? (A) 1st off, (B) 2nd off, (C) 3rd off, or (D) 4th off?"

Dante and Yoshimori looked at each other, not sure if they knew what the answer was. Candace and Candice discussed it briefly before making a decision. As for Katara and Megan, they seemed like they knew what it was.

"Answers, guys?"

The Yellow Team had picked C, the Blue Team had picked D, and the Purple Team had picked A.

"Wow..." Candace gasped.

"Watch it be B!" predicted Yoshimori. "Watch it be B!"

"Why do you think it's B?" Kiyone asked him, out of curiosity.

"Because Noah doesn't really talk to anybody... he knows it, too... look at that smirk on his face!"

Sure enough, Noah had a smirk on his face, apparently enjoying the scene.

"The correct answer, guys... is actually... C!"

"**YES!**" Candice squealed.

Candace and Candice high-fived each other in glee.

"Candace with an 'A'... very important cut here! You can cut a blue balloon, which would even the playing field and leave all three teams on the brink of elimination. Or you can cut the last purple one, eliminating them and guaranteeing at least a runner-up finish, but you will be at a disadvantage as the Blue Team would have two balloons. Which way are you going to go?"

Candace looked back at her teammate, and then at the Blue Team. She stuck to the plan... and cut loose the last purple balloon.

"And with that... Dante and Yoshimori, you guys are out! Please join the others!"

"Oh yeah!" cheered Megan. "Girls rule!"

"You know it!" Candace exclaimed.

"And then there were two teams," stated Kiyone. "Candace and Candice versus Megan and Katara. An all girl affair! Yellow Team, you have one balloon left, while the Blue Team has two. Blue Team, one more correct answer, and you will have won this challenge."

"We're ready!" Katara declared.

"Okay then. Question 7: How many living siblings does the entire cast have?"

Both teams seemed stunned by the question.

"Are you **KIDDING** me?" Candace shouted.

Kiyone resisted letting out a chuckle as she gave them their choices.

"(A) 7, (B) 11, (C) 15, or (D) 19?"

Both teams went to work trying to figure out the answer.

"I know I have a brother," Katara told Megan, "and you have three brothers..."

"Two between the two of us," Candice said to Candace. "Who else?"

"How many brothers does Yoshimori have again?" Megan asked Katara.

While Katara tried to come up with answer...

"Noah's gotta be an only child," Candace reasoned. "Can you imagine having to raise more than one of him?"

Finally, it came time for both teams to choose an answer.

"Alright, girls," prompted Kiyone. "What are your choices?"

The Yellow Team had chosen B, while the Blue Team picked C.

"The correct answer... is actually D."

"Really?" Candice gasped in shock.

"The cast has a total of 19 siblings. Believe it or not, Noah alone has eight."

A lot of shocked faces turned Noah's way upon hearing that.

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"I find it odd that, in six days of playing video games with him, that Noah NEVER mentioned having siblings, let alone eight of them! I swear, he's gonna get a talking to tonight, that's for sure!"_

"And so the game continues, girls! Question 8: Which of the following statements is **FALSE**? (A) Rachel's father runs a private detective agency, (B) Lee is unable to use ninjutsu or taijutsu, (C) Fred belongs to a group of sleuths who call themselves 'Mystery Incorporated,' or (D) Heloise is the head of Research and Development at Misery Incorporated?"

Again, both teams were forced to spend some time to think about what choice to pick.

"I'm sure Lee said something about being unable to do certain types of jutsu..." Candice vaguely recalled.

"What was it that Lee said he couldn't do?" Katara thought aloud.

After a couple minutes, both teams made a decision.

"Alright... show 'em!"

Again, the two teams had different answers. This time, it was the Blue Team that had chosen B, while the Yellow Team had picked C.

"Girls, the correct answer... is B!"

Katara and Megan jumped up and down in celebration.

"Lee actually is unable to use ninjutsu or **GENJUTSU**! He can use taijutsu."

"So much for winning," Candace murmured.

"Well," commented Candice, "if we had to lose to somebody, I'm glad it's them."

"Megan," Kiyone cut in, holding up the scissors, "if you'd please make it official..."

"Gladly!"

Megan trotted over, got the scissors, and cut loose the third and final yellow balloon.

"And with that, the Blue Team wins today's challenge!"

_Confessional Cam - Katara_

_"Glad we won today! Coming up just short in back-to-back challenges wouldn't have looked good, that's for sure."_

* * *

><p>"Fine job by the Blue Team today," Kiyone said. "Katara and Megan, you two are the big winners today, so come on up and join me!"<p>

The others applauded as they stepped forward.

"Your win today more than doubles your current pots AND it puts you atop the money leaderboard. Three challenges down, you're already past two hundred thousand... so, good job!"

"Thanks!" Megan said in response. "Good to be on top!"

"You guys also get two Damage Counters to distribute. Now you two have to decide who to give them to."

Katara and Megan discussed things, and they came up with solutions they were happy with.

"Okay... come get your chips and head on over!"

Katara decided to go first. She chose to place hers next to Fred's photo, giving him two. Megan then stepped up and inserted hers into the first slot next to Heloise's pic.

"Would either of you like to explain your choices?"

"It's nothing personal," Katara stated, even as she glanced over at Fred. "Just playing the game."

"Megan? Care to put in your two cents about choosing Heloise?"

"No... not really."

Heloise was not pleased, as she shot an icy glare Megan's way.

"You girls also now have a chance to remove a Damage Counter that someone received in a previous challenge. Would you like to help one of your fellow competitors out?"

The girls debated amongst themselves for about a minute, and then Megan announced their decision.

"Kiyone... we've decided it's not in our best interests to do that right now. So... we're gonna pass."

"Pass? Well, okay then. With that, I guess we're done for the day. Take some time to absorb everything that's happened, guys, and I'll see you next time!"

The group began the trek inland, with Katara and Megan happy about the day's outcome, Fred a bit despondent, and Heloise steaming and plotting some type of revenge. Needless to say, as the first week of competition came to a close, things were only beginning to heat up.

**End Episode Three**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>  
>Again, a reminder that you need to go to my profile page and <strong>VOTE EVERY WEEK<strong> for the characters you'd like to see in the Final Four! If there are characters you'd want to see win, **YOU MUST VOTE!** The second poll is up now, so go. **GO VOTE!**

**Next up:** Episode 4 - Next Monday, May 30th, 7 pm EST!


	4. Wet

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Thanks to those who voted last week, but remember... a new poll is up now **AND** you can vote again! Keep voting for your favorites!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Six<p>

It was about an hour after they had returned from the last challenge, and Heloise was in full-on scheming mode as she grabbed Francine, who was checking to see that the front door was locked, and pulled her into the empty weight room.

"Heloise! What's the meaning of this?"

Heloise cleared her throat, then got straight to the point.

"Nobody here likes you," she stated bluntly.

"What? That can't be true!"

"Trust me. I've done the math."

"Well, you know what? I think you forgot to carry the two!"

Heloise gave off a dumbfounded look.

"What does that even me-... look, never mind! I'm here to tell you there's a surefire way to get in everyone's good graces."

"And what's that?"

"The tiki idols! Help me find one! I'll use it, take all the heat for changing the teams, and I'll let you have whomever you want as your partner."

"Tempting... but I think I'm fine with whom I'm with."

Francine walked out of the room, and Heloise shouted after her.

"You'll be sorry!"

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"I don't need Heloise! I already have one of the tikis... and I can use it whenever I want!"_

* * *

><p>At that very moment, Rachel was looking through the cupboard for a little snack to tide her over until dinner...<p>

"I know I saw a small box of raisins in here..."

She reached in and pulled out... the red tiki idol. She was about to rejoice when she remembered that Finn, Noah, and Lee were currently chatting at the dining room table. She clenched her fist around the idol, slipped it into the right-side pocket of her shorts, found said box of raisins, then closed the door, and walked out of the kitchen as if everything was normal.

_Confessional Cam - Rachel_

_"This has to be a good sign! I already feel our team's luck changing for the better! Yahoo!"_

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Four - Wet (05.30.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Day Seven

Early the next morning, Finn and Lee were outside again, hard at work drafting the plan for the obstacle course that they had envisioned - along with Megan, but she was still in bed at this point. But as new ideas kept flooding out of their brains, the occasional wind gusts were making it tough to keep all their things together.

"This blows," Finn unintentionally punned. "Why can't we do this inside?"

"Because it is hard to have visions when you cannot see where everything is going to be with your own eyes!" explained Lee.

Suddenly, the wind picked up one of their pages and tried to blow it towards the ocean. Luckily, Terry happened to walk onto the scene and he plucked it out of the air. Finn and Lee ran over to get it from him.

"Hey, thanks!"

"No prob."

Terry was about to hand it back when he saw what they were working on.

"What's this?"

"It is an obstacle course that we are working on!" Lee told him. "Made up of completely recyclable material! Whatever that is!"

"Cool. I want in."

"Absolutely!"

"Awesome!" Finn added enthusiastically.

"I think I saw some stuff we can use further down the beach! C'mon, I'll show you!"

Terry took them down the shoreline, and they found all sorts of wooden sticks, plastic and glass bottles, and other materials.

"With all this," noted Finn. "Our little training course will be up and running in no time!"

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, the group had been called together to receive their next tiki idol search clue.<p>

"Here's your clue for today!" Kiyone declared, cutting right to the chase. "Ahem... 'If the idol had been placed in the water here, it would float! But this location is too small to place in it a full-size boat.'"

They waited for her to continue...

"What? That's all I've got! Get huntin', Roomies!"

The call ended, and immediately some of the cast jumped into action. Heloise wrapped her arm around her teammate, Finn...

"Say, partner... wanna help me find this Tiki Idol?"

"Sure."

"You go upstairs, I'll check down here. And if you find it... tell me first! Got it?"

"Got it."

Finn then boastfully declared right there and then...

"**THAT TIKI IDOL'S GONNA BE MINE!**"

He then ran for the stairs, leaving a snickering Heloise behind.

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"Ahhh... too easy."_

"We can't let Heloise find that idol!" Katara said to Megan. "I haven't trusted her from the moment I first laid eyes on her."

"Agreed," nodded Megan. "Who knows what kind of havoc she could cause with one of those?"

"I'll keep an eye on her. You tail Finn. You're into him, right?"

Megan gasped. "Into him? He's **JUST** a friend!"

"Sure," Katara giggled. "That's what they all say at first."

* * *

><p>But Noah was already ahead of both pairs, as he had changed into his swimming trunks and was jumping into the pool at that very second. He started at the deep end, scanning the bottom with his eyes and once in awhile swimming all the way down there to feel the floor.<p>

But it was only a few minutes before Yoshimori spotted him in the water, and he stripped down to his underwear and jumped in. After a few tries, they surfaced simultaneously, allowing Noah a chance to voice his displeasure.

"I was here first."

"You can't call it! It's finders keepers!"

"You're only searching here because I'm searching here!"

"So? Just because you're from America, you think you own everything?"

"I'm Canadian, you dolt!"

"It's the same thing!"

"No, it's not!"

As the two boys argued, Heloise appeared at the pool. She turned to the house and started yelling...

"Finn! **FINN! GET OUT HERE!**"

She waited and waited, but for whatever reason, Finn did not come out of the house. She growled angrily as she stomped inside to find him, missing Katara, who was hiding behind a plant by the sliding door. But instead of following Heloise, Katara went over to the pool and glanced down into it.

_Confessional Cam - Katara_

_"Sure, I can waterbend, but when we signed up for the show, we were told that using our powers was against the rules. Now I see why. If the idol really is in the pool, then I'd be at a HUGE advantage. Even so, I doubt it'd be as easy as parting the water and, oh, look, there it is! If it were that simple, an idol would've been found by now."_

* * *

><p>"Seen any idols around here?" Francine asked Terry and Kari, who happened to be wandering around the kitchen.<p>

"Nope," Terry answered as he pulled a pair of instant rice boxes from the cupboard. "Just startin' dinner."

"Besides," stated Kari as she turned on one of the stove top burners to heat up a pot half full of water. "We're in the kitchen so much, I don't see it making a good hiding place."

"Of course," Francine nervously chuckled. "It's **WAY** too obvious."

"Yes," nodded Terry affirmatively. "Yes, it is."

Francine kept chuckling as she slowly backed out of the room, leaving Terry and Kari with confused looks on their faces.

* * *

><p>Night Seven<p>

Katara and Megan were relaxing in their bedroom, reading books they had pulled from the third-floor study. Suddenly, Rachel entered the room.

"Girls! I've got great news!"

The two looked up from their books as Rachel drew the curtain closed behind her.

"Where's Heloise?" Rachel asked.

"I think she's still outside, forcing Megan's boyfriend to swim laps around the pool."

* * *

><p>"For the seventy-third time," an exasperated Finn told Heloise, "it's not here!"<p>

"Well, keep lookin'!" Heloise shouted back, dunking him back under.

* * *

><p>"For the seventy-third time," Megan told Katara. "He's not my boyfriend! He's a friend and he's a boy, but he's not..."<p>

"I'm glad she's not here," interrupted Rachel, "because I don't want her to see **THIS...**"

Rachel reached for her necklace, which the girls saw for the first time, and pulled out something from underneath her shirt. They gasped in shock when they recognized what she had.

It was a tiki idol. The red one.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>"You <strong>FOUND<strong> one of them?" gasped Megan. "That's great!"

"I know," replied Rachel. "I couldn't believe it myself!"

"So..." Katara pondered aloud, "have you and Fred figured out if and when you're going to use it?"

"Actually... you're the only ones who know I have it."

"What? Fred doesn't know?"

"No. And I'm not exactly sure if I should tell him."

"But he's your partner," Megan reminded her. "Shouldn't you be making decisions together?"

"I suppose. But, you know, given we haven't done well in the challenges, we haven't spoken all that much."

"So, you're gonna dump him? Without warning?"

"Maybe."

"Wait," Katara questioned. "Why are you telling us?"

"Well, I know you two work well together... and I just wanted to let you know that if I do use it, I'll make sure to keep you two paired."

"That's right," recalled Megan. "The user of the red tiki gets to choose how the teams get rearranged!"

Rachel nodded. "Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"But," Katara added, "you better tell Fred. This isn't like dumping a boy you're not into. He deserves to know."

Rachel nodded again, then got up to leave the room.

* * *

><p>Day Eight<p>

After a somewhat early wake-up call, the competitors were driven to the North Shore, and to the exact same location as the previous challenge. This time, though, the only thing they saw upon arriving at the beach where a large group of wooden, cylindrical platforms that had been propped up about 25 feet or so offshore.

Oh, and Kiyone.

As for the weather, windy, but not as much as the past few days, and mostly-to-completely cloudy skies, though no rain was falling. Yet.

"Morning!"

"Good morning," the cast in response.

"Well, whomever said the weather is paradise was obviously **WRONG**! Another day of less than ideal conditions. But not bad enough to call off today's challenge. Let's hope it stays that way for the next few hours."

"Hours?" Francine questioned with a concerned look on her face.

"Today's challenge is called... Battle Against Will. There aren't many rules to this challenge. Basically, you all each get a platform to yourselves... and you're trying to outlast everyone else. You're eliminated if you fall off - obviously - or any part of your body other than your feet touches the platform. In which case, the only way off is to jump off."

Candice raised her hand.

"Is it possible to have the platforms closer to the ground?"

"Nope. You're afraid of heights? Deal with it!"

Candice gasped at Kiyone's bluntness.

"Last person standing wins," stated Kiyone. "Easy as pie."

"Only 'cause you're not doing it," mumbled Noah.

"Now, before we send you all out, I have to ask. Does anyone have a Tiki Idol with them today **AND** would like to use it?"

Several people were seen glancing around, particularly Francine, who wanted to see if her 'thief' would expose himself or herself. She did not catch Rachel slightly pulling her shirt taut, as if trying to hide something. Megan gave her a 'do you have it with you?' look, and if Rachel did, she was trying to hiding it, rather than use it.

"Alright," Kiyone finally ended the uneasy challenge. "Let's get you all into position!"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the competitors had been helped up onto the platforms. They were split into two rows: a front row of seven and a back row of nine. In the front, from left to right, were Heloise, Katara, Candace, Lee, Rachel, Megan, and Finn. In the back, from left to right, were Kari, Noah, Fred, Dante, Kenzo, Terry, Francine, Candice, and Yoshimori. A few people, like Heloise, Rachel, and Finn, had put on life vests under their team shirts, which had been offered beforehand to anyone who wanted one.<p>

Finally, Kiyone appeared below them, on a small motorboat.

"Challenge begins now! Good luck, everyone!"

With that, the waiting game began. Some competitors focused completely on keeping their balance, while others tried to distract themselves by looking at other players or at the sky - neither of which were pleasant sights.

Suddenly, they heard lightning rumbling off in the distance. Noah sighed.

"I suppose the charade has gone on long enough."

Noah then jumped off his platform and into the ocean below, to the surprise of pretty much everyone. After a couple seconds under, Noah surfaced and swam towards Kiyone's boat.

_Confessional Cam - Lee_

_"Sometimes I wonder if Noah even wants to be here. But as his teammate, I have to support his decisions."_

Noah climbed aboard and was greeted by an angry glare from Kiyone.

"What? As a reality series veteran, you **KNOW** just because we can put our lives in danger for some cash, doesn't mean we have to!"

"You didn't even last three minutes! That's **NOT** good TV!"

"Who says I'm trying to impress them?"

Kiyone grumbled. "You're just lucky I don't have the power to make you go back up there."

As everyone tried to figure out why Noah would give up so easily, there was another rumble in the distance, louder than the first.

"**AAAHHH!**" screamed Francine, spooked by the sound.

Her arms started flailing a bit as she started to fall backwards, but she reached forward and managed to regain her balance.

"Nice save!" complimented Candice.

"Thanks!"

"Hang in there!" Kenzo shouted at his partner. "We've got quite a ways to go!"

Francine nodded, as she focused on the task at hand. Again, the group tried to get their minds into the right train of thought.

And then, about five minutes after Noah had voluntarily dropped out...

"Whoa, **NOOOO!**"

A second person had lost their concentration, but unlike Francine, she was not able to save herself.

"Oh my gosh!" gasped Megan. "That was Rachel!"

Sure enough, Rachel surfaced shortly thereafter. And she was not happy with herself, as she slapped the water around her in disgust.

"Goes to show you how small your margin for error is," Kiyone said. "Rachel's out of the challenge. Fourteen of you left!"

With that, the remaining competitors' want to stay in the challenge intensified a bit more.

* * *

><p>[32 minutes elapsed]<p>

No one else fell since Rachel's untimely demise, but the group was about to be given another issue to deal with... one even out of Kiyone's control.

Rain had begun to fall. It started off as a light drizzle, but picked up enough to become a steady rainfall. And that was about to become a deal breaker for one of the competitors.

"I don't think I can do this anymore!" shouted Francine. "My hair's getting wet!"

"Wet hair is nothing to worry about," Candice told her.

"You don't understand! I **CAN'T** get my hair wet!"

"Just ignore it!" Kenzo shouted.

"**YEAH!**" Kari yelled from the other end. "No one cares that you're not a natural blo-..."

Kari then quickly covered her mouth, saving herself from blurting out too much.

"I want to!" Francine said. "But my hair's reached its limit!"

With that, Francine jumped off, feet-first, into the water below. She surfaced as quickly as possible, swimming towards shore with one hand while using her other to keep her hair out of the water as much as possible.

"What was that you were going to say about her?" Heloise asked Kari.

"Um... nothing! Nothing! I was thinking about another Francine. Old friend from high school, yep. That Francine."

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"Francine's not gonna be happy with me after this. Stuff like that has to stay between roomies! Yeesh... good luck getting **HER** to trust me with any more of her secrets."_

Francine had just gotten to the boat and was being helped up as another blond-haired competitor suddenly bit the dust.

"Whoa... **WHOAAAA!**"

Fred was starting to get numb in his right leg and had tried to pick it up and shake it, but he did so too hard and his momentum sent him falling into the ocean below.

"Another one bites the dust!" remarked Candace. "This might be easier than I thought!"

"And with Fred gone," noted Kiyone as Fred resurfaced, "Orange Team, done early once again! Seven teams left, 12 people still standing, and not even forty minutes in! C'mon... you guys can do better than that!"

"I'd like to see **HER** come up here and do this," grumbled Yoshimori.

* * *

><p>[1 hour elapsed]<p>

The rain was starting to let up, but in exchange, the winds picked up just a tad.

"How's it hangin'?" Kiyone asked.

"I can do this **ALL DAY**!" Finn yelled.

"If he can," Lee exclaimed, "then so can I!"

"As can I!" shouted Dante, Candace, and Yoshimori.

Others, though, like Kenzo and Candice, did not quite share their enthusiasm.

"So... this is the part where I try to bait you guys into coming down," explained Kiyone.

"But doesn't that defeat the purpose of the challenge?" Dante asked in response.

"Perhaps. But I figure some of you are already hurting **AND** you're probably soaking wet. That being said..."

Kiyone snapped her fingers, and two interns walked up next to her. One of them was holding a raincoat, while the other an open umbrella.

"Who knows when it's gonna stop raining? Could be in five minutes. Could be in five **HOURS**. I'm offering a chance to get dry fast! All you have to do... is jump."

There were a few wayward glances, as some were trying to see if anyone was thinking about taking Kiyone's offer.

"I'm surprised your 'do has lasted this long!" Heloise shouted at someone. "I'd hate to see it ruined!"

Heloise was talking to Megan, who was fiddling with her misshapen and soaked hair.

"Ignore her!" Megan's partner, Katara, who was next to Heloise, shouted. "She's just trying to get you to jump!"

Megan ran her hands through her hair a couple more times, and then made a decision.

"Nice try, Heloise! But I'm not going anywhere!"

Heloise thought about pushing back, but decided not to. For now.

"No takers?" Kiyone asked one last time. "Okay then..."

Kiyone snapped again, and her boat started heading back to shore. Megan's decision would turn out to be the right one, because only minutes later, the rain stopped.

* * *

><p>"<strong>ACHOO!<strong>"

"**GAH! GIRL GERMS!**"

The sneeze had come from Candice, whose eyes were starting to get a little red, while the reaction came from Finn, who was on the platform in front of her.

"I don't feel so good..." the gym leader remarked.

"Then jump!" Finn shouted without turning around. "I don't want to get your girl cooties!"

Megan glared at him. "That's **NOT** how those work, you know!"

But sure enough, Candice's condition was quickly deteriorating, as she begun to start coughing.

"You okay?" Candace asked, trying to look over from where she was.

But the only way Candice could answer... was with more coughing.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>It had only been an hour and 15 minutes since the challenge began, but standing in the rain for about half an hour had hit Candice's immune system hard.<p>

"You really should go in before you starting giving it to the rest of us!" shouted Yoshimori.

"He's right," Kenzo added. "As a doctor, I recommend you call it a day before it gets worse. Go, while you can live to fight another day!"

Candice coughed again, and was seriously contemplating jumping. She wanted to stay there as long as possible, but her body was not willing.

"Candice!"

She looked up and turned to her partner, Candace.

"Go! I got this!"

"You... cough... sure?"

"I'll do what I have to do to win this challenge!" Candace declared. "For the both of us!"

Hearing Candace's boast was all the convincing Candice needed. She took a seat on her platform, officially eliminating her from the challenge. Kiyone signaled for the boat driver to pull as close as possible, and when they were, a lifeguard jumped in to meet Candice in the water. Eventually, she carefully slid off, and once in the water, was helped back to the boat.

"You're going to be fine!" Kenzo shouted. "Hang in there!"

"Stay strong, Candice!" exclaimed Terry.

Candice was then immediately brought to shore, at which point she was then helped off to the medical tent. At that exact same moment, Yoshimori sneezed.

And he lost his concentration and fell in the water.

"**GODDAMN IT!**"

A few minutes later, several of the competitors felt their legs starting to numb, so they tried moving around carefully. But...

"Uh..."

Kenzo slipped, but managed to save himself from a nasty fall by reaching down with his hand to catch himself.

"You're out, Mr. Tenma!" Kiyone shouted. "No hands on the platform!"

Kenzo nodded. At least he could exit more gracefully, as he calmly sat down on the platform and then jumped off.

"Green Team's done for the day! Nine of you left! Oh... and are those rain clouds I spot on the horizon?"

Sure enough, the clouds were darkening...

* * *

><p>[1 hour, 35 minutes elapsed]<p>

...and once again, it was raining.

"This is my element," Katara told herself. "I actually like rain."

She lifted her left foot to stretch it, and then put it back down... only to completely miss the platform, suddenly finding herself plummeting into the water.

"Katara!" Megan shouted.

Megan raised her arm to shield her eyes from the rain as she looked to see if her partner was okay... but in doing so, she leaned forward too much, and before she knew it, she was in the water as well.

"Oy vey!" remarked Megan, slapping herself in the forehead upon surfacing.

The two girls were helped onto the boat.

"I know we stress teamwork, Blue Team," commented Kiyone, "but this **ISN'T** the type called for in this particular challenge."

Both Katara and Megan were annoyed by that remark, even though the hostess was correct.

* * *

><p>After the field had been reduced to seven, the remaining competitors seemed to solidify their resolve even more. Minute after minute passed without anyone looking shaky. The rain left after a little bit, then returned, almost as if someone was flipping an on-off switch roughly every half hour.<p>

Although Kiyone was happy to finally be left with those with some strong endurance, it was about time to move the challenge along.

[3 hours elapsed]

"Three hours in," Kiyone told them, "and it's almost been an hour and a half since someone dropped. I think we need to change that."

An intern stepped forward with a plate covered with a silver dome sphere on it. He lifted the sphere, and Kiyone described what was on said plate.

"A whole chocolate bar and a glass of pineapple juice! You know, you guys haven't eaten since breakfast, and your energy's kinda low. Anyone who jumps right now... can share this!"

The plate was tempting, and more than a few sets of eyes wanted to take the offer.

"Terry!" Kari suddenly shouted.

"Yeah?"

"I think I've reached my limit!"

Dante, Candace, and Heloise all looked at Terry, expecting him to try and convince Kari to stay in the challenge.

"Go for it!"

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

Kari took one last look at the remaining competitors, then dived head-first into water below.

"Anyone else?" Kiyone asked as Kari swam to the boat.

Six pairs of eyes wandered about... but none towards Kiyone. They stayed that way even as Kari was pulled up onto the boat.

"All yours," Kiyone said, handing the plate to Kari.

"Thanks!"

Kari took a seat on the deck, and started chomping away at the candy bar... in plain sight of the others.

"**WHY IS SHE TAUNTING US LIKE THAT?**" screamed Finn.

"What's his deal?" scoffed Candace. "It's just chocolate."

* * *

><p>[3 hours, 15 minutes elapsed]<p>

The skies darkened again, and the wind gusted the strongest it had all day. And, as luck would have it, Heloise picked that exact moment to lift her leg off the platform - not that anyone could see it under her gown - and she was blown off and into the water.

"**CURSE YOU, MOTHER NATURE! I'LL GET MY REVENGE!**"

* * *

><p>Not too long afterwards, once the weather had calmed down...<p>

"Hey, Bowl Cut!"

Candace had turned to her left to talk to Lee.

"What is it?"

"If I win this challenge **AND** I promise to not give you a Damage Counter, will you jump right now?"

Lee considered Candace's offer.

"That is very noble of you, Miss Candace... but I do not think you will be the last one standing! I cannot risk being punished by someone else... so no deal!"

"Grr! You'll be sorry!"

But Candace was not the only one trying to negotiate terms, as a few minutes later, Dante shot a similar offer Terry's way.

"I'd rather take the safe route and guarantee no one can give me a Damage Counter," replied Terry. "I'm staying until at least one other person drops."

"Suit yourself," Dante said.

* * *

><p>[4 hours elapsed]<p>

Kiyone had another domed dish to present to the group, and this one was miles better than the one Kari had taken an hour ago.

"Cheeseburger with all the fix-ins, and a soda!" Kiyone said as the dome was lifted off. "Same as the last deal... anyone who jumps now can split it."

Almost everyone seemed to want to take it, but they were concerned about being penalized for it. Finally, someone came up with an offer.

"Hey!" Finn spoke up. "I'll bow out right now if you all promise **NOT** to give me or Heloise a Damage Counter."

"Fine with me," Dante quickly agreed.

Unfortunately, Lee, Candace, and Terry were not as keen on the idea.

"I am afraid I cannot agree to that, my friend," Lee said.

"Why not?" Finn asked. "Heloise is **NOT** that evil!"

"You don't have to share a bathroom with her," remarked Candace.

"And... other things," added Terry.

It seemed as if they were at an impasse. But Kiyone looked willing to wait until someone took her offer.

"What if I jumped instead?" Dante suggested. "Same deal, though. Don't give me a Damage Counter, or Yoshimori. Okay?"

The boys thought about it and all hastily agreed. Candace, though.

"I dunno... I don't like Yoshi all that much..."

"Just agree!" Lee shouted. "Dante is agreeing to drop out and giving us all a better chance to win this challenge! Is that not enough?"

Candace did not want to give in, but she had no choice.

"Fine. Go celebrate with your cheeseburger."

"I will, Miss Flynn. Of course, if you care to join me..."

"Not in this life, buster!"

Dante shrugged, then jumped, leaving only four standing.

"Purple Team's out," Kiyone announced. "And..."

Before she could finish, Finn also jumped in.

"...okay, now Red Team's out too! Down to the final three!"

Dante and Finn reached the boat, and split the cheeseburger, happily munching on it in plain sight of the remaining three competitors.

* * *

><p>[4 hours, 30 minutes elapsed]<p>

The two of them dropped out just in time, as conditions would worsen even further. The latest batch of rain was the heaviest yet, as Terry, Candace, and Lee were suddenly getting completely drenched in a near-torrential downpour.

"**I'M NOT QUITTING!**" Candace suddenly yelled out of the blue.

"**NEITHER AM I!**" Lee did likewise, not willing to give an inch.

"The Old Man must be lovin' this," commented Terry, in reference to his boss back home.

* * *

><p>[5 hours elapsed]<p>

The downpour only lasted a few minutes, though, and it weakened into a steady rain, and eventually, totally stopped. A small bit of sunlight tried to peek through the clouds for the first time today. And yet... more rain clouds were approaching.

"I've got my best offer yet!" Kiyone declared as her boat pulled up once again.

Kiyone reached into her pocket and pulled out a $25k chip.

"If one of you drops out right now, you get this chip. Which means you add 25 grand to your personal jackpot. Just you. Your partner doesn't get the same bonus. Just one of you three."

"This is about more than money for me!" Lee declared. "My pride will not accept nothing less than victory today!"

Terry seemed to contemplate taking it. Candace...

"Oh, the heck with it!"

Candace jumped off of her platform, believing this was a consolation prize worth taking.

"I don't think she thought about that," Terry noted.

"She did not think, for sure," agreed Lee.

Regardless, Candace was delighted at the free handout... and to finally dry off. That left just two. And with the next batch of clouds the first to show visible signs of lightning all day, Terry's mind was at work planning an end game strategy.

"Lee!"

"Yes?"

"I'm sure the both of us could go another hour or two, easy! But those clouds don't look good."

"Are you proposing your surrender?"

"Something like that! I'll concede the challenge to you on **ONE** condition. You owe me a favor!"

"A favor? What kind?"

"I'm not sure yet... but it's definitely game-related! No 'do my chores for a day' or anything like that. Deal?"

Lee thought about it... and thought... and thought...

"Lee!"

Finally...

"Deal! I, Rock Lee, owe you a favor!"

"Very well, then. The challenge is all yours!"

With that, Terry jumped into the ocean below.

"And with Terry in the water," commented Kiyone, "Lee wins it for the Brown Team!"

Lee celebrated by doing a handstand, holding it for half a minute, and then backflipping off of the platform from that position.

* * *

><p>Shortly thereafter, Lee and Noah were standing next to Kiyone as the board was getting set up and rain started to fall again.<p>

"I'd make a comment about how unfair this seems, cough, Noah," mumbled Kiyone, "but seeing as this show can get sued if somebody gets struck by lightning..."

Kiyone pulled out the two Damage Counters, handed them to Lee and Noah, and pointed to the board. Lee quickly ran up to the board and placed his next to Fred, giving the shocked detective three.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"Just doing what needs to be done," Lee answered. "It is nothing personal."

Noah went up and placed his next to Megan. She was displeased.

"Nothing personal," he also said, albeit sarcastically.

Megan caught wind of his intentions, but...

"No time," Kiyone shushed her. "Fred, you now have three, so you cannot get voted into the Final Four by your peers unless someone removes them. Speaking of which..."

"No," Noah quickly said.

A flash of thunder and a visible lightning bolt later...

"That's all for today!" Kiyone hurried them to the van. "See ya!"

Another round of thunder and lightning and a sudden downpour...

"**NOT GETTING PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS!**"

**End Episode Four**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>  
>Sorry for the rushed ending, but you know what that means! Episode was running long! Don't worry, though... everything still got in.<p>

Favorite. Review. Vote. Do all that. See you next time.

**Next up:** Episode 5 - Next Monday, June 6th, 7 pm EST!


	5. Getting Schooled

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

A very special episode this week, as the cast visits Pearl Harbor...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies"**  
><strong>10th Anniversary Event (2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Eight<p>

Fred had pulled a chair out onto the third floor balcony, and he was sighing in disappointment as he sat out in the rain.

_Confessional Cam - Fred_

_"Why do I have three Damage Counters already? Do people really **NOT** like me?"_

"Gee... never seen someone as bummed out as you."

Fred looked up and over his shoulder, and saw Finn standing in the doorway.

"I don't get it!" Fred exclaimed. "I thought I was getting along with everyone!"

"I hear ya," Finn said as he walked out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But Megan told me people are being catty. Don't know what furballs or felines have to do with this, though."

"I think that people just don't understand what I bring to this house!"

"Um..."

* * *

><p><em>"<strong>EEK!<strong>" screamed Francine while in the kitchen. "I think I just saw a rat!"_

_"No worries!" Fred assured her. "I'll just set up a trap and bait it out of hiding!"_

* * *

><p><em>Noah was playing a war strategy video game online when Fred saw the team's maneuvers and asked...<em>

_"Hey, Noah! You guys setting up a trap? Can I help?"_

* * *

><p><em>"What you guys building?" Fred asked Finn, Lee, Megan, and Terry out in the front yard. "A trap?"<em>

* * *

><p>Back in the present, Finn bit his lip and rubbed the back of his head with his forearm as he tried to think of something to say...<p>

"Oh... I think we understand. We **ALL** understand."

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<strong>  
><strong>Episode Five - Getting Schooled (06.06.11)<strong>  
><strong>-<strong>

Night Eight

A few hours later, after nightfall, Dante and Kari were lounging in the hot tub, having managed to get out there just as the rain went away for good.

"Aye aye aye," groaned Kari.

Dante chuckled. "Not as easy as you remember?"

"Understatement of the decade!"

"Oh, I'm sure it'll come to you any day now. And then you'll be living it easy."

"I dunno 'bout that. I wasn't even expecting to win the first time... and everyone sees me as a threat this time."

"I'm sure not **EVERYONE** does. In fact, I'm pretty sure most of the others like you."

"Including you?" wondered Kari, as she slid over next to Dante.

"Of course! You're probably the nicest, sweetest person I've ever met."

"Oh, really?"

As the two young adults continued to mingle, they were unaware that someone was eavesdropping from the third-floor balcony. But not by Fred, who had been convinced to vacate it some time ago, but now by Yoshimori, who did not like the events unfolding below.

_Confessional Cam - Yoshimori_

_"I've been wanting to talk strategy with Dante and trying to find alliance partners, but lately all he's been doing is spending time with that woman, Kari! I'm his partner, not her! Sheesh... do I have to do everything on this team?"_

Terry appeared out of the blue, right in front of Yoshimori.

"Hey."

"**AAAAAAAAHHHHH!**"

Dante and Kari looked up towards the balcony, interested in seeing who was watching them. But when no one stepped out, they went right back to their little chat. Meanwhile, just on the other side of the doorway, Terry, who had his hand over Yoshimori's mouth, lowered said hand as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Yoshimori.

"I was about to ask you the same question," answered Terry.

"It's none of your business, so if you don't mind!"

"You were spying on them, weren't you?"

"No."

"You don't like that they're spending a lot of time together."

"No."

Terry smiled.

"Same here."

"What? Really?"

"Dante has a way with women. At least, that's what I've heard. And I'm not sure how comfortable I feel with him so close to Kari."

"Why?"

"Because Kari's my partner... and I don't want to see her getting hurt."

"But Dante's a pretty cool guy himself. He knows a lot about the world. While, on the other hand, I know next to nothing about you. Like, why is it that the only thing we know about you is that you..."

Yoshimori stopped himself when he saw that Terry had left while he was talking.

"He vanished! Just like he always does! Man... why are there so many oddballs in this house?"

* * *

><p>Day Nine<p>

Early the next morning, a huge majority of the cast decided to make a special trip down to the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

"There it is," Dante said, pointing off into the water.

The group followed his finger and saw the building, which was constructed directly above the hull of the aforementioned sunken ship.

_Confessional Cam - Kenzo_

_"One of the things I wanted to make sure to see in Honolulu was the Pearl Harbor Memorial. I can't believe it's been almost 70 years since that infamous day. So... tragic."_

_Confessional Cam - Rachel_

_"Pearl Harbor to me may mean something different than it does to Fred. The way Japan saw that day and the way America did is essentially night and day. It was such a horrible tragedy."_

_Confessional Cam - Terry_

_"Japan attacked Pearl Harbor to keep the U.S. from getting into the war. Instead, we jumped right in. December 7th, 1941 is a day that will live in infamy. It was the day... that everything changed."_

The group was among a small gaggle of other tourists, whom they shared a boat with as they were transported to the memorial itself. Once on board the memorial itself, a tour guide led them around. Right up front, the first thing they saw were the state flags the battleships that were attacked were named after, which were displayed prominently for all to see.

"Those men fought for our country..." sniffled Francine, "and made the ultimate sacrifice!"

Kenzo comforted her, as she was on the verge of breaking down.

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"I couldn't imagine being around during that time! To be violated in such a way... and then, as a wife, or girlfriend, or mother, to be told your loved one died! It's why I worry about Stan a lot. I'm always afraid that one of these days, he'll go on one of his missions, and... and... and... never come back."_

The group was next led to a room which allowed them to peer downwards into the sea and at the remains of the USS Arizona. Fred and Megan were among those who gazed down in complete silence.

_Confessional Cam - Lee_

_"Battles are one thing, and as a ninja, I know that we can and do die in the line of duty. But the more I learn about Pearl Harbor, the more I wonder what was in the minds of the Japanese, attacking an unprovoked military facility. War may not always be rational, but senseless attacks like this one are beyond comprehension."_

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"I feel conflicted about being here. I mean, we all learn about Pearl Harbor in our history classes, but we don't really grasp how much December 7th changed everything. Personally, there's no way I would've fathomed that day until I came here. It just feels different to be here... where such a horrid event took place. It's just something you can't replicate by just reading a textbook."_

Finally, the last place they saw was the marble wall, which lists the names of everyone aboard the USS Arizona that was killed that day.

_Confessional Cam - Noah_

_"We may have all come to Hawai'i from all parts of the globe to compete on a reality show, but this is reality here, folks. The fact that I'm here proves that this didn't affect just people from Japan or the States. It affected everyone. Just goes to show, you've gotta live life to the fullest every day. 'Cause who knows what tomorrow brings."_

Kari, Candace, Katara, Candice, and Finn were enthralled as they walked along the wall, reading all the names as they grasped the enormity of the event.

"I don't understand why this had to happen!" Finn exclaimed.

"Sadly," Kari told him, "wars are filled with acts of violence that no one really understands."

"There are reasons for war," added Katara, "but most of them aren't worth talking about."

_Confessional Cam - Katara_

_"Being from a slightly different world, people like Finn and Candice and I aren't exactly affected the same way. The wars in this universe aren't the same as the one in mine, but the motivations behind them are pretty similar. And wars are known for taking many lives... sadly, my mother was one of them. I feel their pain. I know what it's like to feel that the enemy wants to exterminate your entire race. It's just sad that so many people had to lose their lives the way they did. So, so sad."_

Eventually, it was time for their tour group to board the shuttle boat heading back inland. The cast looked back as their boat departed, as they all photographed one last memory of the memorial in their minds.

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"This is definitely one of the few things I'll remember fondly of my stay here in Honolulu. Just seeing it all... was so heartbreaking! I hope Pearl Harbor is one tragic event that's never repeated."_

After such a poignant trip, the cast headed back to the beach house and spent the rest of the day reflecting on their experience...

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Day Ten<p>

It was raining. No surprise.

"I know somebody took it..." Francine said to herself as she paced in the kitchen. "But who?"

She could see her roommate, Kari, hanging out with Candice as they watched the news on TV.

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"Kari? Ha, ridiculous! The girl doesn't have an evil bone in her body! Trust me, I've frisked her!"_

Still, Francine had a nagging feeling, so she started walking over to ask Kari point blank... but stopped when she stepped in a small puddle in the dining room. A part of trail leading from the patio door and into the hallway, to the stairs.

"I just mopped this floor this morning!" she complained.

As Francine went to get a towel to wipe it up, she did not see Heloise peeking her head out from behind the Buddha. She wanted to let out an evil, triumphant laugh, but controlled her urge, as she did not want to reveal what she was so happy about.

That is, until the blue tiki idol became visible around her neck... though not for long, as she tucked it into the top of her gown, and then bolted upstairs to go dry off.

* * *

><p>After waiting a few hours for the rain to pass, the skies cleared late in the day, and the competitors stepped onto a beach... this time, on the southwestern side of the island. They were both scared and confused when they saw what was behind Kiyone. To one side of her were a bunch of cages with numerical keypads on the inside of the doors, and to the other... seven wooden chairs, all arranged in a row and facing inland.<p>

"The sun's come out," Kiyone remarked, "and just soon enough for us to squeeze in today's challenge! It's called... Code to Safety... Seat."

"Huh?" Yoshimori yawned, apparently having just woken up from a nap.

"In this challenge, each team will be locked in their own cage. To escape, they must punch in a specific numerical code. I will give you clues as to what the code is... in the form of simple math problems."

"Math?" moaned Megan. "I came here to get **AWAY** from schoolwork!"

"Once you punch in the correct code, your door will open. One member of your team must race from your prison to the chairs, where you must take a seat in one of them. Note that there is one less chair than the number of teams competing. So the team without a chair is eliminated. The remaining teams will then go again, with one chair being taken away in each successive round, and the numerical codes getting longer and more difficult in tandem. Last team standing... or sitting, as the case may be, wins."

"This oughta be a piece of cake," commented Heloise, rubbing her hands together evilly.

"Glad you think so," Finn told her.

"Oh, and before I forget," Kiyone interjected. "Tiki Idol time! Has anyone found one, brought it with them, and wishes to play it today?"

Rachel kept a straight face as Fred looked at her, giving her a confident thumbs up. Katara and Megan glanced over at Heloise, who in turn shot glares back at them. Francine whistled innocently, drawing attention to her lips as her eyes scanned in the direction of Terry and Kari. And Yoshimori seemed to be inaudibly praying... but whether for someone to play the Idol or not, no one knew.

"Okay, then. Each team pick a cage, and we'll get started."

* * *

><p>It only took a couple minutes for everyone to get set and get locked in their cages.<p>

"Trust me," Fred whispered to Rachel. "I'm an expert at traps!"

"I know," Rachel retorted. "You've only told me, like, 500 times!"

"That much? Man, one too many, I guess."

"Yeah. One too many."

The teams were set up, from Kiyone's left-to-right: Red, Purple, Yellow, Green, Orange, Gray, Blue, and Brown.

"Here's your first combination, guys!" Kiyone announced. "Good luck!"

Everyone went quiet and listened carefully to the hostess' words.

"Sequence one, three digits. The first digit is 1, the second digit is 2, and the third is the result of 3 plus 4!"

Immediately, everyone went to work. Close-up on the Red Team, as Heloise hastily punches in 127, then enter. Her cage opened, but so did those of the Purple, Gray, and Brown teams, who were just as fast.

"**GO, FINN!**"

Finn, Dante, Terry, and Lee all raced out...

"1-2-6," Katara said aloud as she punched in the numbers. "Go!"

Megan tried to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge. But at that same moment, the doors for the Orange, Yellow, and Green teams opened, one after another.

"Wait, it was 3 plus 4," Megan told Katara. "Not 2 plus 4!"

But by the time they had entered the right code, Dante, Lee, Terry, Finn and Kenzo had already claimed seats, while Candace bumped Fred aside to claim the sixth. Katara ran for it, but Fred was able to get back up and park himself in the last open seat before she could get there.

"Shoot," grumbled Katara.

"Blue Team, take a seat! You girls are out! Everyone else, back in your cages!"

Megan kicked at the sand in frustration as she and Katara walked over to the losers' bench off the side.

"Paying attention is just as important as getting your math right! It only takes one slip-up, guys!"

* * *

><p>[Round 2]<p>

"Sequence two is four digits!" Kiyone told the remaining teams. "The first digit is 0, the **LAST** digit is 9! The second is 6 minus 2, and the third is 10 divided by 5!"

Some of the teams were seen mentally computing as Kiyone repeated the clue.

"4," Francine told Kenzo. "4!"

Cages started opening, beginning with the Brown and Purple ones. All seven would be unlocked on the first try, and it quickly became a footrace as the runners sprinted around and past Kiyone.

"Who wants it?" Kiyone asked.

Lee and Dante easily claimed chairs, but then things started getting rough. Candace tried to elbow Rachel aside, but she got knocked to the turf instead thanks to a retaliatory sideways chop. And Finn attempted to push Terry out of the way, but he was not strong enough, and he fell to the ground.

"**WHAT ARE YOU DOING?**" yelled Heloise.

Kenzo got into a seat, followed by Rachel and Terry. That left one chair, and Finn dived for it. But he was too far away, as Candace took a seat in it, and Finn just got a face full of sand.

"Lots of pushing and shoving," remarked Kiyone, "but the final result is crystal clear. Sayonara, Red Team!"

Finn was in disbelief, while Heloise was livid with anger.

"You call yourself a hero? You got beat by a girl!"

Speaking of said girl, Rachel had some words for her as the remaining six got up and headed back.

"You better watch it!" Rachel threatened Candace. "Or else."

"I'm not scared of you!" Candace shot back. "You're goin' down!"

* * *

><p>[Round 3]<p>

"Onto sequence three!"

Rachel and Candace were still shooting glares at each other, while Francine, in the cage between the pair, looked as if she was ready to take advantage of the situation.

"Five digits! The first two are 9 and 6, the fourth is 1. The third is 1 times 7; the last number is 6001 minus 5999!"

"Move over!" Candace told Candice as she started punching numbers in.

Noah smiled as he was the first to enter the correct code: 96712. Lee pushed the door open and sprinted for the chairs. The Gray and Purple teams freed themselves at the same time, and Kari and Dante headed off.

"Wrong?" Candace yelled after her team's cage did not open. "**WHAT DO YOU MEAN WRONG?**"

"Last digit is 2!" Kenzo told Francine, but not until after she had already pressed enter.

"Damn!"

"Got it!" Fred shouted. "Go Rachel!"

Rachel ran to the chairs, and this time reached them with no problem, joining the trio that had left before her. That left one chair...

"Go for it!" Kenzo told Francine.

"That should... do it!" Candice exclaimed. "Go, Candace!"

Francine made a beeline for the last chair, but Candace was giving chase... and she was closing fast.

"Say good night, old lady!" Candace said as she came up alongside Francine.

"Old lady?"

Francine reacted... and everyone gasped at what happened next.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>Francine and Candace were racing for the last seat in the third round of the challenge. Candace had just come up alongside Francine and was about to pass her, and she shouted at her...<p>

"Say good night, old lady!"

...and Francine reacted...

"Old lady? **OLD LADY!**"

...by slamming her shoulder hard into Candace, enough to knock the teenager off-balance and send her tumbling to the sand, screaming. An audible gasp could be heard from most of the cast as Francine sat down in the last chair.

"Wow," a stunned Kiyone said aloud. "Yellow Team's out."

Candice had ran out to help Candace get up off of the ground, but as she did, Francine trotted up to them on the way back.

"Say good night, bitch!"

Candace gasped, then turned towards her teammate.

"Did she call me what I **THINK** she called me! Oh, it's on now!"

Candace was about to charge at Francine, but Candice quickly grabbed her teammate and restrained her. Likewise, Kenzo had come over, and he immediately pulled Francine out of the fray.

"Why'd you do that?" Kenzo asked her.

"'Cause she asked for it!" Francine replied. "Calling me old... the nerve!"

"Let it go," Candice said as she continued to hold Candace back. "It's not worth it!"

"But you heard her!" Candace shouted. "And saw what she just did!"

"Trust me," Kari assured the redhead as she walked up to them. "This can be resolved without violence."

"Listen to Kari!" agreed Candice. "She knows what she's talking about!"

Finally, Candace calmed down, and Candice released her grip on her arms. She then led her partner over to the losers' bench.

_Confessional Cam - Candice_

_"I can't believe Francine did that! She's an adult! She's supposed to be a role model for the rest of us! I'm not even the one she called the b-word, and I wanna smack her! Kiai!"_

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"She got what she deserved. Everyone knows that! I'm just the one who did something about it!"_

_Confessional Cam - Fred_

_"Again... **WHY** do I have three Damage Counters?"_

* * *

><p>[Round 4]<p>

"Before we continue," Kiyone addressed everyone, "as much as we'd like to put on a good show, let's not get too rough, okay?"

"Okay," everyone said, though some meant it more than others.

"Moving on... sequence four, which has six digits! Listen closely, as it gets a bit more difficult."

The remaining five teams were attentive as Kiyone read the clues.

"The first digit is 10 minus 9, the second is 0 divided by 1000, the third is 1 plus 2, the fourth is 2 times 6 - and use the **ONES** digit for that one, the fifth is the square root of 64, and the final digit is 5! Got it?"

There was a lot of confused glances, so Kiyone began to repeat the clue in its entirety. Probably the only one who was not baffled was Noah, who was entering the sequence digit by digit as he figured out the answers.

Just as Kiyone had finished the encore reading of the clue, Noah pressed the enter button... and his team's cage door unlocked.

_Confessional Cam - Noah_

_"Who needs to play rough when you've got brains like mine?"_

Noah smirked smugly as he watched the other teams try to figure out the puzzle, while Lee raced over to claim a seat, despite no one else being out yet.

Meanwhile, Dante and Yoshimori were in the process of figuring it out, when, unbeknownst to Yoshimori, his elbow bumped into the keypad, depressing the '3' key in the process.

Eventually, some key pressing could be seen by the other teams. Gray's cage was the first of the group to enter, followed closely by Green and Orange. As for the Purple Team, they had finished calculating, and Yoshimori inputted the answer.

The lock did not open.

"Huh? It was right, right?"

"Definitely. Quick, try again!"

Yoshimori did try again, but it was too late. Kari, Francine, and Rachel were already sitting over with Lee by the time he pressed enter. The cage opened, and the duo slowly walked out.

"You must've pressed a wrong button," suggested Dante.

"No way!" argued Yoshimori. "I entered it just like you said!"

"Sorry, guys," Kiyone told them, "but you're out. Take a seat on the bench."

Yoshimori became lost in thought as he trotted off of the field of play, attempting to figure out what went wrong.

* * *

><p>[Round 5]<p>

"Only three more teams to beat!" Lee said to Noah. "I can feel victory within our grasp!"

"This challenge is ours!" Noah beamed with confidence.

"Sequence five: 2-4-6-8-0-1-9!" speedily shouted Kiyone.

"Wait!" both Brown Team members exclaimed. "What?"

"Did you get that?" Terry asked Kari.

"No!" she told him. "I thought you got it!"

"What happened to the clues?" Francine asked.

"I think she just pulled a fast one," stated Kenzo, matter-of-factly.

But one team actually had been paying attention.

"...zero, one, nine!" Rachel repeated the numbers aloud as she punched them in. "**GOT IT!**"

The Orange Team's cage opened, and Fred ran out, to everyone's surprise.

"Alright!" he exclaimed. "I'm gonna be first!"

As Fred went over to get one of three seats, Kiyone repeated the number.

"Again... 2-4-6-8-0-1-9!"

This time, the others did get it, and it was going to come down to a three-person footrace for two seats. Terry was the first out, trailed closely by Lee and Kenzo. Fred had taken the seat in the middle, leaving the ones on either side of him open. Terry and Lee both decided to go for the same chair... and they reached it at the exact same time.

"Mine!" Terry claimed.

"I was here first!" argued Lee.

As they struggled for control of the chair, Kenzo got to the other seat uncontested, keeping him and Francine in the competition. That just left...

"I do not want to hurt you," Lee told Terry, "but I must do what I must do!"

Lee pushed Terry just hard enough to make him need to take a few steps back to keep his balance. Lee then sat down in the chair.

"Nice move," Terry complimented. "Shoulda seen that comin'."

"It is alright! You are a worthy opponent!"

"Worthy or not," cut in Kiyone, "Terry, you're still standing, which means the Gray Team's out! See ya!"

* * *

><p>[Round 6]<p>

"Sequence six, guys! And we're up to eight digits, so listen to the clues carefully!"

The remaining competitors listened attentively.

"The fifth digit is 5. Now, the first is 34 plus 65 - you can use either digit - and the second is 2 plus 2 **PLUS** 2 plus 2! Solve 78 minus 6 and use the tens digit as your third number. The fourth is simply 30 divided by 5. Number six is the ones digit of the answer to 6 plus 8. The seventh is 10 minus 3, and the last digit is the number you got for the 2nd digit divided by 4!"

The three teams were already hard at work calculating as Kiyone began to repeat the entire sequence.

"Francine!" Kenzo shouted. "What are you doing?"

Francine was already entering numbers into the keypad even though they did not have an answer yet.

"You gotta gamble! Take a chance! Besides, I feel lucky!"

"Putting numbers in at random is **NOT** how we're going to..."

Francine shushed her partner as she had put in 98765432. She pressed enter... and the cage door unlocked.

"Oh, yeah, Franny's in the **ZONE**, baby!"

Francine ran out, to the other teams' surprise.

"How the..." Fred wondered out loud.

"She must be some sort of super genius!" Lee exclaimed.

"And I'm Charlie Brown," Noah quipped sarcastically.

Francine reached the two chairs and raised her arms in triumph as she sat in one of them.

"One spot in the final round claimed," commentated Kiyone. "But which team will join the Green Team there?"

Fred and Rachel were working together to try and solve the code, while Lee let Noah do all the calculating for his team.

After about a minute, one team began punching in a sequence into their keypad. They pressed enter... and their door unlocked.

"**I AM FREE!**" declared Lee.

Fred and Rachel stopped working as they saw Lee head over to join Francine.

"Rats!" cursed Fred. "So close!"

"At least we're not in the bottom four this time!" Rachel said to him, as she looked on the bright side.

Once Lee officially claimed the second and final seat, Kiyone walked to the Orange Team's cage and gave them the key sequence. Fred punched it in, and Rachel pushed the now-unlocked door open.

"Close but no cigar, Orange Team! Head on over to the others!"

* * *

><p>[Final Round]<p>

"And then there were two..."

It was down to the Brown Team and the Green Team.

"Brown Team, looking for not only back-to-back challenge wins, but their third win so far, against the Green Team, who's going for their first! Now, for the final round... a small rule change..."

Kiyone directed their focus towards the chairs... as in more than one.

"Three chairs, four of you. First team to have **BOTH** of their team members sitting in a chair wins the challenge! Got it?"

Both teams nodded.

"For all the marbles... the final sequence is nine digits long! And I'll tell you now, but for this last one, I will NOT be telling you which digit to use for any multi-digit answers. You're going to have to guess."

Kiyone took a deep breath, and then told them the clues.

"First digit is 7 times 5. Second is 27 divided by 9. Third is 48 times 4. The fourth is 1 plus 2 PLUS 4, while the fifth is 9 plus 9. The square root of 16 will give you the sixth digit; the seventh is 9 times 9. Digit eight is 15 minus 9, and, finally, the ninth and last digit is 0 plus 5 times 5 minus 5."

Kiyone repeated the long sequence again as the two teams went to work.

"Remember these numbers as I tell you them," Noah ordered Lee. "35, 3, 192..."

"We're not guessing this time," Kenzo told Francine. "We can figure this out, okay?"

The eliminated teams watched, even as some of them like Heloise were trying to figure out the correct sequence themselves. As expected, Noah was the first to come up with a solution.

"Lee, punch this in! 3-3-1-7-1-4-8-6-2!"

Lee did as he was told, then pressed enter. The door did not unlock.

"That was not it!"

Francine breathed a sigh of relief, having watched Lee's actions.

"They didn't get it," she informed Kenzo.

"Here's a hint, guys!" Kiyone interrupted, looking to help them out. "Just like in all the previous sequences, each digit can appear in each sequence once and **ONLY** once!"

"Of course!" Noah smacked himself in the forehead. "Should've seen the pattern."

The two teams kept deciphering, and eventually each came up with a possible response. Kenzo and Noah relayed their codes almost simultaneously. Francine was inputting 532784160, while Lee entered 539714862.

Both keypads rejected the answers.

"Still not it!" they both yelled.

They all tried to figure out where they went wrong, and as they were... Kiyone stepped forward to offer them another hint.

"Second hint... the only digit to appear in all the previous sequences is, coincidentally, the only digit that does **NOT** appear in this one!"

"What number did we use in all the others?" Francine asked out loud, unsure of the answer.

"Do you know, Noah?" Lee asked.

"Gimme a second..." he responded, as he was trying to figure it out.

Noah would eventually figure out the digit in question was '2,' and not too long after, so would Kenzo. So both teams knew they had to replace that number in their sequence with another.

"Could this be it?" queried Kiyone.

One team entered 539714860, while the other put in 539784160. Both pressed enter... and one of the cage doors unlocked.

"We did it?" Francine asked. "**WE DID IT!**"

Kenzo and Francine hollered with glee as they ran out of their cage and towards the seats. Lee was in shock and Noah grumbled in displeasure as the Green Team parked their butts in the two wooden chairs.

"Green Team wins!" Kiyone formally announced.

The pair hugged each other in celebration, though some of the others, especially the Yellow Team, were not pleased with the outcome.

* * *

><p>"Green Team, c'mon up here!"<p>

Some applause could be heard as Kenzo and Francine stepped forward to receive the Damage Counters to give out, but clearly less than usual.

"Kenzo and Francine... you guys badly needed this victory after only earning 50 grand through the first four challenges. You also now get to hand out some Damage Counters... so, have at it!"

Kenzo went first, and he placed his by Terry's photo.

"Shoulda figured I was due," Terry whispered to Kari.

Francine was about ready to spite Candace even more and place her Damage Counter on the redhead's line. But then she saw Kari giggling to Terry's observation.

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"Why would Kari be laughing? Unless... gasp! It was **HER**!"_

Francine stomped over and put the counter on Kari's line, giving the former Roomies winner two.

"That'll teach **YOU**!"

"Teach me?" Kari reacted. "For what?"

"Yeah," Kenzo looked at his partner strangely. "For what?"

"We all know what she did!"

Francine then marched off without saying another word.

"Gee," Fred commented. "Talk about a sore winner."

"I don't understand!" Kari exclaimed to Terry.

Terry glanced over at Dante, and saw the concern on his face. He then put two and two together.

"I think I have a pretty good idea..."

"What the **JACK** is going on?" Finn shouted.

"I'd like to know too," Kiyone said aloud, "but, we're out of time! Find out on the next episode, folks!"

**End Episode Five**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>  
>It just keeps getting better and better...<p>

The usual this week. Review, vote, you know the drill. Also, beginning this week, I'll be posting the current standings on my profile page. I'll try to update that every week, about three hours after a new episode goes up.

Also, don't forget to check out "Total Drama VGP" (Tuesday) and "Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms" (Thursday), both premiering later this week! Cheers!

**Next up:** Episode 6 - Next Monday, June 13th, 7 pm EST!


	6. Shaking Things Up

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Please make sure to vote, guys! It's hard to have faith in you guys that there'll be enough of you to pick a final winner in the end... so, please, do me a favor and vote this and every week! Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies"**  
><strong>10th Anniversary Event (2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Night Ten<p>

Kari and Francine were in their bedroom, the former inquiring about why the latter gave her a Damage Counter at the end of the last challenge.

"What did I do to deserve getting a strike? Tell me!"

"I'll tell you when you admit that you're a thief!"

"Thief? I haven't stolen anything from you!"

"Oh, don't play innocent! I know you stole my tiki!"

Kari blinked, not knowing what Francine was talking about.

"Your what?"

"My tiki! I found it a few days ago, put it in a safe place, and then... poof! It vanished!"

"And... you think I stole it?"

"Oh ho, I don't think! I **KNOW**, sister! And if you don't tell me where it is soon, I'll tell everyone how much of a fraud you are!"

With that, Francine marched out of the room.

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Six - Shaking Things Up (06.13.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Day Eleven

The next morning at breakfast, Terry, Dante, and Kari had just sat down at the table when Francine came out with a tray with three mugs on it.

"Good morning, guys..." she greeted pleasantly, before adding with a hint of venom, "...and **YOU**."

Kari tried to ignore her roommate's sour attitude. But that became hard to maintain when Francine put mugs nearly filled to the brim with fresh, hot coffee, while Kari's mug... was half-full with grounded coffee beans. Francine smirked, then trotted back into the kitchen.

"Trouble in paradise?" queried Dante, looking over at Kari.

"Francine apparently found one of the Tiki Idols," Kari replied.

"So?"

"It disappeared, and she thinks I'm the one who took it."

Terry raised an eye suspiciously. "Yeah?"

Kari gasped in shock. "You... actually believe her? I **SWEAR** I didn't take it!"

"Francine has good reason to think you did."

"What reason? I didn't even know she had actually had one until she accused me last night of procuring it from her!"

"Hmmm..." Dante pondered out loud. "And she doesn't believe you?"

"No!"

"Wow," Terry froze. "If you can't even trust your partner, who can you trust?"

"Maybe if we figured out who stole it, she'll get off my case."

"Good idea."

Terry got up from his seat, passed his untouched coffee-filled mug to Kari, then started to head out.

"Where you going?"

"Putting the finishing touches on our little project up front. And then I'll do some digging on this stolen tiki."

Terry left, unaware he was leaving Kari and Dante alone at the table.

* * *

><p>Not that their more-than-friends relationship was no longer on his list of immediate concerns... it had just dropped to the bottom of it. Terry met Megan at the front door, and the two ran together out to the now-completed obstacle course, where Finn and Lee were admiring their work.<p>

"Amazing, guys!" squealed Megan. "It's incredible!"

"I see you took all our suggestions and implemented them," noted Terry as he eyed the course.

"Allow us to explain how it works," Lee spoke up.

* * *

><p>As Finn and Lee explained the course, Candace happened to be looking out her bedroom window...<p>

_Confessional Cam - Candace_

_"Despite the sub-par performances of me and my teammate so far, I haven't tried to bust anything since I got here! This has been so much more relaxing than the last time I was here. I hope it stays this way the rest of the game."_

"**CANDICE, CANDICE, LOOK, LOOK!**"

Candace was screaming at the top of her lungs as she pointed out the window. Candice walked over and saw what the fuss was about.

"Oh. So they finally finished it."

"**WHAT?** Candice, you knew?"

"Um, yeah! And so did you! Megan's been talking about it non-stop the past few nights before bed!"

"Really? I thought that was a dream I had... but, never mind! We need to go bust them! Now, now, now!"

Before Candice could object, Candace grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the hallway and towards the stairs. On the way, they almost bumped into Rachel, who was fresh out of the shower and only wearing a bathrobe. Oh, and she had hands clasped just over her chest for some reason.

"You!" Candace shouted at Rachel without stopping. "Come and watch me bust those guys out there!"

"Um... can I get dressed?"

Candace did not give a response, as she was already on the stairs and heading downwards, with Candice in tow. Rachel sighed in relief, then tucked the object she was hiding, the red tiki idol, into her robe.

* * *

><p>He and Lee were lined up at the start of the course. Terry had a starter remote in hand that would fire up all of the gears and electronics embedded in many of the obstacles.<p>

"And we're a go!" Terry shouted as he pressed the start button.

Everything started up, but just a few seconds later, the entire course crumbled before the group's very eyes. Pieces of broken wood went flying, as did about a dozen dirty dishes, a mad red robin made completely out of old newspapers, and the tank full of jellyfish - though, thankfully, all towards the ocean.

"Shoot," Finn snapped his fingers. "I really wanted to be stung by one of those."

"As did I," concurred Lee.

Most of what remained was then washed away by the ocean in numerous, sequential waves.

"Carpentry's definitely not in any of our futures," stated Terry.

"Man," moaned Megan. "And I was looking forward to relieving some stress... especially after Noah locked me out of the game room this morning!"

"**A-HA!**" Candace shouted as she ran up on the group. "You guys are so... so..."

Candace was confused, as the contraption she had seen was no longer there, save for a few small unrecognizable remnants. Candice came up behind her a couple seconds later.

"That's the **LAST** time I let you look out the window before you've had breakfast," grumbled Candice.

Candice then grabbed her partner and pulled her back towards the house.

"But but but but..." mumbled Candace.

"Gee," wondered Terry, "did half the house wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Finn walked into Heloise's room, being called in by his teammate. He drew the curtain closed behind him, then took a seat on Heloise's bed, right next to him.<p>

"I wanna give you something," she told him, with a wink.

"Uh..." Finn hesitated, fearing feelings were coming.

Heloise reached into her pocket and pulled out something. Finn was stunned in disbelief.

"No way! **YOU FOUND...**"

Heloise quickly covered Finn's mouth to prevent him from blurting it out to the whole house.

"It's supposed to be a secret!"

"Secret?"

"Well, at least 'til tomorrow! Then we'll spring it on everyone. Or, rather, you will..."

Heloise then pulled Finn closer so she could whisper her plan into his ear.

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"Heh... heh... heh..."_

* * *

><p>Day Twelve<p>

The teams arrived at the location for their challenge, near the docks at Ko Olina Marina. Kiyone was waiting for them on the connecting beach. Out in the ocean were five four-foot tall buoys, and each had a series of ropes connected to it, which ran underwater.

"**GOOD** mornin', Roomies!" Kiyone greeted happily.

"You're surprisingly chipper this morning," observed Candice.

"I just got the best news **EVER**!" Kiyone proclaimed. "But since it has nothing to do with the game, I can't tell you. So... today's challenge... today's challenge..."

Kiyone had been so busy celebrating her 'good news' that she had forgotten to prepare for today's challenge. She whipped out a small notepad out of her pants pocket and flipped through it, looking for her notes.

"Okay," she said, still looking at her pad, "today's challenge is called Speedboat Scavenger Hunt. Two teams will go out at a time, directing their drivers to the five buoys out there..."

She turned and pointed out to the buoys in the ocean while still glancing downward, hoping the others would be following her explanation even though she was not looking at them.

"Located at each of the five buoys is a rope, which is tied to something under the surface. Your job is to pull each object up and deposit it into the empty treasure chest on your boat. Once you have all five objects, direct your driver back into the marina. Once docked, both team members must pick up the treasure chest and carry it across the finish line. Every team gets one run, and the fastest time wins the challenge."

Kiyone then looked up from her notes.

"Everyone got that?"

Most of the group nodded, though a couple seemed to look as if they had missed a few things.

"Oh..." remembered Kiyone, "you can retrieve the objects in any order you want. The heaviest objects are closest to shore, while the lighter ones are further out. The objects, from heaviest to lightest, are: a ten-pound bag of rice, a five-pound dumbbell, a three-pound gold-painted rock, a hula hoop, and an empty glass bottle."

"Is that it, Miss Makibi?" Kenzo asked.

"I believe so... that is, unless, y'know... someone has a Tiki Idol and wants to play it. Anybody?"

Francine immediately turned towards Kari, with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for the former winner to play the idol she stole from her.

"What?" Kari asked.

"You've got it, so you might as well play it, hon! And then everyone will see how much of a liar you really are!"

"I keep telling you, I **DON'T** have it!"

Over on the other end of the group, the person who did have the idol Francine had found first, Rachel, was taking deep breathes in and out, her heart pounding as she reached towards her shirt to pull the Tiki out from under it. As she did in what seemed like slow-motion to them, teammates Megan and Katara gasped, sensing this was the moment the game changed.

"Yo, hostess lady! Right here!"

Everyone turned towards Finn, who surprised everyone by stepping out of line and pulling out the blue tiki idol from his pocket.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Finn was walking up to Kiyone with the blue tiki idol in hand, to the shock of many.<p>

"I believe **THIS** is what you're looking for," Finn said as he handed it to Kiyone.

"So it is. Finn, you're invoking the power of the Blue Tiki Idol?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's safe to surmise none of us saw this coming," commented Dante, before applauding Finn for his actions. "Well done."

"Okay," Kiyone addressed the group, "the user of the Blue Tiki can initiate a random redrawing of the team. But before that can begin, Finn... you have the option to keep your current partner if you so wish. You're currently paired with Heloise. Would you like to stay with her?"

Finn began to openly think about, even as he had one eye on Heloise, who had her hands clasped together and seemed to be begging for him to keep her.

"Sorry, Heloise... but I don't like you anymore."

Heloise gasped.

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"Did he have to be **THAT BLUNT**? Sheesh!"_

Kiyone was shown depositing marbles of different colors into a small, draw-string bag. There were two of every color, except for red, of which there was only one.

"Finn is the only person guaranteed to keep his same team color. Everyone else, it's up for grabs. I'll call each of you up one at a time, and you'll draw a marble. The color of the marble is your new team color. Noah... let's start with you."

"Well," Noah snickered, "if we have to start with the best..."

Megan rolled her eyes at that remark. Kiyone shook the bag, then opened it wide enough for Noah to reach in and pull out a marble.

"Purple."

"Okay... Noah's now on the Purple Team. Lee?"

Lee stepped up and pulled out a yellow marble.

"Candace," Kiyone called out next, pointing to the redhead.

She tentatively made her way up, then reached in and pulled out a brown marble. Candace was followed by Katara, who got an orange one, and then Megan...

"Please gimme something good..." she wished out loud.

Megan opened her fist... and saw that she had a brown marble.

"And we've got a match!" announced Kiyone. "Megan, you and Noah are the new Brown Team!"

Neither of them seemed happy about that.

"Ugh!" screamed Megan as she joined her new partner. "Even Heloise is a more desirable partner than you right now!"

"I'd rather have a partner with measurements 36-24-36," Noah told her, "but you don't hear **ME** complaining."

"Heloise!"

Heloise rubbed her hands together menacingly as she reached in. To her surprise, and everyone else's, she pulled out a red marble.

"What?"

"Wow, Heloise! Your new teammate is... your old one, Finn!"

"Oh, canola oil," Finn frustratingly kicked the sand around him.

"Hey, partner!" cooed Heloise as she walked over to Finn.

"Heh heh... looks like we're together. Again."

"Yep! And I wouldn't have it any other way!"

_Confessional Cam - Finn_

_"Uh... I would."_

Current teammates Kari and Terry were next. Kari had the first green marble in the bunch, while Terry had... the second yellow.

"Me and Lee?" Terry said as he glanced over at his new partner. "Sweet."

The two shared a fist bump in jubilation. Candice was the ninth to draw...

"Brown? But that means... **YEAH!**"

Candice ran over and gave a big hug to her new teammate... Candace.

"I'm **SO** conflicted right now," voiced Candace, unsure what to think.

Dante drew orange. Katara's eyes melted with glee, while Terry seemed relieved that he had not ended up with Kari.

"So I guess we'll be working together now," Dante said as he stuck his hand out to shake with Katara.

But Katara would not settle for a hand shake. She leaped up into his arms and stayed cradled there as she gazed into his eyes.

_Confessional Cam - Katara_

_"Yeah... no one back home's gonna see this, right?"_

Yoshimori had a surprise when he pulled out the first blue marble, and quickly realized he had only four possibilities... the four who had not drawn yet.

"I... really don't like where this is going," he said as he eyed them.

Fred got an equal shock... when he drew the first gray marble.

"Whoa! Didn't see that coming!"

Rachel gulped, already fearing she was going to get stuck with Fred again. Thankfully for her, she pulled out a green marble. Rachel turned and saw her new teammate, Kari, waving at her.

"My new partner's Kari? Now I'm **GLAD** Finn used that tiki!"

That just left the two eldest competitors, Francine and Kenzo. And they already knew they were getting separated. But whom was going to end up with whom?

"Hey!" Francine shouted. "I got a blue marble!"

Yoshimori's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

"Partners in the kitchen," Francine said as she ran over, "and now partners in the game! It's perfect!"

"Yeah," grumbled Yoshimori. "Perfect."

That left Kenzo with the last marble, the gray one, and that meant his new partner was Fred.

"I suppose it could be worse," Kenzo shrugged.

"Worse?" Fred seemed to think otherwise. "Sometimes a fresh start is all we need to get our heads in the game!"

"Okay," Kiyone interjected, "the new teams are set! We'll get you all new shirts, then split you guys up into heats for the challenge! Let's get to it!"

* * *

><p>[Heat One]<p>

The teams were outfitted with their new colors, and the first pair were standing at the starting line, ready to begin their run. The new Yellow Team, Lee and Terry, were going up against the new Orange Team, Dante and Katara. Everyone else was off to the side, cheering them on. Kiyone stood before the two participating teams, with her arms up in the air.

"Ready? Set? And... **GO!**"

Kiyone dropped her arms, and they all took off. Lee and Dante led the way, racing for the boats stride for stride. This time, though, Dante won the showdown, stepping onto the lead vessel just before Lee could.

"Sorry, Lee," Dante told him, "but I was here first."

Lee nodded and jumped back onto the dock. As he and Terry got onto the second boat, Katara arrived at the first, and Dante helped pull her aboard. The Yellow Team, though, was the first to drive away from the dock. The Orange Team was in hot pursuit, as both boats drove out of the cove and sped toward the buoy furthest away. The Yellow Team reached it first, and Terry grabbed one of the ropes and started pulling the glass bottle up as fast as he could. But the Orange Team was still nipping at their heels, as Dante dug in and matched Terry pull for pull.

"Got it!" Terry shouted with the bottle in hand, after untying it. "Go!"

Lee pointed at the buoy with the next lightest object tied to it, and the driver obliged his request. Once Dante had gotten his up and untied, Katara directed their driver to do the same.

"They're going head-to-head," noted Yoshimori. "Whoa!"

Both teams alternated who would be pulling up objects. Yet the Yellow Team remained just a few pulls ahead as both teams retrieved the hula hoop and the gold-painted rock. But then Katara struggled to keep up with Lee at the dumbbell.

"Ugh!" she groaned. "C'mon!"

Dante grabbed the rope and lent a hand, but by the time they got it up, the Yellow Team was already on their way to get the rice bag.

"Let's get this!" shouted Terry as they arrived at the last buoy.

Terry and Lee went to work, and were at least a half-dozen pulls ahead when the Orange Team's boat pulled up. Dante and Katara grabbed the rope and pulled as fast as they could. But they could not close the time gap.

"In the chest!" Lee exclaimed as he tried to untie the rope while Terry pulled the bag aboard.

The Orange Team's had just started appearing above the water as the Yellow Team headed back for shore. Once they reached the docks, Lee and Terry carried their fully-loaded chest off of the bus. Lee led the way, but he tried to run with his end... and Terry was having trouble keeping up. Just as they reached the end of the dock and made the left turn towards the finish line, Lee leaned before Terry was ready, and as a result, the rice bag and the rock both fell out.

"Damn it... Lee, **LEE!**"

They put the chest down and picked up the fallen objects to put them back in, while noticing at the same time that the Orange Team's boat had pulled in.

"Try and keep it level," Dante said as he picked up the chest.

"Got it!"

The Orange Team got their stuff back in the chest and moved a bit more slowly as they proceeded to and across the finish line, stopping the clock.

[Orange Team, 5:55]

Lee and Terry gave each other a high-five, then turned around and cheered as Katara and Dante made their way to finish not too long afterwards.

[Yellow Team, 6:20]

"Good job," Dante told Katara after they put their chest down, as he went over to hug her. "You did good."

"Thanks," Katara said, before prompting someone to bring her a water bottle.

* * *

><p>[Heat Two]<p>

The second heat got underway a few minutes later. The new Purple Team, Megan and Noah, beat the Red Team, Finn and Heloise, to the boats, and were the first to cast-off. Unlike the first heat, both teams here employed different strategies. The Purple Team stopped at the first buoy they came across and went to work, while the Red Team went past and headed further down the shoreline to a different one.

"Pull!" Megan shouted as she and Noah worked. "**PULL!**"

Eventually, they succeeded in getting the dumbbell out of the water. They headed off to get their second object just as the Red Team reached their first.

"Rice should not be **WET**!" yelled Finn.

Finn started pulling up the ten-pound rice bag all by himself, as Heloise supervised off to the side. Meanwhile, the Purple Team had gotten to their second buoy...

"You take this one," Noah told Megan.

Megan nodded, then went to retrieve the hula hoop. Both she and Finn pulled their objects onto their boats at the same time. The items were deposited in their respective chests, then they were off again. At the next set of buoys...

"Go, Megan, go!" cheered Noah, idly sitting by as Megan did all the work. "C'mon, Supergirl!"

"A little help... would be appreciated!" she requested.

"Argh!" screamed Finn. "This thing is heavy!"

"Just keep pulling," Heloise told him. "You've got it."

"Not seeing a lot of teamwork on either side," Kiyone noted aloud.

"What are they doing?" Terry wondered.

The Purple Team reached their next buoy...

"No way!" objected Megan. "You get this one!"

"S'alright," Noah blew her off. "You're doing fine."

"You're **SUPPOSED** to be helping me! You're my teammate! And you're a guy! You should be doing most of this!"

As they argued, the Red Team arrived at the exact same buoy. Finn looked about to make a similar plea to Heloise, but she was already getting into position to assist.

"That-a-girl!"

Finn and Heloise worked together and had the rock up as Megan and Noah continued to argue.

"Help me!"

"Or else what?"

"Or else we're gonna lose this challenge, that's what!"

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>"Noah, will you <strong>HELP ME<strong>!"

"Sorry, toots... but I don't respond to threats. At all."

Megan stomped her foot in anger, then turned around and started trying to pull up the rock by herself.

"I'd **HURT** you right now if we weren't in the middle of a challenge!" she screeched.

Meanwhile, the Red Team seemed to have worked out their differences as Finn and Heloise tugged in tandem to get the hula hoop. As they headed for their final object, the Purple Team... in other words, Megan... got the rock up and they headed to their fifth. They got there, and again, Megan unhappily tried to dredge this one up all by herself.

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"Why's he being such a bad guy now? He wasn't like this a few days ago!"_

Suddenly, Megan lost her grip, and she felt the rice bag try and pull her into the water. But just as she was about to go over the side of the boat, her momentum was abruptly halted. And she quickly saw why, as Noah's hands were on top of hers, and his arms were wrapped under hers, with his body pressed against hers.

"Oh, **NOW** you help?"

"Only because I didn't feel like pulling you out of the ocean!"

Together, they got the rice bag up onto the boat. But at the same time, the Red Team had gotten their last object and was already heading back. The Purple Team's boat gave chase.

Later, on shore...

"Why is this so heavy?" groaned Finn.

He and Heloise were literally dragging their full chest across the finish line, grunting, sweating, and groaning all the way.

[Red Team, 7:44]

As for Megan and Noah, they were still sniping at each other as they, step-by-step, eventually got to the finish as well. Once they were in, Megan let go without warning Noah, and he fell to the ground with the chest.

[Purple Team, 9:09]

"What's your damage?" he asked, annoyed.

"You! You made **ME** do **ALL** the work!"

Megan stomped off angrily. Noah shot back a quick retort.

"Well... you **SUCK** at doing all the work!"

* * *

><p>[Heat Three]<p>

In the third heat, the new Blue Team, Francine and Yoshimori, claimed the first boat and headed out. Right behind them was the new Green Team, Kari and Rachel. The Blue Team stayed close to shore, going for the ten-pound rice bag first; the Green Team headed outwards, bound for the glass bottle. Both reach their respective buoys at about the same time.

"Left, right, left, right!" barked Rachel as she and Kari flew through their rope.

"Pull, Yoshi!" shouted Francine. "Pull!"

"I am! This thing weighs a ton!"

The Green Team gets their object first and moves on, but the Blue Team is not that far behind. Again, teamwork is the name of the game on both sides, especially after the last heat.

_Confessional Cam - Yoshimori_

_"The only way we're going to beat the Yellow Team is with teamwork! Francine and I have to make up for our lack of individual strength somewhere!"_

Working together was paying dividends for both teams, as they all seemed to be flying through the challenge. Both boats met at the buoy at which the gold-painted rock was waiting under them, with the Green Team slightly ahead. And pulling further ahead.

"Ugh!" groaned Kari as their rock was pulled onto the boat.

"I'm not gonna get beaten by those two!" grunted Yoshimori.

"Well, pull harder!" reprimanded Francine. "This thing's not gonna lift itself!"

Kari and Rachel moved on to the hula hoop. They got it quickly, and placed it on the rock... which was on the deck and not in the chest. The same as the other objects. As they went for their last, the Blue Team had finally gotten their rock up and were heading to get the dumbbell. Francine plopped down on the deck, exhausted and aching in pain.

"Yoshi, I don't know how much more I can help. Can you be a sweetie and get the last two?"

"I suppose. We left the lightest ones for last."

Sure enough, they did, and Yoshimori tugged up the hula hoop in no time flat. They headed to their last buoy, while the Green Team had almost reeled in their final object, the ten-pound rice bag. Kari quickly untied it from the rope and tossed it back in the water.

"Back to shore!" Rachel told the driver.

As he complied, the girls went to work putting their catches in the treasure chest. Their boat reached the docks, with the objects piled in with the heaviest on the bottom and the lightest towards the top. As they stepped on the dock, off in the distance, the Blue Team was making the long trek back after obtaining the glass bottle. Kari and Rachel methodically made their way to the finish. They saw themselves in reach of the Yellow Team's quick time, but just did not have quite enough strength to beat it.

[Green Team, 5:59]

As the two of them hugged each other in relief and exhaustion, back on the docks, Francine was visibly struggling to keep her end of the chest up, even as Yoshimori tried to pull her along.

"Stop, stop, st-"

She had tried to warn him, but he had eventually pulled hard enough to wrestle Francine's grip from the chest, and it fell onto the dock, with the hula hoop falling out.

"Not so fast!" Francine said as she picked the hoop up.

"But we're in a race!" argued Yoshimori.

They got back underway, but had to stop again when Francine shouted that she was losing grip again shortly after the turn to the finish. They eventually did get to the finish, and Francine lied down on the ground afterwards, gasping for air. Yoshimori reached for his aching back, as he had to put most of the weight on his end for them to get there at the end.

[Blue Team, 7:30]

* * *

><p>[Heat Four]<p>

The final heat pitted the ex-Yellow but now Brown Team, Candace and Candice, against the new Gray Team, Kenzo and Fred. The guys beat the gals to the boats, and they led the way. Both teams were going to start with the ten-pound rice bag.

"We can beat the Candaces!" remarked Fred as he and Kenzo pulled theirs up. "Heave!"

The Gray Team got theirs first, and they decided to next go for the dumbbell. The Brown Team found themselves more than ten seconds behind once they had retrieved their rice bag. They went for the next closest buoy, which was the one that had the rock tied to it.

"C'mon, Candice, double time!"

The girls upped their effort, and evened the match-up as they got a hold of their rock the same time the guys had gotten the dumbbell. Candace and Candice went for the glass bottle; Kenzo and Fred for the rock. Both teams pushed hard to get ahead of the other.

"Three!" Candice shouted.

And almost immediately after...

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Kenzo.

Still about dead even as the girls next attempted to pull up the hula hoop, the guys were about to do the same, but...

"No, wait... the other one first! We won't have to double back!"

Kenzo was attempting to shave a few seconds off his team's time as he redirected their driver to get the bottle. Both teams succeeded, and the same could be said picking up their final objects. Both boats then raced back to the docks. The winner of the heat was going to be decided in a footrace.

"We got this!" Fred said, lifting his side of the chest.

"Lift with your legs!" Candice told Candace as they tried to pick theirs off the deck.

The Gray Team pulled ahead, basically leaving the girls behind. But they were tiring as they got closer to the finish, and were no longer running, but walking as they finally crossed the line.

[Gray Team, 6:18]

Candace and Candice managed as best they could, but in addition to their legs, their arms and hands were aching as they placed their chest down on the opposite side of the finish line.

[Brown Team, 6:50]

* * *

><p>"Our first challenge with new teams is now complete," Kiyone stated, "and today's winner is the Yellow Team!"<p>

Lee and Terry stepped forward to a generous amount of applause.

"Lee, three first-place finishes and one second in six challenges. Four challenges to go, and you're just one $25k chip away from banking the max prize of half-a-million dollars! To say you're doing well is an understatement, to say the least."

"It is all thanks to my hard work and perseverance!" exclaimed Lee.

"Terry, you're doing well too. You're now only four chips away from the max prize."

"Indeed," replied Terry. "But the game's far from over. Still a lot that can happen."

Kiyone pulled out two Damage Counters, and handed one to each of them.

"You guys know what to do."

Lee did not hesitate in giving his to Heloise, giving the diminutive genius two. Terry thought about it for a second, then placed his next to Noah's pic. It was his first.

"Pfft..." Noah rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"So," Kiyone prompted, "either of you want to throw one of your fellow competitors a bone and absolve them of one of their counters?"

"May I?" Terry turned to Lee, determined to make a statement.

"Go ahead."

Terry marched over and took the counter Francine had put next to Kari's pic after the previous challenge off of the board.

"Just because we're not teammates anymore doesn't mean I won't look out for my friends."

Kari was ecstatic over Terry's actions, while Francine was appalled.

"And with that ends another day! Enjoy the rest of your day, guys, and I'll see you tomorrow!"

The group headed off, after a day in which so much changed, and yet, some loyalties stayed strong.

**End Episode Six**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Nothing. I'll let you guys make all the noise this week.<p>

**Next up:** Episode 7 - Next Monday, June 20th, 7 pm EST!


	7. Love the Way You Match

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Not much to say, except we're now into the second half of the season! Carry on!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Twelve<p>

"I can't believe you just lied there while you made me do most of the work!"

"What does it matter? I helped when you actually needed me."

Megan and Noah were having a discussion regarding their contributions in that day's challenge. A challenge that ended with them finishing with the slowest time. Unfortunately, they had different interpretations of the day, as Noah continued to play his video game even as Megan shouted at him from over his shoulder.

"I don't know how things work up in the 'Great North,'" Megan argued with air quotes, "but here, people on the same team **SHARE THE WORK**!"

"And I don't know why you're having a conniption. That challenge was designed for people of our stature to **FAIL**! Why waste our energy on a challenge we can't win when there'll be others in which our superior intellects will be our ultimate weapon?"

Megan came out from behind the couch and walked over to block Noah's view of the TV, putting her hands on her hips as she leaned forward towards him.

"Oh, wait," Noah corrected himself. "Smart people don't block one's gaming time."

"It's like you're not even taking this thing seriously!" shouted Megan. "All you do in this house is sit on this couch and play your games! Would it KILL you to get on your feet and interact with the rest of us?"

"I get it! It's because you want to play your game, is it?"

"This has **NOTHING** to do with me wanting to play 'Little Big Planet!' Okay... maybe that's part of it... **BUT THAT'S NOT MY POINT!**"

Noah smirked. "I get it now! You want me to be someone I'm not, just so I'm modeled after your ideal guy. That's cute and all, Meg, but I'm not into you."

Megan grunted in disgust. "You think... this is... **ARRRGH!**"

Megan stomped angrily out of the game room, right past Finn, who was heading into it.

"Hey, Megan! Wanna..."

"**RAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!**"

Finn jumped out of the way in fright, then watched as Megan headed for the stairs. Once she was out of sight, Finn went in.

"What's up with her?" he asked Noah.

Noah shrugged. "Girls. Go figure."

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Seven - Love the Way You Match (06.20.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

"**I CAN'T STAND HIM!**"

Megan was letting out her rage in the hot tub outside, and the two girls in the house closest to her, Rachel and Katara, had volunteered to hear her gripes.

"I thought he was a nice guy at first," Megan continued, in a more lady-like tone, "but he's been getting more and more distant! That, and he keeps hogging the video games! And then we had to get paired together... **UGH!** He's so not a team player! Despite him being the guy, he thought it was okay to make **ME** do most of the grunt work! Can you believe him?"

"Maybe you should talk to him," Katara advised her. "In a calmer tone..."

"**I AM CALM!**"

"Sure... sure you are."

Megan then turned to Rachel.

"Rachel, I'm begging you! There's **NO** way we're going to able to co-exist as a team! Use your idol at the next challenge so I can get away from that jerk!"

"It was just one challenge!" Katara tried to convince Megan out of what she thought was a desperate move. "You've got time to work out the kinks!"

"Kinks? There's an unmendable rift between us, Katara! We could be paired up for months and I still wouldn't be any more willing to work with him!"

"Can't you just sleep on it? Maybe once..."

"Come on! You're my friends! You two are supposed to have my back! Instead, Katara, you're telling me to work it out, and Rachel, you're just sitting there saying nothing!"

"FYI," Rachel finally piped in, "I was thinking!"

"Thinking? Thinking that you should use that idol?"

"Thinking **IF** I should use this idol."

"How long do you have to think about it? Haven't you had it for a week now?"

"Yeah... but everything changed after today. I like having Kari as my partner."

"And I couldn't ask for anyone better than Dante," stated Katara dreamily, before realizing that Megan was staring at her. "Well, other than you, ex-teammate!"

"If I promise to seriously consider using the Idol," Rachel told Megan, "will you promise to **AT LEAST** make one decent attempt to work things out with Noah?"

Megan sighed in defeat. "Fine! But just **ONE** attempt! He does so much as look at me funny, and I'm tossing him aside like yesterday's meatloaf!"

_Confessional Cam - Rachel_

_"I don't know what the deal is between Megan and Noah, but they've got to work it out! If I use this idol, their team's not going to be the only one's affected by it! Just look at what happened today! Then again, should I even be holding on to this if I see no good reason to use it? Hmmm..."_

* * *

><p>Day Thirteen<p>

The gang had been gathered in the dining room early in the afternoon, for Kiyone had another Tiki Idol clue to give them.

"Here we go!" Kiyone shouted as she held up the index card with the clue on it, then read it out loud. "'Knock knock, this clue isn't a crock! You might wanna look behind this block! If it's one of the tiki idols that you seek, check the water outside and find a tile to tweak!'"

Once Kiyone had finished, both Yoshimori and Katara headed for the pool in the back yard, trying to get to the idol first. Meanwhile, Finn, Megan, Terry, and Lee were heading for the front yard.

"Where are you off to?" Noah asked snidely.

"Like you care!" shot back Megan.

Rachel sighed with disappointment. "Looks like she didn't think about working it out at all!"

* * *

><p>The quartet made their way outside, and towards the area where they had worked on their obstacle course. But now they were going there for a different reason.<p>

_Confessional Cam - Lee_

_"A few days ago, our host hinted in a clue that there was a Tiki Idol buried under the sand somewhere on the property! So our group is now trying to find it, so that we may use it."_

"Why did I have to have **HIM** as a partner?" griped Megan, before pointing at Finn. "It's your fault for using that Tiki Idol yesterday!"

"What? No!"

"Cut the kid some slack," Terry told Megan. "He's not responsible for the random draw."

"Besides," Finn explained, "Heloise was the one who found it. But she gave it to me for me to use!"

"She **LET** you use it?" Lee reiterated, not believing Finn's statement.

"The girl can't be trusted!" Megan exclaimed. "There was a catch, wasn't there?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "Don't think so. She handed it to me. She didn't throw it."

Megan slapped herself in the forehead at his naivety.

"Whatever," Terry said. "What's done is done."

"Maybe so..." Megan retorted, "but I wanna find this Tiki Idol so I can use it to get a better partner. Someone like Finn!"

"What? Me?"

"Yeah! You'd make a great partner!"

"Partner?" Finn froze, as his face blushed red a little.

Terry and Lee looked at each other, taking stock of Megan's plan.

_Confessional Cam - Terry_

_"We were going to find the idol so that we could all get the partner we wanted, but after Lee and I got paired yesterday... there's no one else that I'd want. So the two of us agreed that if one of us found it, we'd hide it so no one would be able to change the teams. I know Finn and Megan aren't happy with their arrangements... but we can't all have our way. Sorry, kids."_

As the foursome dug in the sand for an idol, two of them trying to get it to change their partners, and the other two to keep the teams as is...

* * *

><p>...while, in the pool, the search for the idol led to Katara and Yoshimori both feeling against the outer walls. But it was Katara who would find the loose piece, and pull it out.<p>

"Rats," she said, upon seeing that the hidden space was empty.

"What?" grumbled Yoshimori. "Someone already took it? Darn it! I wanted to use it!"

Katara had a shocked look on her face. Apparently, she thought Yoshimori would be happy paired up with Francine.

"Trust me," Yoshimori guessed at what Katara was thinking, "we're not a perfect match."

"If you say so. But if you think you're going to find a perfect partner..."

"I **HAD** the perfect partner! Until **YOU** took him from me!"

"I didn't take him!"

"Whatever," Yoshimori said, ending the argument. "I'll find an idol and get him back."

He lifted himself out of the pool and headed inside to towel off.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Day Fourteen<p>

The cast was taken to the beach, but not to play in the sand. They were there to compete in their next challenge. Today, what awaited them was a large low-tech board with 49 flippable squares, arranged in a seven-by-seven grid. Eight podiums were set up nearby, facing the board, and off to the side were a set of portable bleachers... though for some odd reason, there were more of those than usual.

"Morning, Roomies!" Kiyone greeted. "Wait, it is still morning, right?"

She looked down at her wristwatch and confirmed the time.

"Yep. For a few minutes, anyway. But let's not wait. Let me talk about today's challenge, which is called Shell of a Memory."

She directed their attention to the giant board behind her.

"This is basically a large-scale matching game. Hidden behind each of the 49 squares could be a variety of things. Behind most of them is a photo of one of you. One of your two objectives is to match up photos of the same person. You can match up anyone in the game, not just you or your partner. If you find a match, the person whose photo was paired up gets a special treat. That person gets to bring something special back to the beach house with them. And, trust me, having been here, away from home, for two weeks... it's DEFINITELY something you want."

That seemed to pique everyone's interest.

"But, of course, this is a challenge, just like the others. And for it to play out, teams have to be eliminated until only one is left standing. To do that, you'll have to find one of the eight X's hidden somewhere on this board. Finding these is important, because using one allows that team to pick any other team still in the game, and force them into a 'sudden death' situation. Any team placed in that will have one shot to find a pair, any pair, on the board. If they fail, that team is eliminated from the game. But if they end up succeeding, the team that challenged them is out! You don't have to use an X immediately when you find one. You can hold onto it. But a team can only have one X in their possession at a time. Also, to be fair, no X's can be used until all teams have had at least one turn at the board."

The group nodded.

"There are a few other hidden surprises. Some that can change the momentum of the game, some that may benefit a lucky person in the overall competition, and some that are just plain fun... as long as you're not on the receiving end. We'll get to all those when we come to them. That being said, it's Tiki Idol time! We had one used prior to the last challenge, but remember, there are still two out there! If anyone has one with them and wishes to play it today, speak now!"

Megan's eyes shoot towards Rachel, who was standing firm and trying to avoid eye contact. She could tell instantly that Rachel had no intention of playing her idol. Partners Terry and Lee shot odd looks at each other, but also stood fast. As this was all happening, Katara was seen breathing a sigh of relief.

"No takers? Okay then, teams, to your podiums!"

* * *

><p>The competitors were randomly assigned podiums. From Kiyone's left and going right, they were lined up Orange, Red, Green, Brown, Gray, Purple, Blue, and Yellow.<p>

"Orange Team will start us off," Kiyone announced. "Dante, if you'd do the honors?"

"Gladly," he replied. "Why don't we start with 25."

"Going right for the middle..."

The square was flipped over, and behind it was a photo of Kari. While she herself had an impressed look on her face, Terry shot him a fierce glare.

"Okay, Dante. Where do you think the other photo of Kari is?"

"Hmmm... 30."

Square 30 flipped over to reveal a photo of Candace.

"Sorry, no match. Finn, you're up."

"Okay," Finn said. "Let's see... how 'bout 17? That's a good number."

Behind that panel was a photo of Terry.

"And your second pick?"

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say... 42."

Behind it was... the other picture of Kari.

"No match. And onto the Green Team, and I see the look on your face, Kari!"

Indeed, Kari was smiling from ear to ear. She had been given a gift.

"Your picks, Kari?"

"42, and then 17, Kiyone!"

"That's a match!" exclaimed the hostess as the two photos of Kari were revealed. "And here's your special prize... c'mon out, Tai!"

Kari could not believe her eyes as her older brother, Tai, walked onto the scene, from behind the play board. She ran out from behind her podium and headed over to give her sibling a hug. Most of the other cast members were delighted at the scene. Not necessarily because of Tai's appearance, but the fact that there could be someone waiting for them behind the board.

"So now you all know what the special prize is," Kiyone said to the group. "If your photo gets matched, regardless of who matches it, you'll get to see your loved ones here, in the flesh!"

That excited everyone, even Heloise.

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"Jimmy better be waiting for me on the other side, 'cause if he's not... **HEADS WILL ROLL!**"_

Tai took a seat on the side bleachers while Kari retook her spot on the podium next to her partner, Rachel.

"You'll get to spend time with him later, Kari, but this challenge's just begun. Candace with an 'A,' pick two panels!"

"Sure! Lemme see... 7."

The second photo of Candace appeared. But could she remember where the first was?

"Uh... uh... 31?"

The panel flipped over to reveal a pic of Noah.

"**NO!**"

Candace lowered her head on the podium, as Candice gave her a consoling pat on the back.

"Fred. Your turn."

"Okay. No better place to start than at the top! 1, please!"

The leftmost and highest panel on the board turned over, and a red X was revealed.

"You've found one of the X's on the board, Fred! Your turn ends now, but you have a key to eliminating one team from the game starting on your next turn."

The red X was removed from the board and brought to the Gray Team. Skipping ahead a few turns, it eventually gets back to the Purple Team, and it was Megan's turn to pick.

"How about number 10? That sounds good!"

The panel flipped over to reveal... a picture of a fish?

"Oooh..." winced Kiyone. "Sorry Megan, but that's one of our three Punishment Squares."

"Punishment... squares?"

"Uh huh. Not only does your turn immediately end, but you and your partner Noah have to have something humiliating happen to you!"

"Like this challenge?" quipped Noah.

"Funny... but no."

Two interns came out, each holding a fresh but not-breathing salmon and some twine.

"In this particular punishment, each of you will have a fish tied to your head for the rest of the challenge!"

"No way!" objected Megan. "But I'll smell like fish all day!"

"That'd be an improvement," Noah said to her.

"Says the guy who's done nothing but eat, sleep, and play video games for the past few days!"

The fish were put in place, despite their objections, and the smell started to spread around them.

"Back to the game! Kenzo, your call."

"I will take 28, Miss Makibi."

Behind panel 28 was a yellow X.

"Two turns for the Gray Team, two Xs. Unfortunately, you can only have one in your possession at any time. Plus, your turn ends. Unless..."

Kenzo was already discussing something with his teammate, Fred.

"May we use our X?" Fred asked.

"Yes. Yes, you may."

"Alright then," Kenzo said. "I think we must do what has to be done. We're going to use it on the Yellow Team."

"Very well. Yellow Team, you must get a match in this round, or you'll be the first team eliminated. Terry, it's your turn, so make a pick."

"Let's go with 17."

A photo of Francine was hidden behind that panel.

"Okay, Terry. You need to find the other Francine..."

"Wow. Okay... um... number 40?"

That panel turned over, and behind it was Candice's pic.

"Sorry, not a match. Yellow Team, you're out. Take a seat on the bench. But don't fret... you two can still see your loved ones if your photos are matched!"

They left their podium, both out of the challenge early for once, but not upset about it. Francine is next and tries to match up her pics, but has no luck. Noah finds a green X and holds on to it for later. Fred is up next, and behind his first panel choice is... a bucket filled with water?

Almost instantaneously, neither Fred or Kenzo saw the interns coming up behind them with two orange, lidless coolers filled with water, which they proceeded to dump over the Gray Team's heads. Some giggling and applause could be heard as they stood there, their clothes soaking wet.

"So glad that wasn't us," Francine said to Yoshimori, as the two guys were handed towels to dry off.

"So far," Kiyone chuckled, "two of the board's three punishments have been doled out, and yet, only Kari's gotten to seen a loved one! We can do better, guys! Candice, please do something!"

"You betcha!" Candice declared. "And I just know where to go! Let's start with 7..."

One photo of her teammate, Candace, appeared...

"And... 30!"

...and then the other! Candace screamed with delight, then hugged Candice in gratitude.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best!"

"Candace," Kiyone looked her, "come say hello to your parents, Lawrence and Linda!"

"Dad! Mom!"

She ran over to meet her parents a big hug.

"Am I glad to see you guys!"

"Awww... we missed you too, Candace!"

A few seconds later, Candace rejoined her partner, giving her a second hug of thanks, while her parents joined Tai on the sidelines. Kiyone motioned towards Rachel, who was next to go.

"21!"

Out popped out a pic of Megan.

"C'mon!" Megan cheered her on. "You owe me!"

"Let's try 28."

Behind that was a yellow X.

"No match... but you now have an X. Use it or save it for later?"

"Use it. On the Red Team."

Heloise was not happy with that declaration, and she was going to make Rachel regret it.

"Heloise, what's your first pick?"

"21."

The pic of Megan appeared again.

"You must find the other Megan to stay in the game. What's your second pick?"

Heloise thought about it for a minute, and then said...

"I pick..."

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>The Red Team was on the verge of elimination. That is, unless Heloise could find a match. She had already found one pic of Megan. As for her second pick...<p>

"I pick... 45!"

The panel flipped over, and behind it... was also Megan.

"**YES!**" exclaimed Heloise and Megan in unison, but for different reasons.

"Megan," Kiyone was pleased to say, "here are your parents, Cal and Caren!"

Megan ran over to meet her parents and hugged them. For the first time in a few days, she had something she could be happy about.

"Honey," her mom asked, "why do you have a fish on your head?"

"Unfortunately," interrupted Kiyone, "since the Red Team found a match, that means the team that called them out is eliminated. Green Team, that's you guys."

Rachel and Kari stepped out from their podium, but not before seeing Heloise sticking out her tongue at them.

"You shouldn't do that," Finn warned her.

"Oh, they deserved it for calling me out!" Heloise replied.

Katara hoped to keep the good times rolling on her turn, but she ended up picking the last punishment square - this one with a pie on it. Again the interns were seen being sneaky, this time coming up behind Katara and her partner, Dante... and stuffing pineapple cream pies in their faces.

"Wow!" gasped Kiyone as some of the others laughed hilariously.

After standing there a few seconds in humiliation, the duo were handed towels to wipe their faces off.

"The good news is that we're out of Punishment Squares. The bad news is that there's still a couple other surprises left on the board."

The interns then went over and untied the fish tied to the Purple Team's head.

"I know I said something different, but it wouldn't be fair to let you keep those fish on."

"Thank goodness," Megan said in relief.

"At least I won't reek when my loved one comes out," noted Noah.

Skipping ahead a few turns, as action returned to the Gray Team... and a blue X appeared.

"No fair!" grumbled Heloise.

Kenzo pointed to the Blue Team, where it was up to Francine to save her team. Her first choice netted her her own photo, but her second... a panel with the right half of a Damage Counter? Kiyone explained.

"One of the two big bonuses up there! Anyone who can find both halves on the same turn earns the power to instantly absolve a Damage Counter from either from anyone that has one, including themselves! Unfortunately, Blue Team, you won't get a chance to search for the other half, as you've been eliminated."

They stepped out, leaving five teams in the challenge.

* * *

><p>Skipping ahead in the challenge, it was the Red Team's turn and Finn was up. He had found the second Dante panel... but could he recall where the first was? If Heloise remembered, she was not telling.<p>

"33?" Finn blindly guessed.

Dante shook his head, knowing that was not it. Instead, Finn drew the second red X on the board.

"Use it!" Heloise commanded him. "**USE IT ON THE PURPLE TEAM!**"

"Um... what she said?" agreed Finn, with no better suggestion in mind.

"Finn!" whined Megan.

"Quiet!" Noah hushed her. "She's gonna regret calling me out."

"Battle of the brains!" Kiyone exclaimed. "Noah, your picks?"

"43 and 12."

The pic that had been found by Francine earlier was flipped up, followed by the one that Finn had just found. Noah smirked even as he saw Heloise growl angrily and shake her fist at him.

"Purple Team got a match, so Red Team, you're out!"

_Confessional Cam - Noah_

_"Heloise may think she's all that, but I've got her number! She hasn't beaten me in a mental challenge head-to-head once! The sap!"_

"Dante!" Kiyone shouted. "For you, say hello to friend and co-worker, Zhalia!"

"Zhalia? Zhalia's here!"

Indeed, she stepped out from behind the board. Dante walked over and greeted her by first giving her hug, and then a peck on the cheek. Kari's jaw dropped in shock.

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"She doesn't look French, so that means... **GASP!** They're... they're **TOGETHER**?"_

Terry whistled, then said something to Lee.

"That's some eye candy he's got there."

Lee nodded in agreement. "She sure is a looker."

Kari wanted to say something, but she was still pretty stunned, even as Dante trotted back over with Zhalia in tow.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, there was still a challenge that had to be completed, but several rounds went by without anything of note occurring. Then...<p>

"A blue X!" Kiyone exclaimed. "Use it now or keep it 'til later?"

"Oh, we've gotta use it now," replied Candace. "Gray Team, you're going down!"

"I doubt it!" Fred replied. "Show 'em, Kenzo!"

Kenzo nodded, then went to picking.

"19."

A photo of Rachel was revealed.

"We've seen that one," noted Kiyone, "but haven't seen the other yet. Kenzo, where's the other Rachel?"

"This is a long shot... but I'm going to say 44."

The panel flipped over... and the other Rachel panel was behind it.

"**WHAT?**" Candace and Candice gasped in surprise.

"Rachel!" Kiyone turned to her. "For you, your best friend, Serena!"

"Oh my gosh!" Serena gasped as she appeared. "Rachel!"

"Serena!"

The besties happily reunited. As they did, the Brown Team stepped out from their podiums in disappointment.

"We're going to win one of these challenges!" declared Candace. "One of these days!"

Three teams remained. After Dante took his turn and failed to get a match, Noah was up. His first choice revealed the right half of a $25k chip.

"Shoot," he said. "Don't remember where the other half was."

He then turned to Megan, looking for help.

"Hmmm... I'm pretty sure it was 18."

Noah trusted her, and told Kiyone the number 18. But when the panel flipped over, it was the right half of the Damage Counter.

"Nice going, genius!" Noah growled at his teammate.

"Um... oops?" she apologized.

Fred took a turn and failed, then Katara did. She ended up matching the two Terry panels.

"For you, Terry," Kiyone announced, "your mother, Mary, and your girlfriend, Dana!"

They came out, and Terry ran down to welcome the two best women in his life with open arms. After hugging them, he planted a kiss on his girlfriend's lips in elation.

"Miss me?" he asked her after breaking the kiss.

"Totally."

Terry ushered them off to the side. Megan was next.

"I pick 35..."

That revealed the right half of the $25k chip...

"And... uh... 11?"

And that choice gave her the left half.

"Match! Good work, Megan! That's an instant twenty-five grand added to your jackpot!"

But Noah was not too pleased with his partner. He was suspicious.

"Did you **KNOW** that's where the other half was?"

"I guessed! I swear!"

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"I remembered it was there. But like I was gonna tell **HIM**? That'll teach him to keep me from my LBP!"_

Kenzo made it three matches in a row when he found the two Finn panels.

"Finn, there's only one **DOG** we could get for you! Your best friend, Jake!"

"Cheese and crackers!" Jake exclaimed as he came out. "Where the bloop am I?"

"**JAKE!**"

Finn ran over and gave his buddy a high-five.

"Finn? What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything later. Just glad to see you again, man!"

"Dante!" Kiyone called out his name. "You're up."

"Let's go with 22, then," he replied.

He got a yellow X.

"I'll going to use it on the Purple Team."

"Okay. Noah, I believe it's up to you again. Make your picks."

"I'm going to go with 32..."

Noah's former teammate, Lee, appeared.

"Oh, darn it! I knew I saw the other one earlier. Um... 3?"

The panel flipped over, and behind it was Heloise's pic.

"Nope. Purple Team, you're out."

With Noah and Megan exiting, that left just the Orange Team and the Gray Team, who was up.

"Down to the final two! A little additional incentive... the winners get to have their loved ones come out! Fred, it's your turn."

"I can get this!" he exclaimed. "36..."

Behind 36 was Kenzo's pic.

"And... how about 6?"

And behind that one... was Noah.

"Nope. But with that incorrect answer, we now go into **SUDDEN DEATH**! The **NEXT** team to get a match wins the challenge!"

Katara was up, but prior to making her pick, she was consulting with Dante. Once they had finished their discussion, she selected her first panel.

"36."

Again, Kenzo's photo appeared.

"Do you know where the matching pic is, for the win?"

"I believe... it's behind number 2."

"Number 2. Let's see!"

The panel flipped over... and the other Kenzo pic was there.

"Congratulations, Orange Team! You're today's winners!"

Katara pumped her fist jubilantly, then reached over to hug Dante.

"First, as a result of the match... Kenzo, here's your friend, Nina!"

A blonde woman almost half Kenzo's age came out, and the doctor went over to hug her.

"And lastly, Katara... here's your brother, Sokka!"

"Sokka's on the beach, y'all!" he announced goofily.

Katara ran over to gave her sibling a hug, glad to see him again.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the results were made official, and the loved ones who had come out stood to the side to watch the proceedings.<p>

"Dante and Katara, you've won the challenge and are now much closer to that $500,000 grand prize. In addition, you and seven of your fellow competitors get to bring a loved one or two back to the beach house tonight!"

There was a hearty applause from the group, albeit mostly from those who were bringing someone back. Kiyone pulled out a pair of Damage Counters, and handed them to the Orange Team.

"You guys know what to do. Katara, you first."

Sokka watched intently as he watched his sister walk up to the board and place her Damage Counter next to Noah, giving the 'Total Drama' veteran two. An annoyed look appeared on Noah's face, but he did not open his mouth to say anything.

"Dante! Got a couple possibilities here to give somebody their third Damage Counter."

In addition to Noah, Heloise also had two against her. Dante made the obvious choice and placed his next to Heloise.

"Heloise," Kiyone glanced her way, "that gives you three Damage Counters. You're now in the same situation as Fred... you **CANNOT** be voted into the Final Four by your fellow competitors **UNLESS** you get at least one of those repealed before the vote. Otherwise, you will have to rely on the fan vote. Understand."

"Of course I do!" she said sweetly, before focusing on a few choice competitors. "**BUT IF I GO DOWN, SOMEBODY'S GOING DOWN WITH ME!**"

Her rage was focused towards Megan, Lee, and Terry, the trio who had dealt her the aforementioned counters.

"Now, Orange Team, you have the chance to repeal one of the Damage Counters on the board, if you so wish. Would you like to do so?"

The duo discussed it for a minute, then returned an affirmative nod. Katara then stepped up to do the honors.

"Katara..."

Everyone watched, but it was not really a shock to see whom she was going to help out. She walked over and took Megan's lone counter off the board. Megan acted favorably to the assist, giving her friend a thumbs up.

"Very well. Megan, you now have a clean slate! As for those of you on the board, note that we've now been here two weeks! The Final Four vote will be here, on this beach, one week from today! Better start making a move if you want to get rid of those Damage Counters. Also, no one is eligible for the full $500,000 grand prize as of yet, but a number of you are very close! The time to move is now, guys. Head back to the beach house, and I'll see you all tomorrow!"

The group headed towards the parking lot, being accompanied by those loved ones that had been given the chance to come along. The faces amongst the competitors were mixed in range, and with good reason. The competition was two-thirds complete... and it was time to figure out who really are their friends.

**End Episode Seven**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Just so you know, the cast has still been receiving Tiki Idol clues every other day. The last two clues were cut for time constraints. Hopefully I won't have to cut anymore from here on out.<p>

**Next up:** Episodes 8 **AND** 9 - Next Monday, June 27th, 7 pm EST!


	8. The Prime Decision

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Those of you who were fans of the original "Roomies" series know that we've reached the time-honored 'performance' challenge! It's always been a fan favorite, and one of mine as well.

To celebrate, the challenge covers two episodes! Both of which you'll get to see tonight! So, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Fourteen<p>

The cast had just returned to their beach house, and the loved ones that were accompanying them for the first time were seeing their digs.

"Not bad," Tai noted. "Maybe I should ask the owner if they timeshare this place."

"Oh!" exclaimed Serena, as she turned to Rachel. "Maybe we should do that too, Rach! It would make a great summer home!"

But while some were focused on the house, others were paying more attention to whom their competitor was making friends with.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Candice squeaked, introducing herself to Candace's parents. "She's told me **SO MUCH** about you!"

"You don't say," Linda replied, unsure of whether to take that as a compliment.

"Well, you sure are a chipper of gal, aren't ya?" rambled Lawrence. "You sure have the most interesting of friends, Candace!"

"Sure, Dad, whatever."

"At least you're getting along with people here," Linda said with relief. "Instead of..."

"Say... you haven't happened to see what Phineas and Ferb have been doing in the backyard since I left, have you?"

"...and there she goes."

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Eight - The Prime Decision (06.27.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

"And this is my room," Dante said, as he gave Zhalia a tour of the house.

"Not bad. At least it looks comfortable..."

Nearby, Kari was nervously just staring at them. Or, in particular, Zhalia.

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"I should've figured Dante already had a girlfriend! That's what I get for not asking! I knew there had to be a reason why he wasn't picking up on my flirting! That, or I'm out of practice after having just gotten out of a two-year relationship."_

"I know that look," Tai said, snapping her sister out of her thoughts.

"You d-d-do?" she looked at him, clearly flustered.

"That Zhalia chick. You're eying and her thinking, 'Damn! I wish I looked like that knockout!'"

Kari frowned. "You know... that's exactly why Mom thinks I'll be married before you, Tai."

"**WHA?** When did she say that?"

"Where are my manners?" Dante said as he and Zhalia approached the siblings. "Zhalia, I'd like you to meet Kari."

"Hello!" Zhalia greeted.

"Nice to meet you," Kari said as the two shook hands. "Oh! And this here is my older brother, Tai."

Tai shook hands with Dante, and then turned his attention to Zhalia.

"So... you seeing anyone?"

"**TAI!**"

"Sorry. I don't date kids!"

"Kids? I bet I'm older than you!"

As one conversation steered itself into odd territory, another was already there, as Megan's parents and Terry's mom were chatting with Kenzo... specifically about Nina, who was off talking with Dana.

"So," Megan's dad, Cal, said with hesitance, "about your friend Nina..."

"Oh, I'll say it!" Megan's mom, Caren, cut in. "What are you doing with a woman half your age?"

"I don't believe that's an appropriate question," Terry's mom, Mary, argued.

"It's okay," Kenzo replied. "She's just a friend. It's kind of a long story, but it dates back all the way to when she was just a kid. You see, she and her twin brother..."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, up on the third floor, Finn was going to show Jake the game room, but they stopped when they saw someone hanging over the side of the balcony railing, with only his legs visible.<p>

"Someone's in trouble!" shouted Finn. "We have to save him!"

"Awww," whined Jake. "But we're on vacation!"

"Trouble never takes days off!"

"**YAAAAAAAA!**"

They ran for the balcony and quickly grabbed the person's legs. The guy began to struggle, and the boys found it tough to hold their grip.

"We're trying to save you!" Finn shouted.

"Finn," Jake said, before getting a kick to the face. "I don't think he wants to be saved."

"**EVERYONE MUST BE SAVED!**"

Jake got a second kick in the face.

"If he kicks me once more, man, I'm letting go!"

"**NOOO!**"

Finally, the person they were trying to save pulled himself up so that he could look straight at his saviors... even though his entire body was suspended freely in mid-air without strain. It was Lee.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Huh? Lee! What the hey-hey?"

"He looks weird," commented Jake. "I say we let him drop."

"Jake! Lee, were you trying to get yourself hurt?"

"Hurt? No. I was just thinking with sadness."

"How come?"

Finn and Jake released their grip on Lee's legs, and he somersaulted onto the balcony.

"Whoa," Jake gasped. "He moves like a, like a..."

"Ninja?" Finn finished his sentence.

"Dude! How did you know?"

"That's because he is! Trust me... I've seen him in action! He's been teaching me a little something-something between challenges."

"Ooh, ooh!" Jake oohed as he looked at Lee. "Teach me something!"

Lee sighed. "I do not feel like teaching anything right now."

He walked inside and sat down on the couch. Finn and Jake looked at each other with worry, then went over to ask him what was up. They saw that he had pulled out a photo of Might Guy, his sensei.

"I knew for a fact that Guy-sensei was waiting on the other side of that board! I could sense he was there!"

"That guy," Jake looked at the photo. "Yep. He was there with the rest of us."

"Yes. But because no one could match the photos of me, I will not be able to see him. You see, Guy-sensei is like a father to me. He taught me everything I know and always inspired me to work hard at all that I do. Only through hard work and perseverance will I achieve my goals."

"Sounds like a great guy," Finn remarked.

"He is. Guy-sensei is the greatest of guys! I do not know if I would be where I am today without his guidance."

"Man. I wish there was something we could do to help."

"As do I. But, the rules of the game are what they are. Besides, I have survived two weeks here without him. Seven more days will not be any worse."

Lee sulked as he left the room, heading for the stairs.

"If this was real life," Finn declared, "I'd go out there, find his sensei, and bring them together again."

"Oh well," shrugged Jake. "Let's go play some video games."

"Okay. But be warned... these games are unlike any you've ever seen."

Finn took Jake into the game room...

"That... **THERE'S A REAL PERSON IN THAT BOX THING!**"

"Ha ha," chuckled Finn. "That's what I said the first dozen times, too."

* * *

><p>But while the house was livelier than ever, one person did not seem to appreciate the added noise. Heloise...<p>

"Listen to all them," she said aloud, "having fun and living it up! Meanwhile, I'm up here, miserable! And without the boy I love."

Heloise pulled out a framed photo of her and her crush, Jimmy Two-Shoes.

"Oh, Jimmy... how I miss you so..."

"And this is our room..."

Hearing and seeing Rachel and Katara come in, Heloise quickly tucked the frame under her bed. They had their loved ones, Serena and Sokka, respectively, with them.

"Three people in a room?" commented Serena. "That's SO summer camp!"

Sokka peered past all of them and saw Heloise glaring angrily at them from her bed.

"You two have to share the room with the dwarf?"

"**I'M NOT A DWARF!**"

Heloise leaped off of her bed, and onto Sokka's face, knocking him backwards into the hall.

"I knew I should've told Sokka about Heloise," Katara sighed.

"I still think the casting director should've told **US** about Heloise," argued Rachel.

"We should help him," Serena suggested, as she reached in to rescue Sokka.

But as she extended her arm out to Sokka, Heloise grabbed it and pulled her into the fracas, making a three-person melee.

"Oh, Serena," Rachel shook her head in embarrassment.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Day Fifteen<p>

Morning came, and the more-than-crowded house became lively very quickly. Especially since they had been contacted by Kiyone already...

_Confessional Cam - Dante_

_"So we got called in for a challenge today. First time we're going to have challenges on back-to-back days on purpose. I have to wonder if something's up."_

Upstairs, Katara was peeking out in the hallway, keeping a watch out for Heloise. Serena was confused as to what was going on, until she saw Rachel open a drawer in the dresser...

"What are you up to, Rachel?" Serena asked curiously. "Something naughty?"

"Serena!"

"Coast is clear," Katara said, pulling her head back in the room.

Rachel pulled out the red Tiki Idol.

"What's that?" Serena asked. "Some kinda lucky charm you found?"

"You... **COULD** say that," Rachel replied.

"So you're really doing it," stated Katara, as if trying to make sure her roommate had no more doubts.

_Confessional Cam - Rachel_

_"It was getting down to crunch time. I gave myself an ultimatum last night. Use the idol at the next challenge, or give it to someone who wants it. Given how many people I'm now friends with here, I figure there's only one option."_

Rachel, Katara, and Serena left the room, headed for the front door.

* * *

><p>The large group was taken to a large hotel downtown, where they were led to a private meeting room. There room was empty save for a few tables and chairs, a podium, a projector screen... and Kiyone herself.<p>

"Good morning, Roomies. And guests."

"Morning," they all said in return.

"You guys are entering your third and final week of the competition. How you all feeling about your chances?"

Kiyone looked at the group and picked someone to answer her question.

"Noah?"

"You're asking **ME**?"

Kiyone nodded.

"Well, isn't it obvious? I feel pretty good. I'm doing what needs to be done, and that's all there is to it."

Megan did not look as if she approved of that answer, but she tried to keep from seeming obvious about it.

"What about you, Katara?"

"Not so sure, to be honest."

"Really?"

"I mean, sure, I have a few girls that I've gotten along with real well here. But there's so much that can still happen. Clearly, no one's any more a sure bet to win than anyone else. And anyone who thinks otherwise... well, they're not thinking at all."

"I see. Kenzo, honest opinion... do you think Katara's right?"

Kenzo answered quickly. "Yes. Without a doubt."

For some people, that was the expected answer. For others, it was a surprise to them.

"Heloise. Is Katara right?"

Heloise sighed. "As much as I'd like to believe otherwise... I think she is."

"Anyone disagree with Katara? Show of hands."

Candace, Fred, Francine, and Terry all quickly raised their hands. After hesitating briefly, so did Rachel... to Katara's shock.

"Rachel!" Kiyone pointed her out. "Why do you disagree?"

"I actually do think there are a few people here that think they hold all the cards and that they've already won."

Immediately eyes could be seen scanning the room, as people were attempting to figure out which people Rachel might be referring to.

"Are you one of those people?"

"Of course not!" Rachel answered with defiance.

"Would you be willing to point any of them out?"

Rachel paused for a minute, debating how to answer in her mind, even as everyone waited for an answer.

"No."

The room got eerily quiet, in response to Rachel's sudden silence.

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"Pfft... really? She acts like she's gonna call people out, and then she doesn't do it! She thinks by not pointing fingers, there's no risk anyone will try and rebuke her! **EH... WRONG!** You don't throw everybody under the bus! You just throw one or two people! Although in my case, I'd rather throw someone under an eighteen-wheeler. Point is... you've now given everyone a reason to hate you! Good luck winning now, girl!"_

"Very well," Kiyone spoke up. "I won't pry any further. Let's move on."

She turned to the loved ones.

"Parents, friends, and acquaintances, the next challenge for your loved ones is going to be SO intense over the next 30 or so hours, that, as much as they care for you, this is one challenge they **DON'T** want to be distracted during. So we're going to send you away for the next day or so."

The door to the meeting room opened, and a pair of local tour guides walked in.

"Thankfully, we're not gonna stick you in some room cut off from the rest of the world. Instead, we're offering you a mini-vacation here in Honolulu. You can go out and see the sights, all on us! Within reason, of course. So, competitors who have loved ones, say your goodbyes before we whisk them away from you!"

They did as they were told.

"Knock 'em dead, tiger!" Zhalia said, playfully punching Dante in the arm before leaving.

"You be on your best behavior, honey," Cal and Caren told Megan.

"Guys!" she blushed. "You're embarrassing me!"

"Good luck," Dana told Terry, giving him a kiss for good luck.

Eventually, they all left the room, leaving behind Kiyone and the cast, just as they were at this time yesterday.

"Now, I bet you're wondering what your next challenge is. But, before I tell you, I've got a little slideshow to present. If you'd all take a seat..."

The cast all grabbed seats and waited for Kiyone to start the mini-show. After the lights were dimmed, the show began... with a music video...

_Wake up in the morning, feelin' like P. Diddy_

A mix of cheers and groans could be heard, but before they could get too comfortable, it switched to another video...

_California gurls, we're unforgettable_

Fred cheered a lot at that one, for some reason...

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,_  
><em>Ohh myy gosh<em>

Kari, Katara, Candice, and even Francine were entranced by that one...

_I see you driving 'round town_  
><em>With the girl I love and I'm like,<em>  
><em>Forget you!<em>

Some laughter from those in the know. A few more song clips...

_Want you to make me feel like  
>I'm the only girl in the world<em>

_It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now._

_Please excuse I don't mean to be rude  
>But tonight I'm loving you!<em>

"You've heard some of the real artists sing their songs..." a male voice boomed over the speakers.

"Oh no," Noah grumbled, already knowing what was coming.

"Now, it's your turn! Your next challenge... 'Roomies: The Sing-Off!'"

Most of the room shouted and screamed in excitement.

_Confessional Cam - Candace_

_"I **KNEW** this show was my ticket to super-stardom! **EEEEEEEE!**"_

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"I've always wanted to sing! This is great!"_

_Confessional Cam - Yoshimori_

_"Singing? But I can't sing! Why do we have to have this kind of challenge, anyway?"_

"Tomorrow night, you'll be singing on stage at a luau that's being thrown in your honor. You're going to be given a selection of 25 songs. It'll be your job to go over the lyrics of each of those songs and memorize all of the choruses. In the first part of the challenge, a team and a song will be chosen at random. Whichever team is picked must sing the chorus of that song. A panel of three judges, including myself, will be deciding your fate. To pass your song you must do two things: sing, naturally, and get the lyrics correct. We will not, repeat, **NOT** be judging you on how good or bad a singer you are. If, during any part of your performance, all three judges believe you're not singing the right lyrics, or singing it all, we will eliminate you from the challenge."

Everyone was paying close attention to the rules, even as they each formulated a plan.

"The first part ends when either all 25 songs have been played, or when we have eliminated all but three teams. From that point, the second part of the challenge begins. The remaining teams will pick one song each, of which they will then sing in its entirety! The crowd will be the judges for that performance, and whichever act they deem the best will be crowned the winner of the challenge!"

"Sounds fair enough," Kenzo said. "Where do we start?"

"Not so fast! Before you can all begin preparing, I first have to ask... does anyone have a Tiki Idol with them, and wishes to play it?"

Finn glanced over at Terry and Lee, wondering if they had found one. Kari was perplexed as she scanned the area. Little did she know that the Idol player was right next to her, as Rachel pulled the red tiki idol out from underneath her shirt, and walked over to Kiyone.

"What?" Heloise shouted in shock. "When did you..."

But Heloise was not the only one with a pained reaction...

"The red tiki!" exclaimed Francine. "**YOU** had it?"

"You're full of surprises today, aren't you?" smirked Kiyone as she stuck her hand out and let Rachel put the idol in it.

"I'll just say that this is a long time coming!"

"That being said... Rachel, do you wish to invoke the power of the Red Tiki Idol?"

"Yes. Yes, I do."

_Confessional Cam - Noah_

_"There goes the neighborhood..."_

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>Rachel had just played the red tiki idol, and Kiyone was about to explain how it worked.<p>

"The use of the red Tiki can now rearrange any and all of the teams as he or she sees fit. But first, as is common with all the idols, Rachel, you have the option of keeping your current partner. You're currently teamed with Kari. Would you like to stay with her?"

Rachel paused to debate in her mind, as Kari waited for an answer.

"Kiyone... it would be a shame to break up such a great partnership. I want to stay with Kari."

"Very well. Kari, come over here and rejoin your partner."

Kari walked over and hugged Rachel, glad to still be with her.

"Now," Kiyone said, "we must go about assembling the other teams. Rachel and Kari, you get to keep your color, which means you remain the Green Team. The other seven team colors are now up for grabs along with who's on them. Rachel, you will pick one color, and then name the two people who will make up that team. Got it?"

Rachel nodded.

"Whenever you're ready... pick a color and two people to go with it."

Rachel became focused. She had a plan ready, and was ready to execute it.

"I will start with orange... and that team will be Katara and Dante."

"Keeping the Orange Team as is. Fair enough."

Katara ran over to high-five Rachel, tnen took her place with Dante next to them.

"Next color, Rachel."

"Purple."

The current Purple Team was Megan and Noah...

"Let's go with Megan and Finn."

Both of them celebrated jubilantly, glad to be rid of their current partners. The two of them had become close friends, so becoming teammates was the next logical step.

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"See ya, Noah, and **HEL-LO** Finn!"_

Kiyone tossed Finn his new purple shirt, which he caught and put on right away. He then reached up and high-fived Megan.

"Next team," Kiyone commanded.

"Red... Fred and Candace."

The two teens did not seem to have much in common, but they looked pleased at their pairing. Rachel continued...

"Yellow... Candice and Lee."

Lee kept his yellow shirt, while Candice was back in hers after a few days in brown.

"Blue... Francine and Yoshimori."

To their disappointment, Rachel kept the Blue Team as is.

"Brown... Terry and Noah."

Terry's frown showed his displeasure, while Noah's smirk signified this as a partnership he could work with.

"Gray... Kenzo and Heloise."

Rachel finished by pairing the eldest competitor with the youngest.

"With that," Kiyone declared. "The teams are set anew! Most of you seem pleased. Others, maybe not so much. If you're in the latter group... there is still one more Tiki Idol out there! The green one. Has it been found already? Or is it still hidden? Only time will tell. Anyway, you've got a lot of work to do! Videos to watch, lyrics to memorize, new partners to get acquainted to... you've all got many hours ahead of you! So, get to it!"

The group began to disperse, heading off to begin preparing for the challenge. But there was one last matter to take care of...

"Why didn't you tell me you had the red tiki?" Kari asked her partner. "Especially since you knew Francine was hassling me about it?"

"I'm sorry," apologized Rachel, "I was so busy going back-and-forth, trying to decide if I should actually use it, that I forgot!"

"I should've figured," Francine deduced after the fact. "Kari didn't steal my idol! You did!"

She pointed right at Rachel.

"I didn't steal anything! I just happened to find it in the cabinet that one day!"

"But that was my idol! I had found it earlier that day, but it was when we were heading out for a challenge! I placed it in the cabinet because I wanted to think about how I was going to use it first. But then **YOU** took it!"

"I'm sorry," Rachel bowed in apology. "Really, I am! If I had known..."

"Yeah, right! The fact that you used the idol meant you had no intention of giving it back! Face it... you're a terrible, backstabbing liar!"

"Francine!" objected Kari. "That was mean!"

"The truth hurts! And I can't believe you're siding with her! A treacherous traitor to go with a backstabbing liar!"

"But..."

"Don't bet on enjoying this challenge... 'cause Yoshi and I are gonna **CRUSH YOU**!"

With that, Francine walked away.

"I'm not a liar!" Rachel told Kari. "I swear!"

"I believe you. You just did what you thought was the best for everyone."

"Then... why do I feel like such a moron?"

* * *

><p>The cast went to work watching all of the music videos and going through the lyric sheets they had all been given. All the while, those on new teams were taking time out to get to know each other.<p>

"These are great," Finn exclaimed. "Never knew you could make videos out of songs!"

"That's technology for ya," Megan replied.

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"I love how Finn is so naive about certain things. It's kinda cute. Although... that's not always a good thing."_

"Just one question. What do all of these songs mean?"

"Uh..."

"Like that one song. The chorus is 'I can make your bedrock, girl. I can make your bedrock.' People have bedrocks?"

"Uhhhhh..."

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"How do I explain stuff that even **I'M** embarrassed about? Some of these songs I try not to think what they mean because I **KNOW** what they mean... and **EEEEWWWWWWWW**!"_

Megan took Finn over to Rachel, Kari, Katara, and Dante to ask for their help. Rachel and Katara responded... by running away.

"Some friends you are!" Megan shouted, before adding under her breath, "but I'd probably do the same thing..."

Finn turned to Kari and Dante...

"And one of you has to explain why there was whipped cream coming out of that girl's... chest?"

The two adults looked at each other.

"Normally, I'd be glad to help," prefaced Kari, her face a bit red, "but this is one of those things that require a man-to-man talk."

Kari gently pushed Dante towards Finn, then she grabbed Megan and they walked off. Dante rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he tried to begin.

"Didn't think I'd have to give 'the talk' for another 10 or 15 years."

He sighed, and then began...

* * *

><p>"<strong>AAAAAAHHHHH!<strong>"

Finn came screaming out of the meeting room, running past the girls as he bolted for the outer doors. Dante was scratching his head, stumped, and saw a couple of the girls glaring at him.

"What? All I said was, 'When a man and a woman love each other very much.' Then he screamed and ran out."

"This might be worse than we thought," commented Katara.

"He grew up in a world where he's the only human," Megan explained. "What do you expect?"

"I suppose I should go get home," interjected Lee, who appeared out of nowhere.

Before anyone else could object, Lee ran off after Finn.

* * *

><p>Night Fifteen<p>

That evening, back at the beach house, the gang split up into their own smaller groups. Some people, like Terry, Lee, Heloise, and Yoshimori, were all on the hunt for the third and final Tiki Idol. Others were exclusively focused on challenge preparation and lyric memorization, like Candace, Fred, Kari, and Candice. Kenzo had been tasked with telling Finn about the birds and the bees... and tried to do so while using a bunch of medical terms that confused him more than frightened him.

"Where are you going?" Kenzo asked quizzically, as Dante entered the room dressed up.

"Francine wants to go to the bar. Guess who got stuck as her drinking buddy."

Kenzo chuckled. "Just make sure she doesn't overdo it."

"Roger that!"

As Dante and Francine departed, upstairs Katara, Rachel, and Megan were having a girls' night in. But not a typical one...

"So, it's decided then?" Rachel asked for confirmation.

"Yep," nodded Katara. "She's as good as toast."

"Alright!" exclaimed a cheerful Megan. "Let's drink to that!"

The trio raised their teacups in the air, and drank.

* * *

><p>Day Sixteen<p>

Late the next morning, the cast got another pleasant surprise when a several large RVs pulled into their driveway. They were all led to them, a few either still tired or hung over from the previous night, and led into the first one, which was full of dresses of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

"Oh my God!" gasped Candice. "Look at all this!"

One of the attendants held up a tablet and played a video message from Kiyone.

"I must've forgotten to mention," she said playfully, "that as the guests of honor at the luau tonight, you should look the part! So hopefully there's something nice in this RV for you to wear! Don't worry, guys... your outfits are in the next RV over! Make sure you are dressed in your new team colors... but other than that, be as nice as fashionable as you please! Limo will be there to pick you up at five! See you tonight!"

With that, everyone went to work picking out their clothes. There was something for them all... even Heloise, who was tasked with making a gray dress look good on her small body.

* * *

><p>Of course, they were not just picking out clothes... but they were all getting a trip to the make-up and grooming department! The gals were being made beautiful; the guys more handsome.<p>

Out of the blue, one of the hairdressers wanted to take a look at Finn's hair, so she pulled off his hat before he could stop her. Everyone gazed at him at stunned silence as his long, flowing blonde locks spilled out all over his body.

"Amazing!" Fred exclaimed in stunned silence, before reaching up in disappointment as his stiffer do.

"No wonder you're always wearing that hat!" claimed Yoshimori. "That hair is incredible!"

"You really think so?" Finn asked, relieved that everyone was liking his locks.

The admiration continued as the hairdresser went to work styling his hair.

* * *

><p>Finally, the time had arrived for the group to head to where the luau was being held for the challenge. And as they all got a good look at each other...<p>

"**FINN HAS HAIR?**" gasped Candace.

The girls were as surprised as the boys had been earlier, and they too were liking seeing Finn in his natural glory.

"What do you think?" Finn asked Megan.

"I love it!"

She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. He was smiling happily as she pulled away after a few seconds, allowing him to get a good look at her.

"You look good! Real good!"

"You think so? I suppose purple's my color, for sure!"

"Looks like Kenzo got through to him," Katara whispered to Rachel.

"I'll say. They look cute together, don't they?"

"I just hope we don't have to sing one of those icky songs," Megan told Finn as the group began filing into the limousines. "I don't know what I'd do if that happened."

"Here's hoping," Finn replied, crossing his fingers.

* * *

><p>A twenty-minute ride later, the group had arrived at the beach where the luau was taking place. Kiyone was waiting for them at the entrance. She was in a slimmed-down gown that hugged her body and was teal colored, in a similar shade to her hair.<p>

"Look at you," Dante said, winking at her.

"You all doll up pretty well too," Kiyone said in return. "Now, there's a couple hours before the challenge, and before you go up there, you're going to get a chance to mingle, as well as enjoy the lovely dinner along with everyone else here."

"Yeah!" Lee pumped his fist excitedly.

"But we figured that this wouldn't be a proper luau if I didn't offer you guys a little bit of special hospitality."

She led the group inside, and they were all in shock when they saw who was waiting for them...

**End Episode Eight**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Who's waiting for them? Find out in the next episode... right now!<p>

**Next up:** Episode 9 - Up next!


	9. The Voices

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

A second episode this week? Bonus!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Sixteen<p>

The group had just arrived at the luau and had come out of their limos, all gussied up for tonight's singing challenge. But first was dinner... and a huge surprise.

"We figured," Kiyone said to them, "that this wouldn't be a proper luau if I didn't offer you guys a little bit of special hospitality."

She led them inside, and they all could not believe their eyes when they saw who was there...

All of their loved ones had come to see them. And not just the ones that got to back to the beach house at the end of the previous challenge. Those who were not as lucky earlier were now getting a taste of home again. Starting with...

"Freddy?"

"Daphne!"

Daphne ran over to embrace her boyfriend.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so glad to see you again!"

"Me too! Tell me..."

"Yes? You missed me?"

"Did the latest issue of 'Traps Monthly' come in?"

Daphne sighed disappointedly. "Yes."

"**WOO HOO!**" Fred pumped his fist with glee.

"Guy-sensei!" Lee exclaimed, running over to his master.

"Lee!"

The two hugged each other, then cried waterfalls of joy.

"Of all the people they could've sent..." grumbled Noah.

Izzy licked his left cheek with her tongue, as if she was a dog.

"You know you taste like sunburn? **THAT'S WICKED!**"

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Nine - The Voices (06.27.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

"Allow me, senior!"

"Thanks, Zo-Zo!"

Candice was being helped out by her friend, Zoey, who helped them get a good place at one of three tables reserved for the large group. In particular, the one closest to where all the food was set up.

"I'm so glad to see you're safe!"

"Why wouldn't I be, Zo-Zo? I've made plenty of great friends!"

Candice flagged down Candace and her parents, and motioned for them to sit at their table.

"Zo-Zo... this is Candace! With an 'A!'"

"Uh..." Candace seemed a little confused by her name. "Zo..."

"It's Zoey," she helped her out. "It's senior's nickname for me."

"Senior?"

"That's me!" Candice chirped cheerfully. "I'm her senior! We kinda grew up together, but I'm a little older."

Meanwhile, at another table...

"I've missed you so much, honey!" Stan admitted as he caught up with his wife, Francine. "The house has gone to Hell since you've been gone."

"Oh," Francine cooed, "I'm sure it's not **THAT** bad..."

"Roger tried to nurse Steve."

"Yeah, that's bad."

"Enough about our dull lives, honey... how about you? You kicking everyone's ass from here to Timbuktu?"

Francine laughed nervously. "Of course!"

"That's my girl! Being the alpha female, and **NOT** someone's bitch!"

"Heh heh," she patted her husband on the chest. "That's me! The alpha female part, not the... other... thing."

But Francine was not the only one covering up her performance so far...

"I was the first person to reach the half a million dollar goal!" Yoshimori boasted.

"That's great news, son!" exclaimed his father, Shuji.

"I'm happy you're doing so well," added his younger brother, Toshimori.

"Of course I'm doing well! No one's better than me! **HA!**"

At the third table, Heloise, having overheard that boast, would have shot Yoshimori's ego down. But she was too busy staring dreamily into the eyes of her crush, Jimmy.

"So..." she said, "aren't you going to ask me how I'm doing?"

"Why?" Jimmy questioned back. "I've never asked you that before?"

"Don't be silly! **OF COURSE YOU HAVE!**"

"Wait," Jimmy shushed her, putting a finger to her mouth. "Hold that thought!"

"**JIMMY!**" another voice shouted.

Jimmy turned his attention to the buffet line, where his best friend, Beezy, was already sampling the many offerings, such as roast pig and pineapple cake.

"**JIMMY!** You've gotta try... **EVERYTHING!** It's all delicious!"

"I'm-a-coming, Beez!"

Heloise sighed as Jimmy ran away from her.

"Ahhhh... even when he's ignoring me, he's cute."

"Those two sure are going at it!" Guy observed Jimmy and Beezy from his seat. "They might eat everything at this rate!"

"No, Guy-sensei!" cried Lee. "I cannot perform on an empty stomach!"

"Then we must devour everything before they do! C'mon, Lee!"

Cast members and their loved ones started jumping in line, hoping to get dinner while there was still food to get.

"Ugh," grumbled Noah, "I can already smell A-B-C food in my future."

"Blech!" Izzy stuck out her tongue in disgust. "That's all I had on the crate ride here from Canada!"

* * *

><p>Night Sixteen<p>

Finally, it was time for the cast to get on stage for round one of their challenge. The teams were gathered at the base of the steps on both sides of the stage, ready for their cue. The sun had set, many torches had been lit in the area, save for the temporary lights being used to illuminate the stage, and Kiyone was front and center, ready to address the crowd, with a mic in hand.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" Kiyone began. "Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Kiyone Makibi, and tonight, I've got a special treat for you! I'm the hostess of a reality show called 'Roomies Goes Global,' and tonight, the cast is here to not only entertain you, but compete in a challenge!"

The crowd cheered with glee.

"Before I explain tonight's challenge, though, allow me to introduce the cast to you!"

Kiyone called the teams up, one at a time. Once the last team took their position with the other teams, Kiyone turned to the crowd to begin explaining the challenge.

"The challenge tonight consists of two parts! In part one, teams will be called up at random, where they will be asked to sing the chorus to one of a group of songs! What songs, you might be asking? Well, the last 25 songs to reach number one in the Billboard Top 100, of course! Now, which team will sing which song? Well..."

Kiyone pointed towards stage right, to a table where a DJ was set up, as well as a small lottery machine which had eight colored balls in it... one for each team, as well as attendant to pull them out.

"DJ Howie will be spinning the tracks. He is the **ONLY** one who knows the order the songs will be played! Not even I do, so I will be just as surprised as everyone else. Next to him is Cassandra, who will be selecting the team to sing the next song based on what ball comes out of the machine. The second a new song starts, she will hold up a paddle with the matching color on it. That team must come to center stage and begin singing **IMMEDIATELY**! I will also forewarn you... there **IS** a possibility a team may be asked to do two or more songs in a row! Make absolutely sure you're paying attention, teams!"

Kiyone then directed everyone's attention to a table set up in front of the stage, which had two people sitting at it, as well as a third chair that was empty.

"There will be a panel of three judges, including myself, that will be watching every performance! Each of us has a white-backed paddle that has an X on it, which we will raise if you're either not getting the lyrics right or we think one or both of you is not singing at all. Teams, if you see all three of us with our paddles up **BEFORE** your song is over, you are out of the challenge. Got it?"

All the competitors nodded.

"Part one of the challenge **ENDS** when either we've exhausted the entire playlist, or we have eliminated all but three teams. Those teams that survive move on to part two! Okay?"

Another nod of confirmation came from the group.

"Alright, Honolulu! Who's ready to see some singing?"

The crowd cheered with glee.

* * *

><p>Kiyone took her place at the judges' table, and the teams were set.<p>

"Teams," Kiyone told them, "get ready... 'cause DJ Howie and Cassandra are ready to start the challenge! Good luck, guys!"

The crowd applauded, mixed in with cheers for their favorites. The eight teams turned to their left and waited to see which team and what song would be first...

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The eight teams glanced to their left waiting to see who would be up first, and what song that team would be singing.<p>

DJ Howie started playing Rihanna's "Only Girl," while Cassandra simultaneously held up the gray paddle. Kenzo and Heloise moved to center, with no choice but to sing the unfitting song.

_["Only Girl (In the World)" by Rihanna - Gray Team]_  
><em>Want you to make me feel like<br>I'm the only girl in the world  
>Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love<br>Like I'm the only one who knows your heart  
>Only girl in the world...<em>

Nina was seen chuckling, but enjoying the show, while Jimmy cheered Heloise on. The crowd started applauding to the beat to keep the team pepped...

_Like I'm the only one that's in command  
>Cause I'm the only one who understands<br>how to make you feel like a man, yeah!_  
><em>Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world<br>Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love  
>Like I'm the only one who knows your heart<br>Only one..._

The Purple Team was next, as one of the three Katy Perry songs in the playlist... and both Megan and Finn recognized it instantly.

_["Firework" by Katy Perry - Purple Team]_  
><em>You just gotta ignite the light<br>And let it shine  
>Just own the night<br>Like the Fourth of July_

_'Cause baby you're a firework  
>Come on show 'em what you're worth<br>Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"_  
><em>As you shoot across the sky-y-y<em>

_Baby you're a firework  
>Come on let your colors burst<br>Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"_  
><em>You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own<em>

So far, so good. Next team...

_["Down" by Jay Sean f/ Lil Wayne - Red Team]_  
><em>So baby don't worry<br>You are my only  
>You won't be lonely<em>

Fred flubbed the next line, and one of the judges immediately put up his paddle. Candace sang louder to get him back on track and cover him...

_Even if the sky is falling down  
>You'll be my only<br>No need to worry_

...and then a second judge put his up.

_Baby are you down, down, down, down, down?_  
><em>Down, down<br>Baby are you down, down, down, down, down?_  
><em>Down, down<br>Even if the sky is falling down_

To Candace's relief, Kiyone granted them mercy by keeping her paddle down. But, as they started to step back... Fred managed to catch Cassandra raised... the red paddle again!

"What?" Fred shouted. "Candace!"

_["S&M" by Rihanna - Red Team]_

It was the second song featuring Rihanna, but as it played, both Fred and Candace struggled to remember the lyrics. One paddle went up...

_Cause I may be bad  
>But I'm perfectly...<em>

...hastily followed by the other two. The Red Team had been eliminated.

"Darn it!" Candace stomped her foot angrily.

"Next!" Kiyone shouted.

Onto the next song, as Fred and Candace were ushered off the stage.

_["Forget You" by Cee Lo Green - Green Team]_  
><em>I see you driving 'round town<br>With the girl I love and I'm like,_  
><em>Forget you!<em>

Rachel and Kari were having fun with it, smiling as they tried to contain their laughter...

_I guess the change in my pocket  
>Wasn't enough I'm like,<em>  
><em>Forget you!<em>  
><em>And forget her too!<em>  
><em>I said, if I was richer, I'd still be with ya<br>Ha, now ain't that some sh-? (ain't that some sh-?)_  
><em>And although there's pain in my chest<br>I still wish you the best with a..._  
><em>Forget you!<em>  
><em>Oo, oo, ooo<em>

They had nailed it, and the audience agreed with their applause. The orange paddle had been raised, and Katara and Dante had to sing...

_["Grenade" by Bruno Mars - Orange Team]_

But, unfortunately, the song did not ring a bell in either of their minds. They tried to recall, but... one, two, three...

"Sorry, guys," Kiyone cut in. "Not fast enough. Next!"

Two teams out. The Brown Team was called forth next, with...

_["Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga - Brown Team]_  
><em>I'm your biggest fan<br>I'll follow you until you love me  
>Papa-Paparazzi<br>Baby there's no other superstar  
>You know that I'll be your Papa-Paparazzi<em>

_Promise I'll be kind  
>But I won't stop until that boy is mine<br>Baby you'll be famous  
>Chase you down until you love me<br>Papa-Paparazzi_

Terry and Noah actually sing fairly well, if slightly off-key. The Blue Team was caught by surprise, almost missing their paddle go up at the start of the next song.

_["You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift - Blue Team]_  
><em>If you could see<br>That I'm the one  
>Who understands you<br>Been here all along  
>So why can't you see you belong with me?<em>

Francine and Yoshimori seemed to be a bit off, and Kiyone was the first judge to raise her paddle...

_Standing by you  
>Waiting at your backdoor.<em>  
><em>All this time<br>How could you not know, baby  
>You belong with me,<em>  
><em>You belong with me?<em>

The other two judges had thought about it, but were not turned off enough by them not being quite in sync, and so they stayed in the challenge. The next song was a duet...

_["Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum - Purple Team]_  
><em>It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.<em>

...and who better to sing it than Megan and Finn, who were in perfect harmony, as they gazed longingly into each others' eyes.

_Said I wouldn't call but I've lost all control and I need you now._  
><em>And I don't know how I can do without.<em>  
><em>I just need you now.<em>

And the delighted looks on their faces afterward showed they knew it. Would the next pair prove to be as harmonious?

_["Rude Boy" by Rihanna - Yellow Team]_  
><em>Come here<br>Rude boy, boy  
>Can you get it up<br>Come here  
>Rude boy, boy<br>Is you big enough_

One paddle up, for Candice's agonizing singing voice...

_Take it, take it  
>Baby, baby<br>Take it, take it  
>Love me<br>Love me_

A second for Lee's equally-as-grating one. Could they make it?

_Come here  
>Rude boy, boy<br>Can you get it up  
>Come here<br>Rude boy, boy  
>Is you big enough<br>Take it, take it  
>Baby, baby<br>Take it, take it  
>Love me<br>Love me_

Again, a team's fate laid in Kiyone's hands. But seeing as the pair did not miss a single word... she shook her head, indicating her paddle was staying down. The Yellow Team survived their first song. From one song with Rihanna to yet another...

_["Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem f/Rihanna - Blue Team]_  
><em>Just gonna stand there and watch me burn<br>But that's alright because I like the way it hurts_

Even though the chorus was a female solo, both Francine and Yoshimori were required to sing it. But the judges seemed perplexed that they were only hearing one voice...

_Just gonna stand there and hear me cry  
>But that's alright because I love the way you lie<br>I love the way you lie  
>I love the way you lie<em>

The judges were seen discussing, and as soon as the chorus ended, all three of them raised their paddles.

"What?" Yoshimori questioned unhappily.

"Couldn't hear you," Kiyone explained. "We have to hear both of you. Sorry."

"But he was singing," Francine argued.

But it was obvious she was lying, and Kiyone picked up on it.

"Sorry. Judges' decision is final! You guys are out."

Both seemed ready to argue more, and Francine's husband Stan seemed ready to fight. But cooler heads prevailed, and the pair exited the stage. That is, until the pair had stepped off and walked away.

"I can't believe you didn't sing!" Francine shouted.

"Look, I'm sorry!" apologized Yoshimori. "I forgot one stupid song!"

"That stupid song probably cost us everything!"

"I would've remembered the lyrics if you hadn't spend most of dinner playing games with your husband instead of helping me memorize song lyrics!"

Francine lunged forward at Yoshimori, when suddenly...

"Francine, **NO!**"

Her husband, Stan, had jumped in in the nick of time, grabbing Francine and keeping her from making a serious mistake.

"Stan, let me go!"

"No! It's not worth it! You wanna ruin a shot at half a mil?"

Suddenly, Yoshimori's dad, Shuji, walked up to them, curious.

"May I ask what's going..."

"You completely deserve it, jerk!" shouted Stan.

"**OH YEAH?**" yelled Yoshimori. "**BRING IT!**"

Now Shuji was forced to step in, and he did so in the most pleasant way possible, pulling his son aside.

"Dad! What are you doing?"

"Violence is not a good way to let our frustration."

"But..."

"Trust me. Now, what do you say we go back and watch the rest of the competition?"

Shuji led his son away, and the Smiths decided to let them go.

_Confessional Cam - Stan & Francine_

_"Stupid foreigners. Coming up in our country! I could have them deported right now! All I have to do is make one call!"_

_"Stan... you know you can't do that, right?"_

_"It's America! And... wait! Is that a camera?"_

_"Yes, dear. It's a confessional boo-"_

_"**GIMME THAT CAMERA!**"_

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>The competition continued on, without any of the other teams aware of what had just transpired. A few songs had passed, and a fourth team just got buzzed... the new Gray Team, Kenzo and Heloise, who stumbled upon a song they weren't prepared for. 11 songs left to play, but only one more team had to be cut for the round to end...<p>

_["Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z f/ Alicia Keys - Green Team]_  
><em>New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of<br>There's nothin' you can't do  
>Now you're in New York<br>These streets will make you feel brand new  
>Big lights will inspire you<br>Let's hear it for New York, New York,_  
><em>New York!<em>

Another stellar performance from Rachel and Kari excited the crowd, encouraging them to stay enthusiastic right into the next song, in which Megan and Finn were put on the spot again...

_["Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry - Purple Team]_  
><em>You make me feel<br>Like I'm livin' a  
>Teenage dream<br>The way you turn me on_

But as they sang, Megan's eyes settled on her parents. Afraid of them hearing the rest of the lyrics, she froze up, leaving Finn alone to sing... not that he was comfortable with the song, either...

_I can't sleep  
>Let's run away and<br>Don't ever look back,_  
><em>Don't ever look back!<em>

...and the judges immediately saw Megan stop moving, period. Finn grabbed Megan by the arm and tried to snap her out of it, but a couple seconds later, the judges raised all of their paddles.

"Purple Team, that's it for you!" Kiyone announced. "And with that, the first round has come to an end! Let's give it up for the three surviving teams!"

The crowd applauded the survivors as Megan unfroze, and realizing what had happened, ran off the stage.

"Megan!" Finn shouted after her. "Wait!"

* * *

><p>Finn made his way down the beach, following the lone trail of footsteps. It did not take him long to start hearing someone sobbing nearby. He stopped when he saw Megan hiding behind a small boulder. The back of her head was visible, and Finn could see she had buried her face in her knees.<p>

"Giblets!" Finn said aloud. "I knew she was scared she'd have to sing that song, but..."

"Do what guys are supposed to do!"

Finn turned around and saw that his best buddy had caught up to him.

"She needs someone to comfort her! You're that someone!"

"How do I do that?"

"Just go over there," he told her, demonstrating with his arms, "and stick your arms out! Oh, and make a sad face!"

Jake pushed Finn in the direction of Megan. He made his way over and did exactly what Jake had told him. He quickly found out what 'the rest' was, as Megan looked up, leaned over, wrapped her arms around him, and started crying into his nice shirt. Finn blushed in embarrassment, then looked towards his buddy as to what to do next.

All Jake did was give him two thumbs up... and chuckle.

* * *

><p>Back at the stage...<p>

"Now it's time for part two," Kiyone told the audience. "Before the challenge, each team was required to pick one song to sing, in its entirety, if they made it this far. Up first, singing Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are," here's Noah and Terry!"

The guys came on stage, ready to sing loud and proud. Terry started off the song...

_[Terry]_  
><em>Her eyes, her eyes<br>make the stars look like they're not shining  
>Her hair, her hair<br>falls perfectly without her trying  
>She's so beautiful<br>And I tell her everyday_

_[Noah]_  
><em>I know, I know<br>When I compliment her she won't believe me  
>And it's so, it's so<br>Sad to think that she don't see what I see  
>But every time she asks me "Do I look okay?"<em>  
><em>I say...<em>

_[Chorus - Terry & Noah]_  
><em>When I see your face<br>There's not a thing that I would change  
>'Cause you're amazing<br>Just the way you are  
>And when you smile<br>The whole world stops and stares for a while  
>'Cause girl you're amazing<br>Just the way you are_

They had stepped it up since the first round, both putting all their effort into the song as they sang and encouraged the crowd to sing along with them.

_[Final Chorus]_  
><em>And when you smile<br>The whole world stops and stares for a while  
>'Cause girl you're amazing<br>Just the way you are_

They got a rousing round of applause. The second round was off to a good start, but they still had two teams behind them.

"Thanks, guys! Terry and Noah, the Brown Team, everyone! They sang a song about how their girl may be great the way she is, our next team believes they're great, whatever they are! With their interpretation of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"... Rachel and Kari!"

Kiyone departed the stage, leaving the female duo to their task.

_[Kari]_  
><em>My mama told me when I was young<br>We are all born superstars  
>She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on<br>In the glass of her boudoir_

_[Rachel]_  
><em>"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"<em>  
><em>She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"<em>  
><em>"So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,<em>  
><em>Listen to me when I say"<em>

They clapped their hands over their heads and encouraged the audience to do the same.

_[Chorus - Kari & Rachel]_  
><em>I'm beautiful in my way<br>'Cause God makes no mistakes  
>I'm on the right track, baby<br>I was born this way_

_Don't hide yourself in regret  
>Just love yourself and you're set<br>I'm on the right track, baby  
>I was born this way<em>

Once again, they were hitting all the right notes, and the crowd was really getting into their performance.

_[Outro - Kari & Rachel]_  
><em>I was born this way hey!<em>  
><em>I was born this way hey!<em>  
><em>I'm on the right track, baby<br>I was born this way hey!_

Once the song had ended, the girls got, what was to them, a shocking standing ovation. Everyone had loved their performance.

"Thank you, Kari and Rachel!" Kiyone said. "The Green Team! How about them? Nevertheless, there's still one team left to perform! They sung the least of the three finalists, but they're out to prove they gotta feeling they belong! Singing the Black Eyed Peas' hit "I Gotta Feeling," here's Lee and Candice!"

_[Lee]_  
><em>I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night<br>That tonight's gonna be a good night  
>That tonight's gonna be a good, good night<em>

_[Candice]_  
><em>I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night<br>That tonight's gonna be a good night  
>That tonight's gonna be a good, good night<em>

Again, neither of them had great singing voices, but they were giving it their best effort.

_[Lee]_  
><em>Tonight's the night<br>Let's live it up  
>I got my money<br>Let's spend it up_

_Go out and smash it  
>Like Oh My God<br>Jump off that sofa  
>Let's get get <strong>OFF!<strong>_

_[Candice]_  
><em>I know that we'll have a ball<br>If we get down  
>And go out<br>And just loose it all_

_I feel stressed out  
>I wanna let it go<br>Lets go way out spaced out  
>And losing all control<em>

To compensate, they tried to get the crowd hopping. Some of them obliged their request, but sadly, most did not. They carried on anyway, rocking on until the end of the song.

_[Outro - Lee & Candice]_  
><em>I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night<br>That tonight's gonna be a good night  
>That tonight's gonna be a good, good night!<em>

_Ooooooo hooooo!_

The pair got a healthy round of applause, but not as loud as the other two teams.

"Lee and Candice, folks! They are the Yellow Team! You guys stay up here... and let's get the other two finalist pairs up here."

As the Brown and Green Teams came back up, Kiyone turned to the crowd.

"Okay, everyone, this is going to be a crowd voice vote! Team with the loudest response wins the challenge! So, please, everyone quiet down... and don't say anything unless I point to the team you wanna win!"

The crowd fell silent, and the missing competitors and their loved ones had all returned in time to catch the vote. Kiyone went first to...

"If you think the Brown Team is the winner, lemme hear you scream!"

There was a lot of audible cheering, especially from Izzy, who was going nuts, screaming from the top of her lungs and everything.

"Alright, alright," Kiyone said, hushing the crowd. "Now, if you think the Green Team is the winner, then lemme hear you scream!"

The place practically erupted, with nearly everyone shouting and yelling for them. Kiyone had to cover her ears briefly because they were so loud.

"Okay, okay!" she shushed them again. "Wow! Alright, over to the Yellow Team! If you think they should be the winners, then lemme hear you all scream!"

A modest amount of cheering could be heard... and one loudmouth in Might Guy.

"**LEE WAS THE BEST! YOU CANNOT DENY IT WAS TRUE!**"

"I knew Guy-sensei would support me," Lee cried, "no matter how much I stunk!"

Kiyone smiled. There was a definite winner.

"No doubt about it! Kari and Rachel, you're tonight's winners!"

The duo got another standing ovation, both of them overwhelmed by the outpouring of love they were getting. All of the teams gathered on stage, mostly everyone giving them their congratulatory dues.

"**WAY TO GO, RACHEL!**" Serena cheered.

"I never had any doubts!" Tai said aloud as he applauded his sister.

"Hold up, **HOLD UP!**" Kiyone interrupted, running into the midst of the celebration.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked.

"The challenge is **NOT** over! There's one more thing you must do!"

Kari and Rachel looked at each other, then back at Kiyone.

"What's that?" queried Kari, being gulping in fear.

"Well, you see... it's..."

**End Episode Nine**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Didn't think I'd do a cliffhanger two episodes in a row, did ya? Even better, now you gotta wait two weeks for the resolution, because next Monday's a holiday! Ain't I stinker?<p>

Also, no episode next week = no poll next week. One this week definitely, though. Please vote, and note the earlier closure also!

**Next up:** Episode 10 - **TWO WEEKS FROM TONIGHT**, July 11th, 7 pm EST!


	10. Rallying for Support

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Back to business, and only three weeks until the finale!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Night Sixteen<p>

Kari and Rachel were celebrating their win in the competition's eight challenge, on stage with most of their competitors, plus Kari's older brother, Tai, and Rachel's best friend, Serena. But...

"Hold up, **HOLD UP!**" Kiyone interrupted, running into the midst of the celebration.

Everyone stopped, and the winning duo turned to face the hostess.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked.

"The challenge is **NOT** over! There's one more thing you must do!"

Kari and Rachel looked at each other, then back at Kiyone.

"What's that?" queried Kari, being gulping in fear.

"Well, you see... it's..."

She clapped her hands, and then the back curtain of the stage fell to the floor, revealing behind it the tote board. Everyone, particularly Kari and Rachel, breathed a sigh of relief.

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Ten - Rallying for Support (07.11.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Once Kiyone had explained what it was for everyone who did not know...

"Okay, now that everyone's up to speed..."

She pulled out two Damage Counters, and handed one each to Rachel and Kari. The latter went first, stepping up to the board and placing hers next to Francine's photo, the housewife's first of the game.

"Sorry, Francine... but fair's fair."

Francine was none too pleased, and neither was Stan, her husband. He reached into his inner blazer pocket for his cell phone, but Francine saw him and shook her head, stopping him from making a call. While that was happening, Rachel went up and placed hers next to Candace's picture.

"**WHAT?**" screamed Candace.

"Don't get me wrong," Rachel clarified. "I like you, Candace. But I just couldn't think of anyone to give it to."

Candace grumbled something inaudible under her breath.

"Green Team," Kiyone addressed the two women, "you now have the chance to remove a Damage Counter applied to anyone after any previous challenge, if you so wish."

Kari and Rachel discussed it for a minute, then they nodded, indicating they were going to exercise the option. Kiyone stepped aside, and Rachel headed for the board. Before getting there, though, she stopped to explain their choice.

"This is a long time coming... but I believe he doesn't deserve to be in the position he is now."

With that, she headed over and removed one of the Damage Counters from the section corresponding to her ex-partner, Fred. He reacted ecstatically, throwing up his arms and dancing like a kid on Christmas morning. He then ran over and gave Rachel a hug as she was returning to her current partner's side.

"Thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed jubilantly.

"You're welcome, Fred. Now... can you let me go? People are watching."

Fred complied, blushing a little bit over being a little overzealous.

"Well, Fred," Kiyone stepped in, "you're now once again eligible to be voted into the Final Four by your peers. But with two challenges still to go, I'd suggest not falling into a position where someone can restore that third strike."

"You can bet on that **NOT** happening!" Fred assured her.

"Good. I should also give congratulations to Lee, Noah, Terry, and Kari. You are the first four to max out your money polls. If any of you win the game, you will be walking out of here with half a million dollars!"

Applause can be heard from their fellow competitors and the crowd.

"The rest of you have two challenges left to get there. I hope you all have saved your best game for last! Oh, and one **MORE** thing..."

"Ugh," groaned Noah. "It's like your a broken record!"

"It's for all of you to say farewell to your loved ones. You've all got five minutes, then it's back to the beach house. Get to it!"

The group began to funnel off-stage to either side, as Kiyone closed up the show for the rest of the audience.

"I guess this is it, sis," Sokka said, getting up to hug Katara. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Sokka! Tell Aang and the others I miss them!"

"Sure! And if you don't win, don't bother coming back!"

Katara glared at him.

"What?" Sokka chuckled. "I'm just kidding!"

"Take care of yourself, son!" Shuji bid adieu to Yoshimori.

"Win it for us, Yoshi!" Toshimori said.

"I will, and thanks!" he said in reply to both of them.

Dana kissed Terry on the lips, and Mary followed by giving her oldest son a big hug.

"We'll be waiting for you," Mary told him.

"Come home safe!" Dana wished aloud.

"You two be safe going home, okay?"

Rachel and Serena shared one last hug before they were split apart.

"Make sure you win," Serena chuckled, "so that you can be rich just like me!"

"Oh, Serena," laughed Rachel, "it wouldn't make us better friends if I had as much money as you."

"Of course I know that! What do you think I am? Stupid?"

"I can't believe I'm leaving already!" cried Daphne. "We didn't even get to spend that much time together!"

"There's always next time," Fred assured her, even though the next time he'd see her would be back in Crystal Cove.

"It's not fair," stomped Beezy. "We didn't even get to do anything fun!"

"You rode one of the roasted pigs off the side of the bluff..." grumbled Heloise, "**AND THEN YOU AND JIMMY ATE IT ALL YOURSELVES!**"

"What can I say? Food's better when you have to chase it down."

"Besides," Jimmy said to Heloise, "we would've let you in if you had just asked."

"But I did!"

"No... I'm pretty sure that was the talking dog."

Speaking of the talking dog...

"I'm gonna miss you, buddy!" Jake said, as he wrapped his elongating arms around Finn.

"You too."

"And good luck... wink... getting that Megan girl... wink... if you catch my drift. Wink!"

"It's not like that!" Finn and Megan both exclaimed in unison, though the latter was saying that to her parents.

"We believe you," Caren said to her daughter. "But in case you two get serious..."

"He has to eat dinner with us!" demanded Cal. "Got it?"

"Mom! Dad! You're embarrassing me!"

Over with Candice...

"Go for the gold, senior!" Zoey said, bowing before Candice.

"You bet! I'm settlin' for nothing less than total victory! Kiai!"

"You take care of yourself," Kenzo told Nina.

"I will. And you do the same. You look pale."

The doctor chuckled. "Well, I have been trouble sleeping the past few days."

Stan and Francine walked past them.

"Remember, honey," Stan prodded her, "I'm only one phone call away. I can deport anyone at your request!"

"That's nice, dear. Just say hi to the kids to me. Oh, and if Roger's digging into my old wardrobe again..."

"**GOT IT!**" Stan yelled, pulling out a turkey baster.

"Wha?"

"That's the TSA for you! Poking and prodding everyone to keep our skies safe!"

"Now remember your training," Guy told Lee, "you're the most athletic person here, pound-for-pound! Don't let anyone push you around!"

"I will not, Guy-sensei!" Lee responded. "I promise to do you proud!"

Dante was seen giving Zhalia a kiss on the cheek.

"See you back in Venice?"

"Can't wait," Zhalia replied with a smile.

Kari had watched the whole scene, as Tai put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, sis. There are other guys out there like him who'd be glad to requite your feelings... and father your children."

Kari sighed. "Again... why Mom thinks I'll marry before you."

"Keep a stiff upper lip!" Lawrence told Candace.

"And we'll see you at home in a week, okay?" Linda told her.

"Thanks for coming!" Candace said, as she gave them one last hug. "Oh, and one last thing..."

"I'm pretty sure when we get back, the boys won't be do anything..."

"Argh! Well... didn't hurt to try, right?"

And, finally...

"This was fun!" exclaimed Izzy. "We should do this again!"

"No," Noah deadpanned. "We shouldn't."

"Okay! Call me! No, wait... I'll call you! Right after I get on the plane! See ya, Noah!"

As Izzy ran off, Noah shook his head in disbelief.

"They **HAD** to pick Izzy as my 'loved one'..."

Soon afterward, the competitors had gotten into their limousines, and were waving farewell to their loved ones as they were whisked away, back to the beach house.

* * *

><p>Later that night, after having changed out of their dress clothes, the cast set out to relax for what little time there was before it was time to head off to sleep. But some people had other ideas...<p>

_Confessional Cam - Candice_

_"Now the game's on! It's a perfect time to shore up allies! And I know just who's on my side!"_

Candice was lounging in the outdoor hot tub with Megan, Katara, and Candace, and was using the time to propose her alliance idea...

"You know we've gotten along swell," Candice said to them. "So... there's no reason the four of us shouldn't team up!"

"Combining our votes to help each other out?" Katara thought aloud. "I love it!"

"If it betters our chances of getting into that Final Four," Candace shouted, "then I'm in!"

"Me too!" agreed Megan.

"Me three!" exclaimed Katara.

"Then we're all in agreement," Candice confirmed.

They sealed the verbal deal with a handshake.

* * *

><p>But at the same time, another voting alliance was being established up on the third floor of the house...<p>

"Last chance," Terry told his new partners. "The moment this meeting ends, we're bound to vote for each other. Understand?"

"Got it," Finn, to his left, replied.

"I trust you all," answered Lee.

"And later on, it's every guy for himself!" exclaimed Yoshimori.

"Agreed!" the four said in unison.

"Gentlemen," Terry smirked, "I formally announce the formation... of the Four Horsemen Alliance."

"**HUR-RAH!**"

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Day Seventeen<p>

Heloise was wandering around the house, uncharacteristically worried as she saw a lot of people chatting with each other silently.

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"And so it begins! The part of the game where everyone's making alliances and counter-alliances and side alliances. Some schmoe puts their faith in you, and you betray them by voting for someone else! Aaahhh... I've been waiting for this day since we got here."_

She was later seen trying to get into the latest four-person voting alliance, which consisted of Kari, Francine, Kenzo, and Dante. But...

"I'm already iffy about **YOU** being in this alliance!" vocalized Francine, as she looked over at Kari. "Why should we let Heloise in?"

"Heloise is not that bad once you get to know her," Kenzo assured her.

"You're only saying that 'cause your her partner right now!"

"Of course not!"

Kenzo did believe in Heloise of his own free will, but the little girl was not taking any chances, as she was hiding a mallet behind her back.

"Trust me," Kari spoke up. "You can't vote for yourself. If we can vote for four, then we need five in the group. It's not like we have any other options."

"What about your partner, Rachel?" Dante queried.

"Oh, I'm sure she's already in with the other girls..."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean <strong>NO<strong>?" screeched Rachel.

"I don't trust you!" Candace exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.

"What? Just because I gave you a Damage Counter?"

"Exactly!"

"I told you... that was just a throwaway! Megan, Katara! Back me up on this!"

"Uh..." hesitated Megan.

"That's on you," Katara said. "No offense, Rachel, but unless you and Candace work things out, we... can't let you in the alliance."

_Confessional Cam - Rachel_

_"Unbelievable! I'm closer to them than Candace is! And suddenly, I am the one on the outside looking in? That's preposterous!"_

"Some friends you are!" Rachel growled at Megan and Katara before stomping off. "Thanks for **NOT** having my back!"

Megan and Katara both felt genuinely sorry for excluding Rachel... but what could they do?

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Noah was alone in the gaming room, playing a game while picking from a bowl of popcorn. Seeing this, Heloise walked into the room.<p>

"You know the chances of someone voting you into the Final Four right now are zero point three seven percent, right?" began Heloise.

Noah glanced at Heloise, then back at the TV. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Meh. Still better odds than you, half-pint."

Heloise gritted her teeth, angry at that insult but well aware she needed to be nice to pull off what she came here to do.

"But don't you want to win? Or, at least, get into the Final Four?"

"Ha! And you've come here to assure me you've found a remedy for that?"

Heloise smirked. "Would you listen to me if I said 'yes?'"

Noah thought for a minute, then pressed the start button on his controller. He turned to Heloise and told her...

"You've got three minutes."

_Confessional Cam - Noah_

_"All according to plan. She thinks she's proposing to me, but in fact, I'm proposing to her! Ah... I love being in control."_

* * *

><p>Day Eighteen<p>

The next morning, in the dining room, Megan had just finished her breakfast and was about to head upstairs when she met Finn, who was coming in to eat.

"Megan! Just the girl I'm looking for!"

"What?" Megan nearly jumped out of her socks. "Really?"

Finn pulled Megan down the hallway and towards the front door, to a private area. They left behind Candace and Candice, who had been at the table and had witnessed the whole thing.

"Oooh!" cooed Candace. "Looks like someone's in lo-ove!"

She was about to get out of her seat to go offer some advice, but Candice stopped her.

"Nuh-uh! You know how delusional you get before you finish breakfast!"

* * *

><p>Finn pulled Megan into the gym, which was uncharacteristically empty since Lee had gone out on a run on this particular day.<p>

"So..." Megan spoke first, her eyes darting nervously around the room, "you wanted to say something to me?"

"Yep!" Finn said, pounding his closed left fist into his open-palmed right hand.

"Look... if it's about the whole issue with the song, let me first say that I appreciate you consoling me afterwards, and..."

"Megan! My favorite girl that's not a princess! Can I trust you... to vote for me?"

"Huh?" Megan looked dumbfounded.

"You vote for me, and I vote for you. I think that's how it works, right?"

Megan lowered her head, trying to hide her face. Finn panicked, thinking he had done something wrong.

"Oh no! I thought we were cool! I'm sorry... if you didn't want to vote for me..."

"Of course I'll vote for you!"

"Really?" Finn's smile brightened up. "Then why..."

"It's nothing to worry about. My mind's wandering today."

"Well, wander no further... because we're voting for each other now!"

With that, Finn marched off happily, leaving a flabbergasted Megan to wonder what just happened... and how she felt about how it played out.

* * *

><p>A couple hours later, the cast arrived at the location of their next challenge, dressed in their team shirts and with beachwear attire underneath. When they spotted Kiyone waiting for them with two volleyball courts behind them, it was easy to figure out what they were doing today.<p>

"Good morning, everyone!" Kiyone greeted them.

The cast returned the greeting, each in their own way.

"Three days left before you guys vote two people into the Final Four. The viewers get to pick the other two. I hear there's been a lot of wheeling and dealing going on in the house. Yoshimori, is that true?"

"Yep," he answered quickly. "Everyone's scrambling like crazy to find voting partners."

"Kari, you've been through this before. So far, easier or harder to find people to vote with?"

"I'd have to say harder," replied Kari. "Back then, it was easy because I had friends who I had known before the show. Here, I only have to choose between people I've known for only a couple of weeks."

"Okay, guys... let's move on to today's challenge. Which, as you all may have guessed, involves the sport of beach volleyball. Today's challenge is called Ready, Set, Spike!"

She pointed to the two courts behind her.

"We'll be following the standard rules of two-on-two beach volleyball, with two exceptions. In order to get the tournament in in one day, each match consists of one and ONLY one winner-take-all set, with the first team to reach 15 points winning the match. You must win by at least 2 points as well, take note. The other rule change... we will be using rally scoring. In the traditional game, you only score a point if you're the team currently serving. But in rally scoring, a point is scored on every play, regardless of the serving team. Got it? To win the tournament, and thus, the challenge, all you have to do is be the first team to win three matches. Easy enough?"

Everyone nodded.

"We'll give you all a quick primer on how to play, especially for those who don't know the rules, and then we'll get started. First round pairings will be picked at random. Good luck!"

* * *

><p>The challenge began soon after, with games occurring simultaneously on both courts. Fred and Candace were up against Finn and Megan on the north court, while Kenzo and Heloise were taking on Terry and Noah on the south court.<p>

"Let's show 'em what we're made of!" Fred said to Candace as he prepared to serve the ball.

"Go for it, Fred!"

Fred lobbed the ball into the air, jumped up, and sent the ball sailing over the net. Megan took three steps to her left, and bumped the ball back up with the top of her fists. Finn screamed loudly as he jumped up and proceeded to spike the ball... into the sand and under the net.

"Finn!" Megan cried. "You were supposed to set, not spike!"

"Sorry," he apologized. "I guess I just got a little too excited."

The official gave the Red Team a point, and Fred went back to serve again.

"C'mon, Fred!" Candace encouraged him. "Ace, ace, ace!"

Fred served the ball into play, but this one was much shorter. Finn had to play it in the forecourt, which he did by setting the ball. Unfortunately, that sent the ball right into the net and then back at him. He dived and managed to make enough contact to keep the ball off of the sand, but then the official blew his whistle.

"Illegal double hit," he called out. "Point for Red!"

Megan ran over and helped pick Finn off of the ground.

"No offense, Finn," she said as he shook the sand off of his shorts, "but were you even paying attention when the rules were explained?"

"Of course I was!"

Megan glared at him. He lowered his head despondently.

"Okay... only some of the time."

Megan sighed, then signaled the official to call a timeout. She pulled Finn away from the net to chat with him privately, as their opponents Fred and Candace were celebrating as if they had already won. Meanwhile, over on the other court...

"Take **THAT**!" Heloise yelled, spiking the ball over the net... and right into Noah's face. "**IN YOUR FACE... LITERALLY!**"

"Oh, you'll pay for that!" Noah said as he got to his feet, rubbing his face where the ball had hit him.

Heloise stepped back to serve, and did so underhanded. But it was not high enough, and it failed to get completely over the net.

"Point, Brown!" the official announced. "2-2."

Noah snickered as he got the ball and stepped back to serve.

"Stay focused," Kenzo told Heloise.

"It's all you," Terry said to Noah as they traded places.

Noah went for an overhand serve, but he ended up hitting it late... and right into Terry's back.

"Ow!" he winced as he turned around to stare at Noah. "C'mon, man!"

Heloise had a huge smirk on her face as service returned to her team...

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>Moving much later in the game, Finn had managed to get a grasp of the game, and he and Megan made things competitive. But after a spike of his that just landed out of bounds, the Red Team was now on match point, and Candace was serving.<p>

"14-11," the referee shouted. "Service and match point for Red!"

"Let's finish this!" Fred clenched his fist in determination.

Candace served the ball, but hit it directly to Finn. He bumped the ball easily over to Megan to set it. She did so, setting up Finn for a spike... but Fred had run up to the net and was jumping up for a block. Regardless, Finn went up for it anyway.

"I'm gonna **SCOREEEEEEEEEE**!"

He spiked the ball, but Fred had time it just right that the ball deflected off his left forearm and back to the Purple Team's side. Megan attempted a saving dive bump, but she could not the deflect the ball back upwards, instead deflecting to the right and behind her, resulting in it landing in the sand. Fred and Candace ran towards each other to give themselves a high-five.

"Yes!" Candace squealed. "One down, two to go!"

Over on the other court, a tightly contested battle had pushed that match into overtime. The ball was already in play, with the Gray Team up 16-15 and having already served for the match.

"Go!" Heloise shouted, having set the ball for Kenzo.

He obliged, hitting the ball over to the other side, around Noah's attempted block. Terry bumped the ball up, and then Noah set it for him. Terry went for the kill shot, hitting the ball as hard as he could. Heloise broke for the ball, trying to save it...

"**STOP!**" Kenzo yelled.

Surprisingly, she did, and she watched as the ball landed on the sand... less than three inches on the outside of the line.

"**OUT!**" shouted the referee. "Point and match to Gray!"

"Good eye," Kenzo said as he came over to congratulate Heloise.

"Good call," Heloise responded. "I thought that was going to be in."

That set up them to play the Red Team in the first semifinal match. As for the other...

* * *

><p>Match three featured the Green Team against the Yellow Team. And although Kari and Rachel were faring well, they quickly discovered that returning anything hit by Lee was next to impossible. Even Rachel was getting burn marks after several failed save tries bounced or grazed off of her arms.<p>

"I hate to say it," Rachel winced, "but we may be over-matched."

"I know," agreed Kari.

Candice was serving, but she had not managed to get a ball over the net yet. And that was the only way the Green Team was scoring. She would not succeed this time, either, as another ball went into the net.

"Sorry," apologized Candice. "I'm going to get it eventually!"

"Do not fret, Miss Candice!" Lee assured her. "It is nothing we cannot overcome!"

"Tell me about it," mumbled Kari under her breath as she stepped back to serve.

"3-9," the official announced the score, "Green Team to serve."

Over on the other court...

"Dang it, Yoshimori! You were supposed to hit that one!"

"Me? That was on your half of the court, Francine!"

The two mismatched teammates seemed to be at wit's end, already headed for certain defeat, down 8-0 early to Dante and Katara, as they argued over who was responsible for a ball Katara had pegged right into the center of their side of the field.

"They're so hopeless," commented Katara.

"Perhaps," noted Dante, "but it's not over 'til it's over."

As true as that saying was, the Orange Team cruised to a 15-5 win, and would end up playing the Yellow Team next, who won their game 15-7.

* * *

><p>After a short break, the losers' bracket matches were played, with the winners gaining entry into the fifth-place match. Terry could not make up for Noah's lack of athletic ability, as the duo lost to a more-focused Finn and Megan, while Francine and Yoshimori recovered from an early 8-2 hole to take the lead 13-12 over Kari and Rachel, before losing thanks to three straight unforced errors on their part.<p>

Next came the semifinal games. Fred and Candace picked up right where they left off, getting hot quickly and not looking back as they smoked the team of Kenzo and Heloise easily, 15-4.

"Alright!" Fred exclaimed. "One more victory, and we win!"

"Yahoo!" Candace cheered. "We're finally gonna be the champs!"

Over on the other court, though, there was a barnburner of a match going on. The Yellow and Orange Teams were going back and forth, neither gaining an advantage of more than 2 points. Eventually, all the other teams were watching the game, as its length approached the one-hour mark.

"27-27," the official stated the score. "Orange to serve!"

Katara served successfully, and Lee dug deep to keep the ball from hitting the sand. Candice set the ball for Lee's monstrous spike, and Dante went to block once again, despite getting scorched on numerous attempts before this.

"**LEAF HURRICANE... CHOP!**" Lee cried out.

He managed to smash the ball in-between Dante's head and his right arm, but in doing so, accidentally directed the ball out of bounds.

"**OUT!** Point to Orange, 28-27! Match point!"

Katara prepared to serve, and for what seemed liked the sixth or seventh time for her, for the match.

"Unnnnhhh!" Katara grunted as she put the ball in play.

The ball sailed over the net, heading for the far corner of the court. Candice stopped with the back of her feet right on the line, and tried to bump the ball forward. But her angle was off enough that it bounced off her arms somewhat sideways instead of towards the net. Lee ran over and tried to hit the ball hard enough to get it up and over the net. But instead, he smacked it right into the net. The ball hit the ground, and Dante and Katara could finally celebrate their second win, albeit an exhausting one.

Lee and Candice were gracious losers, heading over to shake hands with the winners.

* * *

><p>Following a few consolation matches in which the Green Team edged out the Purple Team in the fifth-place game, 16-14, and then the Yellow Team rebounded to hastily dispose of the Gray Team, 15-3, it was time for the title match. Fred and Candace against Dante and Katara.<p>

Like the Red Team's first two matches, Fred and Candace used their power and strength to jump out to an early lead. They also took advantage of how tired the Orange Team was, having only a short amount of rest time after their marathon of a semifinal. As a result, the Red Team jumped out to a 9-4 lead.

Dante called a timeout to allow himself and Katara to catch their breath. Following that, off the strength of Katara's strong serves, they reeled off seven straight points to jump ahead 11-9.

The teams then alternated points on the next six serves, which led to...

"14-12!" the official shouted. "Orange to serve! Championship point!"

Dante was getting ready to serve, while Candace, in the forecourt, and Fred, in the backcourt, waited to return. Dante threw the ball up, jumped up, and hit it in mid-air, sending it blazing to the other side. Fred barely got his hands down in time to bump the ball up and keep it alive. Candace had no choice but to bump as well, but she accidentally turned her arms slightly away from the net, resulting in the ball repelling backwards. Fred had no chance of getting to the errant ball, as it hit the sand.

"**MATCH!**" the official declared. "Championship goes to Orange!"

"Noooo!" cried Candace. "We were so close!"

"Dang," Fred snapped his fingers. "Better luck next time, I guess."

Candace was not happy with the result, but she still joined Fred in congratulating Katara and Dante on the win.

"Great game, guys," Dante said to his opponents.

"I didn't think we were gonna come back," Katara sheepishly admitted.

"You guys are good," Candace told them, "but we'll definitely get you next time!"

"That's a promise," Fred assured them. "We'll break through, for sure!"

* * *

><p>"Congratulations, Dante and Katara!" Kiyone said to them. "You guys win for the second time in three challenges."<p>

They got a round of applause from the others as a result.

"Also, the two of you have become the fifth and sixth people to max out your money pools! If either of you end up in the Final Four, you could leave Hawai'i with half a million dollars."

"Alright!" Katara raised her arms triumphantly.

"As for the rest of you, there's only one challenge left. Candice, Fred, Rachel, Kenzo, Candace, and Megan... you all still have a chance to get to half a million dollars. So, for you guys, I'd focus on doing well in that final challenge."

They all nodded in understanding.

"Off to more grave business..."

Kiyone pulled out two more Damage Counters.

"Dante and Katara... you know what to do."

Katara went first, staying true to her alliance's plan... and placing the one she had next to Francine, giving her two.

"Oh, come on!" audibly grumbled Francine.

Katara declined to give a public reason, instead deferring to Dante, who decided to give his to Terry - which gave him two as well.

"Sorry, bud," Dante directed at Terry, "just doing what needs to be done."

Terry frowned, but did not issue a response.

"Alright," Kiyone said. "You guys have the option of removing a Damage Counter. Would you like to?"

They did not need to think about. Both Dante and Katara shook their heads, inferring an emphatic 'no.'

"I believe it's counterproductive at this point to take a Damage Counter off the board," Dante explained.

"Yeah," Katara added, "especially when some people deserve it."

Francine immediately took that as a snipe at her, but some of the others seemed concerned about the statement as well.

"Let's see where we stand," Kiyone said, glancing at the tote board. "With only one challenge to go, Heloise is the only person with three Damage counters. Francine, Terry, Fred, and Noah - each of you have two. Kari and Candace, with an 'A' - the two of you have one apiece. All of you are in danger of being left off of the Final Four ballot for your peers if you have three Damage Counters by your photo at the end of the next challenge. The rest of you are safe and are now guaranteed to be on the ballot."

Those deemed safe clapped their approval, breathed a sigh of relief, or cracked a smile.

"The team that wins the final challenge may play a definitive hand in someone's chances of winning this game. Only that team will assuredly control their own destiny. I suggest getting a lot of rest, guys and gals... the final challenge will be your biggest one yet."

With that, the cast headed off the beach, already thinking about what the results of this challenge meant to each of them - and what they had to do and who they had to impress... if they were to survive the final challenge still eligible to be voted into the Final Four.

**End Episode Ten**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Voting's back this week - only two more votes until you vote for the winner! Make sure the characters you want in the Final Four get in first, though! Also, the time has arrived to start submitting questions to be asked to the cast at the season-ending reunionfinale! Questions can be submitted via PM, in your review, or through my Twitter! The submission deadline is Friday, July 29, by 5 pm EST! So start thinking what the cast should be asked!

**Next up:** Episode 11 - Next Monday, July 18th, 7 pm EST!


	11. Five Times the Effort

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Don't forget to submit your questions for the cast for the finale / reunion special! We're only two weeks from naming a winner!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Night Eighteen<p>

"Finn! Nice meeting you here!"

Finn scratched his head in confusion as Heloise stood before him in the second floor hallway, with a big smile on her face.

"Uh... didn't you just ask me to come up here?"

"Step into my office!" Heloise exclaimed, as she got behind him and pushed him into her bedroom.

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Eleven - Five Times the Effort (07.18.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Finn took a seat on Heloise's bed as she closed the curtain behind her.

"So, Finn..." she began, "how long do you think we've known each other? Two, maybe three weeks?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Sounds about right."

"Right, right. And how long were we partners?"

"Lemme think... about 15 days?"

"Good," Heloise nodded, ready to get to the point. "So, since we were partnered for the longest time, doesn't it make sense that we should vote for each other?"

"Uh..."

"Great! You vote for me and I'll totally vote for you! Or else I'll rip your brains out and use it to power my DestructoBots!"

She had said that last sentence in her sweetest, most girlish tone, hoping to sneak it by Finn before he had processed what she said. But...

"Sorry, Heloise. But I just can't do that."

Heloise... did not take the rejection well.

"**WHAT?**"

"I fight for good, and you're an evil genius. No way my conscience would allow such an agreement."

Finn got up to leave. Heloise cut him off, with flames coming out of her eyes.

"You do realize who I am, right? Nobody, and I do mean, **NOBODY, SAYS NO TO HELOISE!**"

Finn smiled. "You don't scare me!"

With that, he pushed Heloise aside, and exited the room.

"Oh," he popped his head back in, "and you should probably get those eyes checked."

He then left, and Heloise exploded in anger. Well, she was about to, but instead, she was completely dumbfounded.

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"No way! I've never met anyone who's brushed off one of my threats like it was nothing. No one except... gasp, Jimmy! But what does that mean?"_

* * *

><p>Day Nineteen<p>

Kari emerged from her bedroom and got a frightening site... Francine standing before her with a butcher's knife in hand.

"Good morning... **KARI!**"

"**AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!**"

Francine brought the knife down... and it chopped the grapefruit on the counter clear in half.

"You up for grapefruit juice, dear?"

Kari gulped. "I... think I'll pass."

Francine chopped the grapefruit in half a few more times until the pieces were small enough to go in the juicer. Kari walked past her to get a mug from the cabinet, then to the coffeemaker.

"I made that coffee just for you!" Francine exclaimed.

"Really?" Kari nervously laughed. "Great... can't wait to drink it."

Francine turned around to watch Kari pour coffee into her mug, and then take a sip out of it. Kari looked at Francine suspiciously.

"You... didn't poison this, did you?"

Francine laughed. "Me? Oh, no. That's something my husband would do. Me? **I JUST MADE YOU DECAF!**"

Kari glanced weirdly at her mug, then Francine.

"Oh. That's why it tastes different."

"While I have you," Francine said as she tossed the grapefruit pieces into the juicer, "can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, roomie," Kari nodded, though she did so hesitantly.

"What was up with you giving me a Damage Counter?" Francine asked sweetly. "I asked Katara when we got back yesterday why she did the same, but she couldn't look me in the eye when she gave me her answer!"

Francine put her arm around Kari's shoulder, pulling her closer.

"We're the women of the house. I've taken you out drinking a few times! And now we're in the same alliance! Wouldn't you say that entitles me to hear the truth about why you'd do such a thing?"

"Um..."

"I have two kids, Kari! Two! One that's in college, and another that will be in a few years! With the economy the way it is, don't you think it's wrong to try to screw a mother out of half a million dollars?"

"Francine! It's not like that, I swear!"

"Okay," Francine said, as she pulled Kari in even closer, "then what is it like?"

Francine stared into Kari's eyes, waiting for an answer. Just as Kari began to realize that she would have to tell her the truth, Terry and Lee walked in from outside, laughing heartily. But when the pairs saw each other, Francine pulled away from Kari, while Terry and Lee grew quiet, both of them putting their hands behind them.

"Oh!" Kari lied. "I think I heard Rachel calling me. Better see what she wants."

With that, Kari ran out of the kitchen.

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"I don't have the heart to tell Francine the truth! She'd kill me if she learned that the girls and I are trying to keep her out of the Final Four! But if I don't tell her... she might kill me anyway! Ugh... why do I always keep getting myself mixed up in this situations?"_

"What was that all about?" Terry asked Francine.

"Oh, nothing. Just girl talk. But now that that's over, would you mind helping me fix breakfast?"

"Of course."

As Francine turned her back, Terry whispered something to Lee. He ran into their bedroom shortly afterwards.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, the cast got a call from Kiyone.<p>

"Hey, everyone! There's still one Tiki Idol out there, and one more challenge left to use it! In case it hasn't already been found, here's one last clue! Ahem... 'Do you want to set this tiki idol free? All you have to do is dig under a certain tree. If you wanna be a gold digger, here's your chance. Find me, and celebrate with a sandy sun-worship dance!'"

Kiyone hung up, and the search was on for the last idol. Terry, Noah, Heloise, and Yoshimori ran outside, and the four of them individually began digging up the tree-shaded sandy areas near the front of the house. Megan and Lee watched them dig feverishly.

"Strange," Megan commented out loud, before turning to Lee. "You guys didn't find it before?"

"No," Lee replied, "we did not."

"I see."

Megan dropped the subject, and they continued to watch as the diggers continued their search. But after only about 15 minutes, it became plainly obvious that the idol had been found before their arrival.

"Unbelievable!" cried Yoshimori. "It should be here! But it's not!"

Terry sighed. "Looks like we'll have to wait and see if whomever has it, uses it tomorrow."

Noah groaned. "What a waste of time. I knew it wasn't here the moment I started digging."

The group headed inside, but not before Heloise eyed Terry suspiciously. They all went in except for Terry and Lee, who shared a low-five once the coast was clear.

"I cannot believe that actually worked," Lee said to Terry.

"I know," Terry said back. "They don't suspect a thing. You sure it's in a good place?"

Lee nodded. "I put in a place where only I would think to look. Just like you said."

"Good. Now we know the teams will stay as is. Good work."

The pair walked into the house, and went their separate ways. But just as Lee disappeared from Terry's sight, he was confronted by Francine.

"Terry! So, no go?"

Terry shook his head. "Someone already found it."

"Nuts. Oh well, onto plan B! So, did you think about what I asked you earlier?"

Terry smirked.

_Confessional Cam - Terry_

_"I love Kari like a sister, but something tells me it's gonna take more than four votes to get into the Final Four. You've got to do what it takes to win, and even if that means betraying a friend's trust, then so be it. She knows it's not personal. I'm just doing what I need to get into the Final Four."_

"You've got yourself a deal."

Terry reached out for a handshake, and Francine obliged.

"Pleasure doing business with you... new alliance partner!"

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Day Twenty<p>

The competitors got up early in the morning and took a long trip into downtown Honolulu, getting caught in rush hour on the way. They still made it to the location of their challenge at a decent time - the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex on the University of Hawaii's main campus. The final challenge would take place here, as they noted several track and field events getting set up. Luckily, they had followed instructions and had come dressed to compete.

"Okay," Kiyone said to them. "Time for the tenth challenge! Your last chance to add money to your pots if you haven't reached the max prize yet. Also, last chance to either give someone their third Damage Counter OR get your third one wiped from the board! As you can see, the field is being set up for a number of track and field events... for today, you're all competing in the Roomies Pentathlon! It follows the classic pentathlon set-up, which requires the participants to complete five events in one day. Those events are the long jump, the javelin throw, the 200-meter dash, the discus throw, and the 1500-meter run."

"You mean we have to do **ALL** of them?" questioned Yoshimori. "Today?"

"Each team has to complete five events. Each of you individually only have to do three. The first two is your choice of the first four events, while the third is the 1500-meter run, which must be run by everyone."

"And I assume the scoring is similar to that of the actual event?" queried Dante.

"Yes, but with minor tweaks to make things a little more competitive. The basics, though, are the same. The winner of each event earns 1000 points. The other participants get points based on how far away from the winning mark they are. Naturally, the team with the most points at the end of the day wins the challenge."

"What are we waiting for?" Finn asked excitedly. "Let's do this!"

Kiyone held up a hand to stop him.

"Not so fast! There is the matter of the third and final Tiki Idol, which is still in play! This is the last chance to use it, if you've found it. So... anyone have it and is looking to shake things up one last time?"

Eyes started darting amongst the cast members. Some in fear, others with curious interest. Heloise had her gaze focused on the most likely suspects in Finn, Megan, Terry, and Lee. In return, the looks on their faces ranged from nervous to indifference to solid as a rock. Francine had her eyes closed and her fingers crossed, hoping for a switch. But...

"No one? Alright, then. Figure out whose doing what events, and then we'll get started."

* * *

><p>The challenge began soon after with the first event, the long jump.<p>

"In the long jump," explained Kiyone, "as well as the other field attempts, each competitor gets three attempts at it, with only the best mark counting."

A random draw determined jumping order, and Lee ended up as the first jumper.

"**KIAI! SHOW 'EM HOW IT'S DONE!**" Candice yelled.

Lee did just that, sprinting down the runway, and taking off. His jump was pretty good, well over six meters. But the judge at the jump line had raised a red flag, indicating Lee had jumped too late, thus resulting in a fault on his first jump.

"That is impossible!" argued Lee.

The judge showed him the tape that was being used to record the line, and clearly the last foot of Lee's to touch the ground had touched on the far side of the line.

"I see," Lee nodded, seeing the judge was right. "I must make an adjustment in my approach, then."

Fred was up next, and he intended to make the best of Lee's gaffe to be the first to get on the board. He succeeded, getting off a clean takeoff, and hitting the sand pit properly.

"3.88 meters!" the measuring judge declared.

"Alright," Fred said with a smile. "That's a good starting point."

He turned around and ended up staring right at his partner, Candace, who had a differing opinion.

"That's it? That's as far as you can jump?"

"Well, I thought it was pretty go-"

"C'mon!" Candace pulled Fred off by the arm. "You've got some stretching to do!"

Yoshimori and Noah followed after Fred, and both faulted on their jumps as well, in the same way Lee did. Dante was next, and he was focused and ready to go.

"This should be a cinch."

He got the 'go' signal, and he took off. Everyone watched as he shattered Fred's mark easily and put up a tough mark to beat at 6.45 meters.

_Confessional Cam - Dante_

_"I'm not one to flaunt, but... that's not bad for someone who's not in Olympic-shape."_

Finn followed with a jump matching his incredible speed and jumping ability for someone his age, recording one of 4.27 meters. Kari, the only female competing in the event, showed she had the leg to be successful, putting up the 2nd-best jump of the first round by landing one of 4.50 meters.

"You go, girl!" Rachel said, high-fiving Kari afterwards.

* * *

><p>Moving ahead to the third and final jump, Lee walked up to the starting point, having also faulted on his second jump and needing to get a legal jump in.<p>

"Jump early if you have to," Candice told him. "We get a 0 for this event if you fault again!"

Lee nodded, then turned his focus to the task ahead of him.

_Confessional Cam - Lee_

_"I am not math genius, but it does not take one to know making up a thousand point deficit to someone like Dante is next to impossible! If I do not land this jump, we have no shot at winning this challenge!"_

Lee took what he had learned from his two failed jumps and applied them to his approach as he sprinted down the runway. Just to be on the safe side, though, he also heeded Candice's advice, and jumped a step earlier. It would cut down his jump distance, but it was worth risking just to get on the board. And get on, he did.

"6.08 meters," the judge shouted aloud.

Lee raised his arms triumphantly, as if he had taken the lead instead of moving from last to just second place.

"Way to go!" Candice exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up.

The round continued on. Yoshimori also succeeded in finally getting a mark on the board, but only one of 4.20 meters, good enough for fifth. Noah was not so lucky, as he ended up faulting on his final attempt, resulting in no score in this event. Dante's first jump ended up his best, though his second and third were pretty good as well, as he was the only person to get off three legal jumps. The rest of the competition did not even come close, the event ending with Kenzo faulting for the third straight time.

[After 1 Event:  
>Or 1000, Ye 963, Pu 810, Gn 805, Bl 775, Re 743, Br 0, Gy 0]<p>

* * *

><p>Onto the second event, the javelin throw. Skipping ahead to the third and final round of attempts, action started with Heloise, who was pretty angry as she held the pointy weapon in hand.<p>

_Confessional Cam - Terry_

_"Who in their right mind thinks giving Heloise a javelin is a good idea? I'm pretty sure our medical waivers don't cover her chucking one of those into our heart."_

But Heloise had no intention of hurting anyone. She just wanted to get a good mark. And considering her best throw in the first two rounds was just 17.00 meters even, that looked like a tall order.

"You'd better fly far," she threatened her javelin, "**OR ELSE!**"

She charged for the fault line and threw her javelin once she reached it as hard as she could. The throw was a little to her left, but was otherwise straight. But as the pointed end hit the ground, lodging itself in at an angle, she screeched in frustration, knowing that was not as good as her previous throw.

"15.35 meters!"

"Sorry," Kiyone said to Heloise, "but it looks like another last-place finish for the Gray Team."

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"So unfair! All I ask is for one challenge in which my skills trump everyone else's! Like... building doomsday devices in record time! Is that so much to ask?"_

Terry quickly showed how unfair it was for Heloise as he bested his previous event-best-so-far mark of 58.53 meters with a throw of 61.28 meters.

"Now **THAT'S** how you throw a javelin!" he exclaimed.

Candace stepped in for her final throw.

"Here goes nothing..."

She went for it, and was rewarded with her best throw of the day, her javelin landing a little over 45 meters away, good enough to put her in third place. But for how long? Yoshimori, Rachel, and Finn all went after her, and all three of them came up short. The next person was Candice, who was determined to improve on her best throw, which was a hair under 40 meters.

_Confessional Cam - Candice_

_"The key to doing something unfamiliar is imagining it **AS** something familiar! The javelin, for example, I can pretend it's a Pokéball! One that's not a ball and has a pointy end... you know what I mean!"_

Candice began her final attempt, running for the line...

"Javelin, **GO!**"

She let her javelin fly, and she waited to hear the measurement.

"47.75 meters!"

"Yes!" Candice shouted. "A new personal best!"

Perhaps, but that put her only in third place. That left only one person to go, and that was Dante, who was currently in second with a throw of 52.40 meters. Terry could only watch as Dante made his throw. But his nervousness turned into relief when Dante's throw went a little too far to the left, and landed just outside the marked landing area. Not that it mattered, as the throw would have only been about 50 meters, well short of Terry's mark.

"Oh well," Dante shrugged. "Can't win 'em all."

He then went over to give a congratulatory handshake to Terry.

[Event 2 Scores:  
>Br 1000, Or 911, Ye 865, Re 838, Gn 825, Pu 769, Bl 750, Gy 557]<br>[After 2 Events:  
>Or 1911, Ye 1828, Gn 1630, Re 1581, Pu 1579, Bl 1525, Br 1000, Gy 557]<p>

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, the participants were lined up at starting line on the far corner of the track for the 200-meter dash. The runners, from the innermost lane to the outermost, were: Terry, Megan, Rachel, Katara, Lee, Fred, Francine, and Kenzo.<p>

"One 200-meter run," Kiyone said aloud. "Even if you don't win the race, try to finish as close behind as possible! This isn't the event you wanna slack off... go all out, or you'll pay for it later!"

Francine and Kenzo looked at each other and were wondering why they each had agreed to do this event.

_Confessional Cam - Kenzo_

_"Days like this remind me how old I am. And that's not a good thing, especially when going up against some of these younger guys!"_

Kiyone left to wait at the finish line with the others, as the starter began giving the commands.

"Runners, on your mark!"

Everyone got into their starting blocks, but obviously that was easier for some people than others. Once they were all settled...

"Set..."

They all raised their butts into the air...

**BANG!**

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>"Set..."<p>

Those at the finish line looked over on the opposite side of the track, waiting for the signal...

**BANG!**

And with that, they were off! Immediately, Lee again showed his athletic prowess as he got out of the blocks quickly in Lane 5 and stormed to the lead. Everyone else desperately pushed to keep pace, but only Terry in Lane 1, Fred in Lane 3, and Kenzo in Lane 8 could do so.

"You get 'em, Lee!" screamed Candice.

They came out of the curve and to the straightaway, and Lee seemed to shift to an even higher gear as he tried to pull away. Only Terry could respond, doing his best to match Lee stride for stride. The two of them left everyone else in the dust as they charged for the finish. But even Terry started to run out of gas in the final 25 meters, and Lee won the race convincingly. He had been so fast that Kiyone was in shock as she looked at the timing pod.

"19.59? That's... that's the fastest 200 run so far this year!"

"That's close to a world record!" Dante noted.

Terry was second, coming in at 20.91, more than a second behind. Rachel came in out of nowhere to finish a distant third at 23.05, with a replay needed to confirm her just edging out Fred by a few hundredths of a second for that spot. Katara, Megan, Kenzo, and a very exhausted and distraught Francine, who was aching in pain really bad after she finished, rounded out the field.

"You okay?" Yoshimori asked, as Francine sat down on the track.

"Does it **LOOK** like I'm okay?" Francine fired back angrily, before wincing in pain. "**OW!**"

"It's probably nothing serious," Kenzo said as he knelt in front of her, by her legs. "Probably just a leg cramp."

Kiyone signaled for the medical crew, and with Kenzo's help, they quickly checked it out... and confirmed Kenzo's preliminary diagnosis. After a few minutes, Francine was helped up to her feet, and she was walked off of the track under her own power.

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"I don't know how those Jamaicans do it! That hurt like Hell! I've never been in so much pain before! **EVER!** And that's considering I've birthed two kids!"_

[Event 3 Scores:  
>Ye 1000, Br 868, Gn 654, Re 650, Or 442, Pu 434, Gy 391, Bl 229]<br>[After 3 Events:  
>Ye 2828, Or 2353, Gn 2284, Re 2231, Pu 2013, Br 1868, Bl 1754, Gy 948]<p>

* * *

><p>But whatever pain Francine had felt, it had gone away after a half hour break. She was cleared to compete in the fourth event, the discus throw, and was determined to make up ground. Her first throw went directly into the ground, but her second...<p>

"**GO!**" she yelled as she let the discus fly.

She and everyone else watched as it came down beyond the 50-meter line, to their surprise. They waited for Kiyone to announce the official measurement.

"53.75 meters," Kiyone said through a megaphone, "second-best mark of the event so far!"

"**YES!**" Francine shouted, before pointing at Kari. "In your face!"

Rachel whispered to her partner. "Um, she does realize she's second place to you, right?"

"It's okay," Kari replied. "Let her have her moment."

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"I'm determined to make up ground and avoid that third strike! We will finish this challenge in fourth place, no matter what!"_

Francine would not stay elated for long, as three people later, Candace came up for her second throw of three.

"Stay in the circle," she told herself, having faulted on her first attempt. "Stay in the circle, stay in the circle."

Candace spun around twice, then let her discus fly, this time making sure that both of her feet stayed in the circle. When she saw her discus strike the ground just beyond the 60-meter mark, she began to dance in elation, aware that Kari's had landed right at 60 meters. A minute later, Kiyone confirmed what Candace already knew.

"61.52 meters! Candace is your new leader!"

"Woo hoo!" Candace shouted. "Who's the best? Candace is the best?"

But would her celebration be premature? Kari was next up, and she had an immediate shot at reclaiming the lead. Unfortunately, Kari's second throw did not fly as far as her first, so the ex-Roomie champ was now in second place with one throw to go.

Both her and Candace would have to wait until their turn came up again. Katara immediately put a scare into them when her second throw landed just over 55 meters away, which vaulted her into third. A few minutes later, Heloise started the third round of throws with a personal-best toss of just over 57 meters, pushing her past Katara. Francine tried to get back into the top three, but her final throw sailed out of bounds. Noah, the only male competing in the event, saved his best for last - but at 45 meters, he remained in his current position, second-from-last.

Candace could not improve on her second throw, though she lucked out when Kari faulted on her last throw, nullifying what would have been an event-winning throw of just under 63 meters. Shortly thereafter, Candace celebrated when Katara's final throw sailed out of bounds as well, vaulting the Red Team into the third in the overall standings and well within striking distance of a challenge win.

[Event 4 Scores:  
>Re 1000, Gn 970, Gy 912, Or 874, Bl 845, Pu 812, Br 672, Ye 654]<br>[After 4 Events:  
>Ye 3482, Gn 3254, Re 3231, Or 3227, Pu 2825, Bl 2599, Br 2540, Gy 1860]<p>

* * *

><p>All 16 competitors were standing near the starting line for the final event, the 1500-meter run.<p>

"255 points separates first from fourth," Kiyone told them, "which means the 1500-meter run will determine today's winner! And since everyone's running this event, all eight teams are still mathematically alive with a possible 2000 points at stake if one team dominates with a simultaneous one-two finish! So whether you're going for the challenge win or just trying to get to fourth to avoid receiving a Damage Counter, it all comes down to this! One last note... anyone who is lapped by the leader, **EXCEPT** in the final 100 meters, will be asked to get off the track. Anyone who falls victim to that receives 0 points for this final event - so, whatever it takes, stay on the lead lap and finish the race! Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"1500 meters is three and three-quarter laps around the track! Good luck, guys!"

* * *

><p>The racers lined up on the curved start line; each person's proximity to the inside of the track drawn beforehand at random. The starter raised his pistol into the air.<p>

"Ready..."

Everyone leaned forward, and two seconds later, the gun went off. They all took off, with the expected suspects sprinting out to the head of the pack - as in Yoshimori, Terry, Lee, and Dante. But it was Fred who led them all into the first turn. Behind the front five was Candace, Katara, and Kenzo, who were all side-by-side as they led the rest of the field. And, as predicted, the smaller and/or non-athletic competitors fell to the back, including Finn, Megan, Noah, Candice, and Heloise.

The lead pack of five pulled away from the field, and covered the first 300 meters in 50.1 seconds, a very fast pace. Yoshimori had taken the lead from Fred, but it was becoming quickly apparent that he and Fred had started too fast and were in no condition to keep their current pace for three more laps. Fred backed out of the group at 400 meters in, and by the end of the backstretch, Yoshimori had relinquished the lead to Terry before he, too, started slowing down.

Terry noted Lee to his right, attempting to pass him in the turn, and he let him go by and let the ninja set the pace. Dante remained with them, and the trio got into a straight line soon after hitting the frontstretch.

"Two to go!" Kiyone told them as they crossed the line.

Yoshimori crossed three seconds behind the leaders, and the pain on his face showed he was pushing himself hard to try and stay with them. About 125 meters back, Candace was the leading girl, but teammates Kari and Rachel were just seconds behind her.

At this point in the race, the leaders were coming up on the back of the field, and they were starting to lap people. First came Heloise on the near end of the track, then later on at the far end, both Megan and Finn were lapped. The trio reached the front stretch, and they seemed to still be running the same pace they started the race with. As they passed by Noah, who stopped immediately after being lapped, Lee took a glance over his shoulder to see if either Dante or Terry were getting ready to make a move.

**RING! RING! RI- RI- RING!**

The final lap began, and the three stayed in line with Lee still at the front of it. They all move to lane two as they passed by three more stragglers: Candice, Francine, and Katara. Once they got out of the turn and onto the backstretch, Dante made his move, pulling out of line and picking up speed. Lee instantly sensed it and picked up his pace to match it, keeping Dante behind. Terry attempted to follow, but could not seem to match them.

"It's coming down to this," Kiyone commented at the finish line. "Lee, Dante, and Terry, racing for the event win, and the former two for a challenge win!"

But some eyes were on the front stretch, as Green Team members Kari and Rachel were not only still together, but they were now in fourth and fifth place overall as they crossed the line to get their one-to-go signal.

"Green Team still has both members in the race... and still with outside chance of winning the challenge if they can pick up the pace just a little..."

As if hearing the hostess, both of them started running faster, trying to push through the pain and oncoming exhaustion. Back at the front, the leaders had lapped Fred, Candace, and Kenzo, and were now heading into the final turn. Dante increased his speed again, and him and Lee were now alone to duel for the win, with Terry having dropped too far behind them to contend.

"Come on!" Finn yelled at them. "**YOU CAN DO IT!**"

Dante pulled alongside of Lee and was a half-stride ahead as they entered the homestretch. They both saw Yoshimori about 30 meters ahead of them and his current location was a problem to the leaders. Dante and Lee accessed whatever they had left in their tanks and they went all out. They knew that whomever reached and passed by Yoshimori first would not only win the event... but would most likely win the challenge as well.

"Will Lee or Dante come out on top?" Kiyone voice-over narrated. "Could someone's fate be determined by the outcome? Find out who wins the final event... and then who makes the Final Four, on the next episode of 'Roomies Goes Global!'"

**End Episode Eleven**

**Author's Notes:**  
>The next couple weeks are big! This week is your last chance to help vote cast members into the Final Four. The cast have already picked two, which you'll find out in next week's episode, and you, the readers, are responsible for filling the other two slots! One last shot to have your say... so make sure to vote! Once the Final Four is decided, it'll be up to you to pick a winner! So make sure you vote1 Their fate rests in your hands!<p>

**Next up:** Episode 12 - Next Monday, July 25th, 7 pm EST!


	12. Last Call for Help

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Now it's time to find out who made the Final Four! But first...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event  
>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Twenty<p>

The leaders were entering the final turn. Terry was not able to keep up and had fallen back, leaving Lee and Dante to race for the win.

"Come on!" Finn yelled at them. "**YOU CAN DO IT!**"

Dante pulled alongside of Lee and was a half-stride ahead as they entered the homestretch. They both saw Yoshimori about 30 meters ahead of them and his current location was going to be a problem. Whomever got to him first would win the event... and most likely, the challenge.

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Twelve - Last Call for Help (07.25.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Dante and Lee picked up their speed even more, determined to leave everything on the track. But it turned out that Dante had a bit more left, as he edged ahead. And Yoshimori turned out to not be an issue, as he drifted to the outside to allow them to go by. Even more surprising was the fact that Dante was leaving Lee behind... as the adult male crossed the finish line, winning by a comfortable margin.

"You won!" Katara screamed ecstatically as she jogged over with a towel and a water bottle.

"Thanks," was all Dante could say, as he bent over to catch his breath.

Lee finished a couple seconds later, and he too was tired after that hard run. As he gathered himself, Terry was seen getting his second wind, as he sprinted over the finish line.

"I think we won the challenge!" Candice told Lee as she helped him off the track.

Sure enough, only the Green Team had any slim chance left of getting enough points to top them. But they were not gonna make it, as Kari was just entering the final turn, and she had left her partner Rachel about 60 meters behind her on the backstretch. With that, Lee went over to congratulate Dante on the event win, while Dante congratulated Lee on clinching the challenge.

* * *

><p>"Okay," Kiyone addressed the entire group a few minutes later, "the results of the challenge are now official! The winners, with 4449 points... are the Yellow Team!"<p>

Applause could be heard as Lee and Candice high-fived each other.

"Despite Dante's best efforts, the Orange Team finishes in second, 222 points behind. The good news... that team, along with the Green and Brown Teams, who finished third and fourth overall, are safe."

That delighted some people, while it made others worry.

"Candice and Rachel, I'd also like to congratulate the two of you... because as result of today's challenge, the two of you are now in the half-million club! If either of you are voted the winner of 'Roomies Goes Global,' you'll be leaving here with $500,000!"

Both girls hollered in celebration.

"You two join Lee, Noah, Terry, Kari, Dante, and Katara in that club, meaning exactly half of you have a shot at $500,000! Now, here's the bad news..."

Kiyone pulled out the last two Damage Counters of the game.

"The Red, Purple, Blue, and Gray Teams now face doomsday. Some of you already have a third strike or are still in danger of getting a third strike - which would prevent your peers from voting you into the Final Four tomorrow night."

She walked over to Lee and Candice and handed one to each of them.

"Alright, Lee and Candice... will you heavily handicap someone's chances of getting into the Final Four? Step up to the board, you two, and show us your picks."

The duo looked at each other, debating who should go first. Lee eventually stepped forward and decided to place his next to Fred's photo.

"**NO!**" Fred shouted.

"Okay," Kiyone turned to Lee. "For the second, and possibly **WORST** time in the competition, Fred has received his third Damage Counter."

It was now Candice's turn. There were three people left on the board with two strikes - Terry, Noah, and Francine. But Terry and Noah, currently teammates, finished fourth in the challenge, and were safe. But Francine was not...

"I hate to do this," Candice said aloud, "but there's only one logical choice."

Francine watched as Candice gave her a third and final Damage Counter. Francine was in such disbelief that she could not even muster a response.

"Now, Yellow Team, you have a chance to take away someone's Damage Counter. At this juncture, the only action you could take, if you were to repeal a counter, was to take away one from somebody who already had three going into this challenge. And only **ONE** person was in that situation."

Kiyone pointed to Heloise, who had an unpleasant scowl on her face.

"Lee and Candice, do you want to take away one of Heloise's Damage Counters, effectively putting her back into the game?"

The two huddled to discuss it, but it did not take long to come to a final decision.

"No," Lee replied. "No, we will not."

"Very well. Lee and Candice, please rejoin the other teams."

They did as they were told, making the smart move by staying away from the three people they just screwed over.

"That marks the end of the official competition! **BUT...**"

Everyone turned to Kiyone upon hearing the word 'but.'

"This was **NOT** the last challenge. At least, for some of you."

"What does that even mean?" Noah asked.

"Tomorrow, before the Final Four vote, there will be what we're calling the 'Last Chance Challenge.'"

She first turned to Heloise, Fred, and Francine.

"Francine, Fred, and Heloise, participation in this challenge is mandatory for you, But there is a big reward waiting. For if one of you wins that challenge tomorrow... I will remove all of your Damage Counters, which allows your peers to vote for you to make the Final Four."

"You mean I still have a chance?" Francine gasped with hope.

"I... I can still win this!" declared Fred.

"**HA!**" Heloise shouted, pointing at the others. "Take **THAT**, haters!"

Kiyone then pointed out a few choice others.

"Candace, Finn, Kenzo, Megan, and Yoshimori. The five of you have less than three Damage Counters but also did not make it to $500,000. For you five, participation in the challenge is optional, but if any of you emerge as the winner... we'll bump up your prize money to $500,000, no matter how close or far from it you currently are."

"Flippin' awesome!" Finn exclaimed jubilantly.

"That's great news!" Kenzo cried with joy.

"Yes!" Candace pumped her fist. "I'm still in it to win it!"

"As for the rest of you," Kiyone looked at the others, "those of you in the half-million club already... you get to come to the challenge and relax. Sound good?"

They all nodded.

"So, you're going to have the rest of the day today and most of tomorrow to think about if you're gonna participate in the challenge, if applicable, and who you're gonna vote into the Final Four. The top two vote getters at tomorrow night's ceremony get in, as well as two voted in by the viewers. The next 24 hours will be your most stressful here. I suggest you use them wisely. See you tomorrow evening, guys and gals."

With that, everyone headed off, getting ready to make the trek back to the beach house.

* * *

><p>Shortly after returning to the house, the 'adult' voting bloc met to discuss a thing or two. As in... who should be in it.<p>

"Obviously," Kari began, "we need to come up with contingency plans. Francine and Heloise both are ineligible, and only one of them can still get in after tomorrow, anyway. We do have a few options as to whom we might vote for instead..."

"Hold on there!" argued Francine. "Just because I might be out doesn't mean I no longer have a say!"

"Exactly!" nodded Heloise. "Who died and made you queen of this alliance?"

"Yeah!"

"No one!" Kari replied. "We just have to prepare for whatever happens tomorrow now... so we're prepared!"

"I just think you just want to get rid of us!" Heloise shouted. "We still have votes, and I can guarantee neither of us are writing your name down tomorrow night!"

"You're not winning this game unless I win it first!" stated Francine, even though that was not possible.

Kari glanced over at Dante and Kenzo.

"Guys, help me talk some sense into these two!"

Kenzo put his hands up defensively. "Sorry, but I know better than to get mixed up in something like this."

"Besides," added Dante, "you're all adults... or have adult minds... I'm sure you ladies are perfectly capable of resolving your differences in a way that works out great for all of us."

_Confessional Cam - Kenzo_

_"When you get to my age, you learn to never get involved in a catfight. Saying even one word can make a woman hate you for years. It's better to let them handle their own issues."_

* * *

><p>...and while we leave them to handle it themselves as well, another girl had issues with an alliance of her own, as Megan had been presented by Finn to his voting partners, Yoshimori, Terry, and Lee.<p>

"C'mon, guys!" pleaded Finn. "Terry, you said we needed a fifth to cover our bases, right?"

"I did say that," recalled Terry.

"Great! Then who better to add than Megan? She's a good friend and I totally trust her!"

Megan nodded as he looked over at Terry and Lee.

"And how about all the adventures we had, putting together that obstacle course **AND** helped you search for that Tiki Idol. Which... we never found, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

"Well," Lee said, "we have been around her more than anyone else outside of each other and our own respective partners."

"Maybe you guys have," argued Yoshimori, "but I haven't! I don't have any reason to trust her! She's not gonna vote for me!"

"Oh, yes I will!" Megan marched over to him. "It's part of the by-rules. Five people, four votes, and you can't put your own name on the ballot! The way I see it... you need me more than I need you, guy-who-got-stuck-with-Francine!"

Yoshimori sighed.

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"Okay, so I told a 'little' white lie. But it's the only way to get more than four votes with everyone getting in their alliances and junk! And look at it this way... I can pick and choose who I want to support, and neither group knows of what I've done! I'm such a genius!"_

"I am in for adding Megan to the alliance!" Lee declared.

Terry nodded, signifying his agreement. They then all turned to Yoshimori, who decided to let her in as well.

"Fine. But you'd better not turn your back on us!"

Megan laughed. "Why would I have reason to do that?"

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Day Twenty-One<p>

The cast members rushed to pack their things, as they would be leaving Hawai'i right after the Final Four vote that night. Still, there was some last-minute deal-making was taking place... mostly involving Rachel, who was seen talking to Kari about being the extra vote in their alliance... and then by Fred, who was desperate to find an alliance of his own to join.

_Confessional Cam - Rachel_

_"I haven't been as popular as I have been today then I was the first 20 days here! Hopefully that means my chances of making the Final Four are good."_

* * *

><p>Night Twenty-One<p>

Just after nightfall, the cast was seen loading their bags into four different limos, ready to take them to the airport in a little bit. But first things first, as they walked up the beach a quarter-mile to where a one-wall tent (read: tarp tied to the top of four poles) was set up, as were torches and a bonfire around it. Kiyone was waiting for them, with two small bleachers sets around her. They sat in the one to her right as they came in. Once they were all seated, she began speaking to them.

"Well, guys, welcome to your last few moments in Hawai'i! But first, we have to pick a Final Four... and before that, we have the Last Chance Challenge. For some of you, a chance to wipe your slate clean, get rid of your strikes, and be eligible for the peer vote. For others, a chance to up your final bank to a half-million dollars."

She turned to Heloise, Fred, and Francine.

"Heloise, Fred, and Francine... participation in this challenge is mandatory for you three. I'd like to ask you to please move over to the other bleachers."

They did as they were told.

"Okay... Candace, Finn, Kenzo, Megan, and Yoshimori. For you five, participation in this challenge is optional. If you'd like to be in this challenge, please join Heloise, Fred, and Francine on the other side... now."

Candace, Megan, and Yoshimori all got up and went over. Finn and Yoshimori decided to stay put.

"Last chance," Kiyone looked at the duo once more. "You're giving up a shot to get up to $500,000 here!"

But Finn had no intention of getting up, and neither did Yoshimori.

"Okay, then, let's begin!"

Heloise, Fred, Francine, Candace, Megan, and Yoshimori stood at the ready as everyone watched from the other side.

"First question... and this is for all of you. What was the name of the person I assigned as your partner at the start of the game?"

Kiyone gave them all a few seconds to think about.

"We'll go down the line. Heloise, you're first. What's your answer?"

"That's easy! It was Finn, of course!"

"Correct. Fred?"

"It's Rachel, of course."

"Correct."

The others were shown answering Kenzo, Candice, Katara, and Dante, respectively... and they were all correct.

"Onto question two! Each of the six bedrooms in the house has a name. Again, going down the line... we'll start with Heloise. Name one of the bedrooms."

"Only one?" Heloise asked. "Because I could tell you all six, easy!"

"Just one."

"Fine... the Tiki Idol Room."

"That's correct. Fred, name another."

Fred thought for a second. "Um... the Volcano Room?"

"Yes. Two for two! Francine?"

"The one with the pineapples! The Pineapple Room!"

"Good! Candace, three rooms left. Can you name one of them?"

"Let's see... I believe the one with the surfboards was called... the North Shore Room? Yes, I'll go with that."

"Perfecto! Megan, on to you!"

"No fair!" whined Megan. "Candace took the one I was gonna say!"

Megan racked her brain for an answer as everyone waited. Eventually...

"I need an answer in the next five seconds, Megan," warned Kiyone, "or you're out!"

Megan tried desperately to think of an answer, but...

"Time's up. Megan, please get up and rejoin the others. You've been eliminated."

Megan did as she was told, her head down as she trotted to the other side and took a seat next to Finn, who consoled her with a pat on the back.

"Yoshimori!" Kiyone looked his way. "Two left... can you name one of them?"

Yoshimori had been given plenty of time to think of an answer.

"I think it was called... the Macaroon Nut Room?"

"Ooh, sorry. Not correct! Yoshimori, you're out."

Yoshimori departed the challenge, leaving four.

"Back to you, Heloise!"

Heloise chuckled. "Macaroon Nut? Clearly, it was the Macadamia Nut Room!"

"And again, you're correct! One more, Fred... can you name it?"

"I believe so, Kiyone. I believe it's called... the Kalua Pig Room!"

"And that makes six! Good job, guys... but it gets even harder from here! Question three... remember that one challenge which we found out that the cast has 19 siblings among them?"

Each of the four remaining competitors, save for Heloise, gulped in fear.

"I want you to name all of the cast members that have a sibling! Hint, guys... there are eight possible answers. Francine, you get first pick!"

"I can say myself, right?" Francine asked. "Then... **ME!**"

"Yep. That's one. Candace?"

"If she can do it... than I say my answer is me as well!"

"That's two. Back to the other end with Heloise."

"Noah!"

Fred was next, and he answered Megan. It got back to him without someone dropping out, as Francine, Candace, and Heloise each answered correctly with Kari, Katara, and Yoshimori, in order. But he seemed a bit unsure, as he looked at everyone, trying to remember who had not been mentioned yet.

"I'm going to say... Terry."

Kiyone looked down at her card and responded, "That's correct!"

Fred breathed a sigh of relief. For the next question, an intern came in and gave each of the four remaining players a sheet of paper.

"You remember this list, right? This is the list of 25 songs you had to learn the choruses to, remember?"

"Don't remind me," groaned Heloise.

"16 of those songs were played in the first round. For question four... please name all of the songs, one at a time. We'll keeping going to we get them all or until, more likely, one of you gives me a wrong answer. Francine, again, starting with you..."

Francine quickly looked over the list, then answered.

"'Grenade,' by Bruno Mars?"

"Correct. Oh, and I just need song titles. No artists. Candace?"

"'Firework.'"

"Yep. Heloise?"

"I'll go with 'What's My Name?'"

"That makes three. Fred?"

"Uh..."

Again, Fred struggled to come up with an answer. Which made his eventually response all the more ironic...

"How about... 'Forget You'?"

"Normally, I'd say forget you too, but that's actually right! Francine, another song title, please?"

"Very confident in this, Kiyone... 'California Gurls.'"

Kiyone looked down at her list.

"Afraid not, Francine. Sorry... but that's not correct."

"What? **SERIOUSLY?**"

"Yep. Sorry."

Francine scratched her head, trying to figure out where she went wrong.

_Confessional Cam - Francine_

_"I guess that's it. Well, I'm sure the fans at home will bail me out. I'm sure Stan is threatening every potential voter out there to help me, right?"_

"Down to Heloise, Fred, and Candace," Kiyone said. "We're on to individual questions from here on out. Candace, you're first."

"Okay! Bring it!"

"Very well. Candace, true or false... in the Rappel Waikiki challenge, Finn completed it in under two minutes **WITHOUT** receiving any penalties."

Candace looked over at Finn has she tried to remember.

"I'm gonna say... true!"

"Candace... that's correct."

"Yes!" Candace pumped her fist.

"Heloise, true or false... in the Battle Against Will challenge, Kari dropped out after being offered **A GLASS OF ORANGE JUICE**."

Heloise only needed a few seconds to recall that challenge.

"False!"

"That's correct!"

Heloise smiled. Fred and Candace both knew she was going to be tough to beat.

"Fred, true or false... in the Shell of a Memory challenge, as punishment, the **GREEN** Team was forced to tape fresh fish to their foreheads for the remainder of the challenge."

Fred recalled that incident, and remembered how vocal Megan had complained about it.

"I remember Megan having fish on her head, and she was on the Purple Team at the time. So I'm answering... false!"

"Good deductive reasoning... you're right! Candace, it's back to you..."

Candace nodded.

"In the King's Trial challenge, who went in the water first? Noah or Rachel?"

She glanced over at the two of them, half trying to remember their placement, and half hoping one of them would throw her a hint. No such luck on the latter.

"Kiyone, I'm going to say... Rachel."

Candace crossed her fingers.

"The correct answer is... Noah."

"**NO!**"

"Yes! Sorry, Candace! But you're out!"

Candace shook her head, but otherwise still looked determined as she turned to Fred.

"It's up to you, partner! Take Heloise down!"

"Nice wishful thinking!" Heloise cut off a response from Fred. "But he's got his work cut out for him."

_Confessional Cam - Heloise_

_"Despite being 'anti-social,' I know about pretty much everything that's happened to everyone in the three weeks we've been here! It helps when you're smart enough to rig a couple dozen spy cameras. And hack into the show's as well... when necessary."_

"We're now in sudden death," Kiyone said. "Heloise and Fred, if one of you gets a question wrong, the challenge is **NOT** over! Instead, I will turn to the **OTHER** person and ask them the same question. If they get it right, they win! If they don't, the game continues. Understood?"

The two of them nodded.

"Heloise, you have the next question. As you may or may not recall, the Brown Team won the King's Trial challenge. **BUT...** Heloise, which team finished **FOURTH** in that challenge?"

Heloise thought for a minute, and some of them saw her working it out half-aloud, counting off teams on her fingers...

"Me and Finn were second, then... it was Orange, and then... Purple? I think?"

She thought for a few seconds to make sure, then gave Kiyone her answer.

"Purple. The Purple Team finished fourth."

"Heloise, your answer is... correct!"

Heloise smirked. "Your turn, Freddy!"

"Fred..." Kiyone looked at him, "in the Speedboat Scavenger Hunt challenge, what was the **FIRST** object the team Candice was on - that's Candice with an 'I,' FYI - that they picked up?"

"Hold on..." Fred racked his brain, "I know this one!"

Heloise crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an answer.

"I'm going to say... the dumbbell!"

Kiyone glanced down at her card.

"I'm sorry, Fred, but that's **NOT** the right answer."

"Shoot! Really?"

Kiyone turned to Heloise, who had a grin plastered on her face.

"Heloise, for the win... same question! In the Speedboat Scavenger Hunt challenge, what was the **FIRST** object the team Candice was on that they picked up?"

Heloise paused for dramatic effect, and then replied...

"The 10-pound bag of rice! Of course!"

"That's correct! Heloise has won the challenge!"

Heloise stuck her tongue out at Fred, then raised her arms in triumph. Kiyone walked up and removed all of Heloise's Damage Counters from the board.

"Heloise, as reward for winning the challenge... as promised, all of your Damage Counters have been wiped off the board. Which means that your peers may now vote you into the Final Four tonight, if they wish to."

"See?" Heloise said as she walked over to the rest of the group. "I told you I was far from out of this game."

"Alright, guys... from the Last Chance Challenge to the Final Four vote."

Kiyone sat back down and turned to face the group, now all back on the same side of bleachers.

"Before I let you loose to vote, though... if anyone wants to make any last pleas or suggestions or that kind of stuff, now's the time to do it. Just come on down, and the floor is yours."

The group went quiet as heads turned every which way, to see if anyone would take Kiyone up on her offer. After a minute...

"Really? No one? Either you're all really confident in your chances or you're afraid saying something may screw them up."

They all remained quiet. Kiyone shrugged.

"Oh well. I won't force you. We'll just move on to the vote."

She pointed to her right, and the cast's left, towards the open-air voting booth, a quarter of a mile up the shore and away from any prying ears.

"Here's how it works. One at a time, you'll walk over there. Write four names on the ballot! Three rules: you have to put down four different names, you can't vote for either Francine or Fred because their ineligible, and, most importantly, you can't vote for yourself."

A few people seemed surprised by the last one, which shocked Kiyone.

"Well, you can't! It was that way in the old series, and the same holds true tonight. Also, there's a camera set up there as well, so if you want to say why you voted for one or several people... knock yourself out!"

Some murmuring could be heard.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>"Rock Lee..." Kiyone looked his way, "the voting order was drawn at random before you all got here, and you're up first! So, head on over!"<p>

Lee got up and made the trek out to the voting pod. The camera showed him immediately writing down four names on the ballot.

_Confessional Cam - Lee  
>(holds up ballot showing votes for Finn, Megan, Terry, and Yoshimori)<em>

_"I am a man of my word, so I will vote as we have decided as an alliance. Hopefully, two of us get in, and the viewers will get two more of us in."_

Lee folded up his ballot, then deposited it into the box. Once he got back, Candice took her turn. She looked frazzled once she got there...

"I was going to put my name down!" she murmured. "Who am I gonna put down instead?"

She took a long time to decide what name to put down as her fourth vote, but after finishing, the smile on her face showed that she was pleased with her decision. Yoshimori, Katara, and Kenzo each took their turns, but whom they voted for was not revealed. Terry was next up, and he planned to shake things up with his vote - and not just because he could not vote for Francine.

_Confessional Cam - Terry  
>(holds up ballot showing votes for Lee, Finn, Megan, and Dante)<em>

_"I was supposed to vote for Yoshimori, but I just don't think he's done enough to deserve a shot at winning. Sorry... but I'm giving your vote to Dante instead. As much as I didn't like him for leading Kari on, he was also one of my rivals in this game. Dante is an extraordinary man... and I hope everyone realizes this and votes him in."_

A shot of Dante was pictured, deep in thought but as peace as he waited for his turn. Heloise was next, and she was shown laughing maniacally as she folded up her completed ballot, ready to put in the box. Fred followed her, a bit creeped by Heloise's enjoyment of everything. That, or he was concerned as he stepped in with only two for-sure votes.

_Confessional Cam - Fred  
>(holds up ballot showing votes for Noah, Rachel, Lee, and Candice)<em>

_"Noah and Rachel were my givens. I voted Lee because he's a pretty strong dude. And Candice... we worked so well there at the end. She was a **GREAT** partner!"_

Fred walked back, not even dawning at him that he had written the wrong name on the ballot, as his actual partner, Candace, got up to vote. She wrote 'Girls Rule!' at the top of her ballot, but which names she ended up putting down were not shown. Dante's ballot was not shown either, but he was quick about voting, very firm in his choices.

Then came...

_Confessional Cam - Francine  
>(holds up ballot showing votes for Dante, Kenzo, Finn, and Terry)<em>

_"Heloise is a spoiled brat who doesn't deserve anything, and Kari's a double-crossing backstabber! This is me saying 'screw you two!'"_

But Francine was not the only one making a radical move on her voting ballot, as Finn had a surprise of his own...

_Confessional Cam - Finn  
>(holds up ballot showing votes for Megan, Lee, Terry, and Heloise)<em>

_"Sure, Heloise is evil, and I'm good. But I still like to believe there's some good in her. The girl's a genius... hopefully enough people recognize that and give her a chance. This vote's for you, Heloise!"_

After Finn came his partner, Megan...

_Confessional Cam - Megan_

_"I hope no one's mad at me after this, but I was just playing the alliance game. I seriously couldn't vote for you all of you... but I wish I could."_

She deposited her ballot without showing her votes. After one of her ex-partners, Noah, came up and voted as well, that left only one person to vote... the former 'Roomies' champion, Kari. Upon arriving at the booth, she took a deep breath, and immediately wrote down three names. But after that, she needed to take a minute to decide on the fourth.

_Confessional Cam - Kari  
>(holds up ballot showing votes for Dante, Kenzo, Rachel, and Katara)<em>

_"I hope the four I've chosen are the ones everyone agrees are the most worthy. I don't expect to make the Final Four a second time, so to the four of you... good luck!"_

Kari inserted her ballot in and walked back. Once she was seated with the others...

"I'll go tally the votes."

Kiyone walked off, leaving the group in silence for several minutes. The wind picked up a bit, enough to begin blowing the flames on the torches ever so slightly. She returned with the ballot box in hand.

"Once I announce the two people who you voted into the Final Four, the results are final. I will then announce the two who got voted in by the fans, and then I will depart... as the vote for the winner will be decided solely by the viewers. Good luck to you all."

Kiyone opened the box and pulled out all of the ballots. She then walked over to the bonfire and tossed them in. Everyone watched as all of the ballots burned up quickly in the fire. A few people were stunned, but Kiyone still had a stoic look on her face as she returned to face them.

"Okay, with a total of eight and seven votes, respectively, you guys have voted two people into the Final Four. They are..."

The group leaned forward in anticipation.

"Megan and Finn. Congratulations, you two!"

Both of their jaws dropped in stunned disbelief as they were cheered on by most of the other cast members.

"Now... joining Megan and Finn in the Final Four, thanks to the viewer vote, are..."

Kiyone paused before giving the names.

"Rachel and Kari!"

The group reacted excitedly to the news.

"To the four of you, you're now one **LAST** vote away from winning anywhere from 300,000 to a half-million dollars! But we won't find that out until the finale in a couple months! Until then!"

Kiyone left, taking the empty ballot box with her as she hopped in the limo and was whisked off to the airport.

"Now it's completely up to you!" Kiyone pointed at the screen. "One of those four stars is about to win a lot of money! You've only got a few days to pick a winner, so make your choice and vote! The link to the poll is at the bottom of the screen! See you all at next week's finale!"

**End Episode Twelve**

**Author's Notes:**  
>We're down to the Final Four, now <strong>YOU<strong> need to pick a winner!  
>Poll Link - www(dot)misterpoll(dot)compolls/530141

You have from now until this Friday, July 29th, at 12:30 pm EST to cast your vote! Pick one of these four: Finn, Kari, Katara, or Megan. In case there's a need for a tiebreaker(s), those will be held for 24 hours later on Friday. If still tied after that poll, I will do a spontaneous final vote, in which the first person to receive a vote wins. Hopefully, it won't come to that.

Also, if you have a question that you want to be asked to any of the cast members, you have until this Friday, July 29th, at 5 pm EST to submit it. Submissions can be placed in a review of this chapter, through PM, or by hitting me up on Twitter (link on my profile page).

For news on deadlines and tiebreaker polls, if necessary, please follow or bookmark my Twitter for this week - I'll pass on any details through there!

See you all next week for the finale!

**Next up:** Episode 13 (Finale) - Next Monday, August 1st, 7 pm EST!


	13. The End of the Road

**"Roomies Goes Global," written by Freedom Fighter**

Time to find out who you voted as the winner! Finale ahoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters that appear in this fanfic. I also do not own any reality show elements that may have been adapted for this series. Any other copyrighted people and places also do not belong to me. Basically, I own none of it.

**"Roomies" 10th Anniversary Event**  
><strong>(2001-2011)<strong>

* * *

><p>Day Ninety-Three (July 30, 2011)<p>

The lights went dark as a video started playing on the projector screen on the stage. A montage of the best moments of the season began playing, and it began with Kiyone's voice being played over the dark screen.

"Ladies and gentlemen... this is 'Roomies Goes Global!'"

**-**  
><strong>Roomies Goes Global<br>Episode Thirteen - The End of the Road (08.01.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Rock Lee appeared, showing his arrival in Honolulu.

"I have come from a far away land to compete on and win a reality show!" he boastfully declared. "Look out, Honolulu, because Rock Lee is here!"

Finn entered the house through the front door, and was instantly greeted by Rachel.

"Hi there!"

"Hi! So... are you the princess of this castle?"

Suddenly, Katara appeared...

"Hark!" Finn turned to her. "Are **YOU** the princess of this castle?"

Megan got to the door first, and knocked on it. It was hastily answered by Finn.

"I'm Megan."

"I'm Finn! Nice to meet you, princess!"

"Why?" Rachel asked him. "Were you expecting a princess?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno. I'm just so used to every girl I meet being a princess."

The crowd was seen laughing, particularly Jake and Princess Bubblegum from their seats... and, yes, the latter actually is a princess.

"I'm Noah," he said to Terry and Kari, "and let me say, I feel a bit relieved to see a few more responsible adults in here."

"We'll see how long that lasts," Terry chuckled. "Kari told me on the way here that she just turned 21 a few weeks ago!"

"Really?" Francine shouted, as she walked up, apparently happy about hearing that. "Well, one of the first things we should do is take you out on the night on the town!"

The following night...

"You're drinking it!" Francine told her. "Drink! Drink! Drink!"

The crowd quickly joined in Francine's chant, putting the pressure on Kari.

"**DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!**"

Finally, Kari gave in and took a fairly big sip. The reaction on her face was priceless.

"Gah! Oh God!"

The crowd cheered anyway as Kari tried to fathom what she had just drank. Back in the theater, Kari's parents and older brother, along with a few of her friends, were chuckling over seeing Kari's first experience with alcohol.

Meanwhile, onto a shot of Candace, Candice, Megan, and Katara in the hot tub.

"...but what do you guys think about Kari?" questioned Candace.

"That?" Candice queried. "Oh, it's not an issue!"

"Not an issue?" Candace shouted. "How is it **NOT** an issue?"

"Candace," Megan said to her, "I have my qualms about that myself! Still, I don't see anything wrong with it."

"Yeah," Katara agreed. "Just because she's done this before doesn't mean she has a better chance of winning than the rest of us. It's still one-in-sixteen."

_Confessional Cam - Kari_

_"I was expecting this, definitely. But to see it actually happen? I'm not worried at all."_

Francine ran into the kitchen and found a good place to hide the Tiki Idol... on a shelf inside the cupboard, behind a bunch of cans and spice canisters.

"Don't you go anywhere!" she ordered the tiki. "Momma's got plans for you!"

With that, she closed the cupboard door and headed for the front door. Later that day, Rachel was looking through the cupboard for a little snack to tide her over until dinner...

"I know I saw a small box of raisins in here..."

She reached in and pulled out... the idol Francine had placed in there earlier. A few days later, the weather was windy, and the skies were mostly-to-completely cloudy, though no rain was falling. Yet.

"Good morning," the cast in response.

"Well, whomever said the weather is paradise was obviously **WRONG**!"

Suddenly, they heard lightning rumbling off in the distance. Noah sighed.

"I suppose the charade has gone on long enough."

Noah then jumped off his platform and into the ocean below, to the surprise of pretty much everyone. After swimming to the boat, Noah climbed aboard and was greeted by an angry glare from Kiyone.

"What? As a reality series veteran, you **KNOW** just because we can put our lives in danger for some cash, doesn't mean we have to!"

"I'm surprised your 'do has lasted this long!" Heloise shouted at someone. "I'd hate to see it ruined!"

Heloise was talking to Megan, who was fiddling with her misshapen and soaked hair.

"Nice try, Heloise! But I'm not going anywhere!"

In the theater, Megan's family could be seen smiling upon hearing that. Of course next comes...

"Katara!" Megan shouted.

Megan raised her arm to shield her eyes from the rain as she looked to see if her partner was okay... but in doing so, she leaned forward too much, and before she knew it, she was in the water as well.

A quick fade-out, then a fade-in to Finn walking into Heloise's room.

"I wanna give you something," she told him, with a wink.

"Uh..." Finn hesitated, fearing feelings were coming.

Heloise reached into her pocket and pulled out the blue Tiki Idol. The next day, at the challenge...

"Is that it, Miss Makibi?" Kenzo asked.

"I believe so... that is, unless, y'know... someone has a Tiki Idol and wants to play it. Anybody?"

"Yo, hostess lady! Right here!"

Everyone turned towards Finn, who surprised everyone by stepping out of line and pulling out the blue Tiki Idol from his pocket. One of the more notable changes involved Dante drawing orange. Katara's eyes melted with glee.

"So I guess we'll be working together now," Dante said as he stuck his hand out to shake with Katara.

But Katara would not settle for a hand shake. She leaped up into his arms and stayed cradled there as she gazed into his eyes.

_Confessional Cam - Katara_

_"Yeah... no one back home's gonna see this, right?"_

In the theater, Sokka was laughing hysterically from his seat, and continued to do so until he was elbowed by Toph, who was sitting to his right. Meanwhile, on his left, Aang had not seen that, as his eyes were too affixed to the screen... especially whenever Katara was on it.

"I can't believe you just lied there while you made me do most of the work!" Megan shouted.

"What does it matter?" Noah shrugged. "I helped when you actually needed me."

The next day, while digging in the front yard...

"...I wanna find this Tiki Idol so I can use it to get a better partner. Someone like Finn!"

"What? Me?"

"Yeah! You'd make a great partner!"

"Partner?" Finn froze, as his face blushed red a little.

A couple days later...

"Next color, Rachel."

"Purple."

The current Purple Team was Megan and Noah...

"Let's go with Megan and Finn."

Both of them celebrated jubilantly, glad to be rid of their current partners. But another mass changing of the team arrangements resulted in some really odd pairings...

Kenzo and Heloise moved to center, with no choice but to sing the unfitting song.

_["Only Girl (In the World)" by Rihanna - Gray Team]_  
><em>Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world<em>  
><em>Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love<em>  
><em>Like I'm the only one who knows your heart<em>  
><em>Only girl in the world...<em>

Nina was seen chuckling, but enjoying the show, while Jimmy cheered Heloise on. Moving on to another odd couple...

_So why can't you see  
>you belong with me?<em>

Francine and Yoshimori seemed to be a bit off, and Kiyone was the first judge to raise her paddle...

_Standing by you  
>Waiting at your backdoor.<em>  
><em>All this time<br>How could you not know, baby  
>You belong with me,<em>  
><em>You belong with me?<em>

The teams would not change again after that, but even as the remaining challenges were completed, there was still one last shot at redemption for a selected few...

"Hold on..." Fred racked his brain, "I know this one!"

Heloise crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an answer.

"I'm going to say... the dumbbell!"

Kiyone glanced down at her card.

"I'm sorry, Fred, but that's **NOT** the right answer."

Heloise paused for dramatic effect, and then replied...

"The 10-pound bag of rice! Of course!"

"That's correct! Heloise has won the challenge!"

"Heloise, as reward for winning the challenge... as promised, all of your Damage Counters have been wiped off the board."

Then, it was on to the Final Four vote...

"Okay, with a total of eight and seven votes, respectively, you guys have voted two people into the Final Four. They are..."

The group leaned forward in anticipation.

"Megan and Finn. Congratulations, you two!"

Both of their jaws dropped in stunned disbelief as they were cheered on by most of the other cast members.

"Now... joining Megan and Finn in the Final Four, thanks to the viewer vote, are..."

Kiyone paused before giving the names.

"Rachel and Kari!"

The group reacted excitedly to the news. Kiyone left, taking the empty ballot box with her as she hopped in the limo and was whisked off to the airport.

"Now it's completely up to you!" Kiyone pointed at the screen. "One of those four stars is about to win a lot of money! Time to find out who you picked as the winner of 'Roomies Goes Global!'"

The film ended, the lights went up, as did the projection screen. The audience applauded as the four finalists were shown standing in front of an empty set of bleachers. Across from them was Kiyone. And both the Final Four and the hostess had come dressed for the occasion. The foursome was seated in alphabetical order by first name - Finn, Kari, Katara, and Megan.

"A little over two months ago, the four of you, as well as the rest of the cast, left Honolulu. At the time, two of you, Finn and Megan, knew you'd be here on stage for the finale. Kari and Katara, the two of you did not know until the end of last week's episode, when the viewers voted you in! Now, it's time to find out which of you is the winner of 'Roomies Goes Global!'"

A tuxedo-clad gentleman appeared from stage right with a sealed envelope in hand. He presented it to Kiyone, who took it, and then he departed.

"The moment of truth, guys! Good luck to you all!"

Kiyone broke the seal, and pulled a card out from the envelope, as random members of the crowd could be heard shouting out the name of the person they wanted to win.

"The winner of 'Roomies Goes Global' is..."

Katara and Megan grabbed a hold of each other's hands, while Finn began to shake nervously, and Kari held her breath in anticipation. Kiyone waited a few seconds, then said the winner's name out loud.

"Katara, of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender!'"

Confetti rained down from above the stage as Katara clasped her hands over her mouth, in disbelief that she had won. Megan gave her friend a congratulatory hug, one in which Kari and Finn both joined in.

"Congratulations!" Kari told Katara.

Katara looked as if she was going to break down and cry in jubilation, but the cheers of the crowd in the concert hall were keeping her emotions upbeat. But even more so when she was joined on the stage by Aang, Sokka, and Toph.

"I can't believe it!" Sokka screamed. "My little sister won on 'Roomies!'"

"I knew you could pull it off!" Toph told her, as if she was expecting this outcome.

But no words could describe how happy Aang was for Katara, so he shared his emotions the only way he could think of at the moment.

With a passionate kiss on the lips, to the joy of the crowd.

Once they had finished, the other twelve cast members emerged from behind stage, all coming out to give their congratulations to Katara.

"We may have crowned a winner, but our show's not over!" Kiyone told both the present audience and those at home. "Right after the break, we'll take a look back at the competition that was, and get some words from our winner, Katara! Don't you dare go anywhere!"

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The audience could be head applauding upon fade in. All sixteen cast members were now sitting down on stage - the Final Four in chairs, and the rest in two rows of risers behind them. Kiyone was seated opposite them, and the crowd quieted down as she began to speak.<p>

"Welcome back, everyone! I'm here at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, where we just found out that you all chose the winner of 'Roomies Goes Global'... and it's Katara!"

A spontaneous cheer for Katara could be heard as she smiled and waved to the audience.

"Okay, Katara, the obvious first question is... what does it feel like to have won 'Roomies Goes Global?'"

"Wow. I actually still can't believe it!"

"Believe it! You won!"

Katara giggled, trying to give off a confident facade even though she was still grasping for words to express her feelings.

"It's just so incredible, Kiyone. I must be the luckiest girl in the world, because I don't think I stood a chance here."

She glanced down the row at the other finalists.

"Finn, Megan, and Kari... they've all done so many more noteworthy things throughout the course of the season, and I thought I'd be congratulating one of them instead of them congratulating me. It's such a great honor to win 'Roomies,' and I have my fans to thank for it."

"No doubt! First, they vote you into the Final Four, and then they voted you as the winner. And thanks to them, you will be leaving Honolulu tonight half a million dollars richer."

"Well then. I guess I have a lot of thank you presents to buy then."

"Surely. Now, do you believe you were voted the winner because of what the fans know of what you've done before coming onto 'Roomies,' or because of what you did when you were actually here?"

Katara took a minute to think about it.

"Well, I suppose winning a few challenges helped. And I had some great partners, first in Megan, and then in Dante. I kept my head above water, I didn't really get on anyone's bad side. I think the viewers saw all of that and thought all of that was what they wanted in a winner. But... having a strong fan base does help."

"Speaking of someone with strong fan support... Finn..."

The crowd cheered loudly for Finn, as he blushed with embarrassment. Kiyone waited a few seconds for the audience to calm down, then began speaking again.

"Finn, you finished a very close second in the final vote. You did the exact opposite of Katara this season... you were pretty visible throughout the whole show. And that helped you out immensely. Looking back, are you proud of your performance?"

Finn nodded. "Definitely. This was so fun, and a lot of the people here are great! I loved hanging out with them, and some of them I've become good friends. It's a shame I'm seeing and talking to them for the first time in a long time. Y'know, since the show finished."

He then glanced up at Lee.

"Rock Lee wanted me to go on a ten-mile run with him once we met at the hotel last night. He did a great job of almost convincing me to, but I couldn't. Didn't want to be pooped up here."

"One of these days!" Lee spurted out. "I will get Finn to run ten miles with me!"

"Better be careful," Terry playfully warned Finn, "Lee's will get you to do it!"

The crowd laughed.

"Speaking of athletic things," Kiyone spoke up again, "Finn, if you had won, you'd be walking out of here with just $300,000. Would you have been happy with that?"

"Of course I would! That's more money than I'd know what to do with, honestly. But the money wasn't the reason I signed up for the show. I signed up for this show to have an adventure, Kiyone. And a grand adventure it was!"

"So... mission successful?"

"Yep. The greatest grand adventure I ever had!"

Kiyone smiled, then moved on to...

"Megan!"

A hefty round of cheering could be heard for Megan, but not as much as there had been for Katara or Finn.

"Awfully quiet tonight, aren't we?"

"Just waiting for my turn, that's all," replied Megan.

"Megan, you were voted into the Final Four by your peers. In fact, you were the only person who received a majority, earning eight out of possible votes. Quick show of hands, cast, if you put Megan's name on your Final Four ballot."

Candace, Candice, Katara, Yoshimori, Finn, Terry, Lee, and Noah all raised their hands. Megan was surprised to see Noah's hand up.

"Okay, so with the exception of Noah, everyone else that raised their hand was part of one of two different alliances that you were a part of. So I have to ask... do you think you got away with one here, sneaking into the Final Four?"

"Of course not! Okay, so maybe I technically played on two different teams, but that's what we all had to do to get into the Final Four. At the end of the day, all we had to go on were verbal agreements. It's not like I forced them to put my name on the ballot. It takes a lot of trust to succeed in this game... and obviously they trusted me a lot. Enough to give me eight votes, that is."

"So you believe you definitely earned your place in the Final Four?"

"Without a doubt, Kiyone! I aligned myself with the right people, and they helped me get as far as I did! I'm upset I didn't win, naturally, but I'm just glad I came within a few votes of victory. Besides, Katara, Finn, and Kari are all such great competitors. I'm glad to be in such great company up here."

"So you are. But while we're on the subject of great company... how about Kari, folks?"

A lot of cheering for Kari could be heard, especially from her family and friends.

"Allow me to recap, Kari..."

"Go right on ahead, Kiyone..."

"Ten years ago, you won the original season of 'Roomies.' You come back for a second attempt, and the viewers vote you into the Final Four once again! Just didn't have quite enough though to become the series' first two-time winner, but, by the look on your face, that doesn't seem to bother you, does it?"

"Not at all. Not that I wasn't trying... I mean, why come back if I wasn't coming back to win, right? I was curious as to if my past performance was going to hurt me..."

A quick glance up to Lee and Noah, who gave Kari two Damage Counters very early in the game.

"...and it did, to a point. So I was surprised even more when I got voted into the Final Four by the fans, because I can think of at least three other people that probably should be sitting in my seat right now. But I guess I have a lot of fans out there who liked me in the past and still like me... and I have them to thank for getting here."

"Here's a question that you've been asked plenty, and so have I. In fact, I believe I asked you this on a few occasions during filming. So, now that it's been two months since shooting ending, I ask you again, Kari... how different was this than your first experience with 'Roomies?'"

"Very different, Kiyone. First of all, having to wait two months to learn who won was nerve-racking. But I suppose that's better compared to waiting four, five, or six months after finding out who won and **THEN** keeping it a secret until the entire season had aired. This actually felt like a different show than the one I competed on a decade ago. So much was compacted into three weeks... I'm not sure the stuff that made it to air completely tells the story, because there were a ton of things that happened that affected how the whole competition played out at the end. Alliances, for example, were not covered much until near the end of the season..."

Kari glanced down at Katara and Megan.

"Like, Katara and Megan and most of the other girls were allied together pretty much from day one, and as you can see, that got them further than they themselves probably even thought they could."

"Point taken. But did you still enjoy the experience?"

"Oh, yes. Overall, I loved all of the new people I met, and I'm definitely been in touch with them a few times since the show ended, for sure."

"And on that note, we need to take a quick break. When we come back, we'll see if we can get some of the other cast members to talking about their experience, and maybe get everyone to open up about a few things including... relationships? That's always a juicy topic! Be right back, folks!"

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>"Since we're already running short on time," revealed Kiyone, "I'm gonna try and get through as many of the cast members as I can... and I'd like to start with Rachel, if I may."<p>

"What do you want to know?" Rachel asked, politely.

"Not many people know your years-long tale about getting on this show. Would you care to tell us about it?"

"Well, truth be told, I was actually cast for 'Roomies 4' back in, I believe it was, '04? And then three weeks before we were to begin shooting, the show got canceled. So I got my chance to be on the show literally pulled out from underneath me. Then, I believe it was last October, that I heard about this show, the reboot of the original 'Roomies.' I made it to the final round of auditions, and then was cast as an alternate! What made it worse was then the show kept getting delayed and delayed for a number of reasons. And then, ironically, and I kid you not, three weeks before this show actually did get filmed in May... I got called up after someone had to drop out of the show. So, here am I!"

Some of the others were amazed, having heard this for the first time.

"Worth the wait?" Kiyone asked.

Rachel nodded affirmatively. "Definitely."

"Now, I can't speak for all of the delays publicly, but the one I can talk about is the last one, which actually did play into Rachel getting on the show. And that's, of course, the Great East Japan Earthquake back in March. As you know, 'Roomies' was originally an all-Japanese cast reality series, only going hybrid for the first time this year. But we had several of our competitors from Japan who considered dropping out, and a couple did. The reason I'm bringing this up is Kenzo..."

All heads turned towards the doctor, who also was the eldest person in the cast.

"Now I understand that after the show finished filming, you took a trip to Tokyo and saw some of the hardest-hit areas up close?"

"Yes," he replied sadly. "I was planning to make a trip to Japan, but put it off temporarily to honor my commitment to be on 'Roomies.' But the week after we finished here, I took a personal trip there, as a volunteer doctor, to help out in any way I could. Believe it or not, there are still tens of thousands of people still in temporary shelters, that had their homes and their livelihoods washed away. I was only supposed to be there for five days, but ended up staying for two weeks just so I could spend more time with those critically injured and inspire hope in the survivors, particularly the children."

"Can you tell us why you decided to do the show despite your want to go to Japan?"

"I was hoping to win, and if I had done so, I would've donated a substantial portion of my winnings to the relief efforts."

"So do you plan on donating since you didn't win?"

Kenzo nodded. "I already have, actually. The staff of Eisler Memorial Hospital in Dusseldorf, including myself, have already donated over 30,000 Euros, which is a little north of $42,000, directly towards the relief fund."

A heartening round of applause filled the concert hall upon hearing that.

"That's amazing!" remarked Yoshimori.

"A good amount of that is from private donations, and several of us, including me, have chipped in portions of our paychecks. That doesn't include the boxes and boxes of clothes we've sent over as well. And I'd like to stress that it's not too late to make a donation. There are still so many people that are displaced, and many of them may never return to their former lives because of all of the devastation. Even if it's just five dollars, every cent matters. So please consider donating, whether you haven't as of yet or you've made several in the past, because the people of Japan still need your support."

"Yes, they definitely do," agreed Kiyone. "Every bit does help. Thank you, Kenzo, for pledging your support to the relief efforts."

Everyone cheered Kenzo for his efforts. Kiyone took a second to get recomposed, then resumed interviewing the cast.

"Fred, I've got a question for you."

"Okay, shoot."

"Did you ever figure out why everyone had it out for you? Getting three Damage Counters not just once, but twice! How did you cope?"

"It kinda baffles me, Kiyone. I never did find out."

"So let's find out from the people who gave you Damage Counters. Like, say... Lee?"

Of course, Lee happened to be sitting right next to Fred on the bleachers.

"I was just playing the game," he explained. "It was not personal, my friend. I just had to give it to someone."

"What about the second time?" questioned Fred.

Lee quietly clammed up, not able to give a response for that one.

"Kari and Katara," Kiyone piped in, "would either of you like to explain your reasons?"

The two finalists were the others to give Fred a Damage Counter during the competition.

"Lack of... better choices?" Kari hesitantly answered.

Fred was not happy with the answer, but apparently the responses he was getting were the best he was going to receive.

"Francine," Kiyone turned to the housewife, "you were the only one to receive a fan question."

"Wow! Lucky me!" she exclaimed, in half-enthusiasm.

"Okay, Bad Asp asks... 'Why did you decide to leave the tiki you found where someone else could easily take it instead of keeping it with you at all times?' He is, of course, referring to the Idol you found, hid away, which was found by Rachel, and which you blamed Kari for stealing..."

"I know what happened!" snapped Francine.

"Okay, okay. So... care to explain?"

"Well, I thought it would be obvious that I had it if I hid it underneath my shirt. That, and I wasn't in a rush to use it. Besides, I didn't think anyone would find it!"

"Follow-up question from myself... assuming that you were going to use the Tiki Idol at some point, who were you planning on choosing as your new partner?"

"Oh, that's easy. It would've been Dante, for sure."

Kiyone turned to look at Dante. "What do you think about that, Dante?"

"I would've loved to have had her as a partner," he replied truthfully. "She didn't get as much credit for keeping the house in shape despite all of the negativity around her. Francine's a wonderful woman, and it's a shame she didn't get a chance to be successful in the game."

"Why, thank you, Dante! Glad to see someone appreciated my company!"

"And on the note of people not being given a chance... Heloise! I know I'd be kicking myself if we didn't get to chatting with you."

"Woo hoo!" Heloise raised her hands in mock celebration. "The show's incomplete without talking to the outsider!"

"So, tell me Heloise... do you regret the way you played the game?"

Heloise scoffed. "Of course I did! I watched the show, and realized how easy I took it on everyone! If I was really into it, I probably could've scared at least half the cast away by the end of the first day!"

"But you didn't!" interrupted Finn. "And that's why I know there's some good in you! One of these days, you'll be nice enough to avoid not wanting to hurt a fly!"

"Don't bet on it, golden boy! And how did Katara win instead of you? You're the only person here that I thought was cool!"

"Heloise thinking someone is cool?" laughed Noah. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Okay, there's one last thing we have to cover," Kiyone said aloud. "Relationships. And only one of any real consequence happened this season."

Kiyone smirked slyly as she and everyone else turned their peepers on... Finn and Megan.

"So, Finn and Megan. Are you two dating yet?"

"Woo!" a few people from the audience could be heard shouting.

"Dating?" shouted Finn, his face turning completely red. "Dating?"

"We're really, really, really, really good, close friends!" Megan explained.

"Dating?"

"We bonded, but there's absolutely nothing romantic going on between Finn and I! Absolutely nothing!"

"**DATING!**"

Megan sighed. "Okay, Finn, they get it!"

"**I AM NOT DATING ANYONE!**" yelled Finn as he jumped up onto his seat.

Candace snickered. "Ah, young love. The first sign is always denial."

"Calm down," Megan said to Finn as he pulled. "There's nothing to worry about. We're not dating."

"We're not?"

"Check up on them in six months and we'll see if they still feel that way," remarked Candice.

"Oh, come on!" cried Megan.

"And that's all the time we have," Kiyone ended the debate right there. "But lastly, one reunion show tradition we're gladly bringing back for 'Global'... the season's winner gets the final word. Katara, anything you wanna say?"

"Yes," nodded Katara. "I'd like to thank all of you who voted for me! Thanks for all your support... I couldn't have done this without all of you!"

"And from the entire 'Roomies Goes Global' cast crew, this is Kiyone Makibi, signing off! Good night, Honolulu!"

All of the family and friends present for the show begin to make their way to the stage, and some final cheers for Katara could be heard as the end credits began to roll.

**End Episode Thirteen**

**Author's Notes:**  
>And, there you go! Katara wins 'Roomies Goes Global.'<p>

You'll be happy to note that, at 31 KB, this is shorter than any of the reunion specials in the original series. Maybe that's why we didn't get a chance to ask the cast more questions at the end... but it couldn't be helped under the severe time crunch this had to be done in.

As for a possible second season? Right now, all signs are pointing to no. There's not enough of you who read the story, and the number of people who participated in the polls was disheartening. Especially in the final poll, where your vote mattered the most. But if by chance you want to see a second season, I'll be doing an all-inclusive poll for all of my stories this year so far at the end of the summer. I encourage you to participate in that poll when it comes out. I'll post a link on my profile page when it's opened.

If you have further questions, feel free to ask away in a review! Otherwise, thanks for reading, guys, and don't forget to check out my other stories, if you aren't already!

**- Freedom Fighter**


End file.

Cartoon X-overs, Drama, Parody