Disclaimer: We don't own anything but the plot, which is TDIRM's with a few splashes of Sprink thrown in.

After They're Gone

-by Tdiandrockmusic, Sprinklemist, and CamperThirteen

***

Chapter Three

~by Sprinklemist1

***

Chris ran as fast as he could to the United Airlines counter, ignoring all the shouts from the employees that running could be dangerous. Chris arrived to the counter and saw that he wasn't the first to get there. He saw a red haired woman sitting in one of the chairs, and two others standing at the counter. Chris put his arms around the two former contestants at the counter and said, "I'm so glad you're both okay."

Lindsay looked at Chris with tears in her eyes and said, "What's going on, Chris? Are the others going to be alright?"

Tyler said reassuringly, "They'll be fine, babe."

Chris didn't know what to say, so he repeated what he had said earlier, "I'm so glad you're both okay." Chris turned to approach Izzy. Tyler put his hand out and placed it on Chris' shoulder before he got too close.

"I don't think she's handling this very well," Tyler said.

Chris paused to observe Izzy. She started talking to herself, saying, "Never... I'll never fly... Never fly again... No way..."

Cody was the next to come to the area. He sat in one of the open chairs, and remained silent. Chris sat down next to the young man and said, "Hey, Cody." Cody averted his glance. Chris said, "I'm sorry about what happened." Cody remained quiet. Chris tried, again, saying, "If you need to talk, I'm here." Cody said nothing.

Chris looked up and saw Ezekiel walking with his arm around Bridgette as they slowly made their way to the area. The very sight of Bridgette's expression instantly indicated to Chris who would not be joining them. Chris didn't know what to say as Ezekiel led Bridgette to one of the chairs. She sat down and cried uncontrollably.

Another young woman approached the counter. She angrily shouted to the clerk at the counter, "This airline can expect a lawsuit! You hear me?!" Chris quickly got up and approached Courtney. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she looked back at him. He lost his breath at seeing her expression. He could see the tracks of her tears as new tears started to form. Her eyes somehow expressed anger, sadness, and confusion, all at once. Courtney shifted her shoulder, and Chris' hand fell. Courtney slammed her fist against the counter and repeated, "You hear me?" Chris turned, deciding to leave Courtney to express her grief in her own way.

Another woman had arrived when he attempted to console Courtney. She too had been crying. Chris took a seat next to her and offered his hand for her too hold. She accepted and took hold of his outstretched hand. She said, "She was my best friend." Chris could feel his heart sink. She continued, "I've never gone a day without her by my side, or at least talking to her." Katie looked at Chris and said, "What am I going to do without her?" She took her hand from Chris' hand, so she could cry into both hands. Chris didn't say anything, but he put his hand on the woman's back.

Izzy began speaking to herself, loudly, "It was him... He was the one who helped me get over my fear of flying... What will I do without him? I'll never fly again..." Katie got up from her seat and put her arms around Izzy. Izzy just blankly stared ahead and said, "He made me happy..."

Courtney continued being aggressive with the clerk, who did his best in not taking anything she said personal. Lindsay and Tyler looked at each other and instantly knew what the other was thinking. They both walked together to Courtney. Courtney was in the middle of another rant, when Lindsay said, "Court... Maybe you should leave these people alone."

Tyler added, "It wasn't their fault. It was an accident."

Courtney looked over her shoulder and said bitterly, "Leave me alone."

Lindsay said, "I think it might be a good idea for you to talk to someone about what you're feeling. I'd be more than willing to listen."

Courtney said, "You wouldn't understand anything I'm feeling. I don't even..." She paused.

Tyler said, "Be sure that we're truly sorry that you lost Duncan." He put his hand on Lindsay's shoulder. They turned and headed toward their seats.

Before they got too far, Courtney said, "Why did it have to be Duncan? He meant more to me than anything." Tyler and Lindsay stopped walking. Before they could turn around, Courtney bitterly said, "The two of you obviously don't have what Duncan and I did. It should have been one of you." Tyler looked at Lindsay. He could see in her eyes that Courtney's words stung. He felt the sting of her words as well. They continued to the seats. Tyler looked at Lindsay, as tears fell from her eyes.

Two more people came to the area. Everyone looked at them. Heather felt overwhelmed when she realized they were looking at her. They quickly turned their gaze. Heather felt a pain in her chest. She knew what the others were thinking, that they had actually hoped that she was one of the victims. She didn't think about her reaction. She took hold of the young man standing next to her and buried her face into his shoulder. Noah didn't know what to do. He hardly wanted the others to think that he had any sort of a relationship with her. He wanted to break away from her grasp, but he couldn't abandon her. Noah stood still until Heather regained her composure, and let go. She looked into his eyes as a silent 'thank you'. Heather sat down in a chair. Noah walked over to Cody, and sat down. The two former friends said nothing to each other. They never had any disagreements, they simply lost touch with each other over the years. But Noah could tell that something was deeply bothering Cody.

Chris surveyed the former contestants. He thought, "Is that everyone?" One more man walked into the area. Chris turned to the clerk and he informed Chris that that was the last of the survivors. Chris said, "Everyone... I'm so sorry about this entire tragedy." The grieving survivors all looked at him. One of them approached him. Chris continued, "I don't feel like there are any words to describe how sorry I am. Each of you must be..." Chris' words were interrupted by a heavy force. Chris felt his jaw with one of his hands. He rubbed his hand against his mouth and looked at his hand and the blood that covered it. Chris silently looked at the man who had struck him. Rage emanated from the young man. Chris stopped the silence that filled the room by saying, "Trent... I'm sorry this happened."

Trent screamed, "Liar! You knew this would happen!" Chris looked as though Trent's words hurt more than the strike from his fist. Trent turned to the survivors and pointed at Chris. Trent said, his voice trembling, "He knew this was going to happen. He staged the entire thing to boost ratings for his little reunion."

Chris said, "I would never do that."

Courtney said, "We all know what happened on the fourth season of your reality show. After that incident you fled here to hide from the jurisdiction of the authorities looking for you."

Chris thought, "How did she know all of this?" but instead he said, "That was an accident, just like this." Chris looked at the faces of the survivors. It hurt him that they actually believed that he would orchestrate something so vile, just for publicity. Chris said, "I didn't have anything to do with this." Chris could still feel the disbelief in the room. He said, "The reunion is off... Obviously. You can all go home."

A voice randomly said, "No." Everyone turned their gaze to the person who uttered the word. Ezekiel continued, "I think we should still have the reunion, eh." Ezekiel heard sounds of bitter laughter. He continued, "Only... as a memorial." The laughter stopped.

Tyler said, "That's a great idea."

Ezekiel added, "The families will no doubt have some sort of service for them, too. But I think it would be good for us to have one to remember everyone."

Trent slowly said, "As long as it takes place in a dignified way."

The survivors looked at Chris. He said, "Of course. We can make this happen, if none of you are opposed to it." Chris looked directly to Courtney.

She said, "I'm not opposed."

Chris walked over to Ezekiel and sat by him. Chris said, "I want you to oversee this." Ezekiel looked quizzically at Chris. Chris continued, "I can't attend... For legal reasons. You'll be able to use the studio we planned on using for the reunion. I'll arrange everything, but you're in charge of the event. Do you think you can handle it?"

Ezekiel nodded and said, "I'll do it."

Chris pat Ezekiel on the knee. He began to walk away from the area; he looked back, as if to say something, but the still mournful feeling of the section caused him to remain silent. Chris left the airport.

The young adults all rose from their seats and began to leave the airport. Noah gathered his things and headed to the front door. He looked back and saw Heather at a counter. He stepped closer to the door, but stopped. He sighed, turned, and walked toward Heather. He thought to himself, as he rolled his eyes, "Why do I have to be the one to do this?" He reached Heather and said, "What's up?"

Heather said, "I'm going home."

Noah said, "Why not just go to the memorial?"

Heather said, "No one wants me there. I can pay my respects anywhere."

Noah said, "Do what you want, but..."

Heather interrupted him and said, "Oh, boy. Here it comes."

Noah said, "Here what comes?"

Heather explained, "The part where you say that you want me there. Spare me. I wouldn't believe it, anyway."

Noah said dryly, "Get over yourself. I was going to say that if the media finds out that you survived and you weren't there to pay your respects to the dead, they'll jump at the chance to paint you as the heartless harpy everyone believes you to be."

Heather silently stared at Noah for a few seconds. She turned to the person at the counter and said, "Never mind. I'd like to book a flight for tomorrow evening, though."

* * *

Ezekiel stood nervously at the doors of the studio. He desperately hoped that everything turned out. It had only been one day since the incident.

Bridgette, Izzy, Katie, and Cody arrived together, in the same taxi cab. Ezekiel smiled at his former costars as they walked in. They all seemed to ignore him as they each found a seat. Cody sat in the back row by himself, while Bridgette, Katie, and Izzy sat together in the front row. Ezekiel felt nerves even worse. He wanted the event to be a way that everyone could remember the victims, but he still feared that things weren't going to turn out well. He never really had any close relationship with anyone from the show... Or anyone in general, but he still sought acceptance from the others.

Noah, Trent, Lindsay, and Tyler arrived next. Lindsay and Tyler sat in the middle row. Trent sat in the back row, and Noah took a seat next to Cody. Cody hadn't shaved in the morning, that was apparent to Noah. Noah wanted to know why Cody seemed so bothered. He hadn't lost anyone he had cared about too much... anymore. Noah fought his urge to say nothing and said, "Cody, if you want to talk about what you're feeling, I'll listen."

Cody looked ahead. He opened his mouth and said, "Is it wrong to be jealous of a dead person?" Noah didn't answer. He didn't know what he should possibly say.

Heather arrived next. She quietly sat between Noah and Trent. Courtney arrived next. She sat in the front row next to Katie. Ezekiel walked onto the stage and stood behind the podium that he had set up. He stood there for several minutes. Courtney said, "Aren't you going to start?"

Ezekiel spoke into the microphone, "Everyone isn't here yet."

Courtney looked behind her. She said, "Everyone's here. Chris didn't change his mind, did he?" Ezekiel shook his head.

The door opened. Everyone turned their eyes to the doors. Heather quickly turned around. Noah looked at her face and could tell that she was mortified.

"Trent, Trent," One of the voices of the people who had entered said, "Do you mind answering some questions?" Several men and women with microphones surrounded him, along with several men holding cameras pointing directly at him.

Courtney turned to face Ezekiel. She said, "Chris invited the press?"

Ezekiel said, "No, this was my idea."

The press continued to ask Trent if he would answer their questions. Trent finally said, "If I answer your questions, will you leave me alone?" The reporters smiled and nodded. Trent said, "Fine."

One of the reporters asked, "We heard you were on the same flight as Leshawna, what was she doing in her final moments?"

Trent answered, "I don't remember."

Another reporter asked, "How do you feel about Leshawna's death?"

Trent paused. He realized that he hadn't even been thinking about Leshawna. He answered, "I'm not sure..."

One of the reporters asked, "What do you have to say to the millions of Leshawna's fans who are mourning her death?"

Trent froze. Was Leshawna the only person who died? Did they completely forget about the others? Did they even remember the woman he was married to? Trent abruptly stood up. He pushed passed the press and headed for the door. They barraged him with shouts of, "Trent?! Trent?!" Trent walked out of the building.

The press, seeing that Trent had left, turned their attention to the next target. One of the reporters said, "Heather! Are you happy to see some of your old enemies gone?"

Heather felt pierced through the heart. She turned her head away from the reporter. Noah could not help but feel sorry for her, as she had turned her face in his direction. He could tell how bad the question hurt her. He quickly stood up and took Heather by the hand. She looked up at him and stood up, as well. Cody stood. Katie stood. Izzy stood. All of them walked out the door. The members of the media followed them outside, shouting their names.

Courtney stood up and said to Ezekiel, "Well, that turned out horribly. I knew you were still as insensitive as ever."

Ezekiel nervously said, "I didn't think something like that would happen."

When Courtney turned around, she saw Tyler and Lindsay with their bodies leaning against each other, as they held hands. She looked at them in a disgusted manner before exiting the building. Tyler pressed Lindsay closer to him as she started to cry.

After a few minutes, the couple walked toward the exit. Tyler looked outside and saw that everyone, including the media, had left. The two stepped outside. Tyler shut the door behind him. He hugged Lindsay and said, "Lindsay?" She looked at his face. He continued, "I thought about what Courtney said. I think maybe she's right. Maybe we aren't as close as she was to Duncan, or Trent was to Gwen."

Lindsay said, "Tyler... You aren't saying what I think you're saying, are you?"

Tyler fell to one knee, and said, "Lindsay? Will you marry me?" Lindsay looked surprised. She thought he was about to break up with her. Tyler said, "I don't ever want to lose you. I think it's time to take our relationship more seriously." He held out a ring to her that he fished from his pocket. "I left the hotel room last night, and found this. It's not much, but..."

Lindsay said, "Yes." Tyler stood up and kissed his fiancee.

He said, "I looked up a local chapel. How does getting married today sound?"

Lindsay hesitated. She thought about any doubts she had about their relationship, but quickly thought about what happened the day before. Lindsay said, "Wonderful."

The two held hands as Tyler flagged down a taxi.

* * *

Ezekiel stood silently behind the podium. He rested his head against it. Bridgette was the only one there. Ezekiel looked up, with tears flowed down his cheeks. He said, "You can go, too, you know."

Bridgette said "I know. I just... I know you didn't mean to hurt the others feelings."

Ezekiel said, "I wanted this to go well, in order to pay respect to the... victims. I thought the world would be interested in what happened, and wanted to grieve along with us. I didn't think the press was going to be so cruel."

Bridgette got up from her chair and stepped on stage. She took Ezekiel by the hands and turned to the microphone. She said, "Geoff was a caring person. Right until the end, he only cared about helping anyone who might have survived." She didn't try to hold back her tears. "He died a hero. He will never be forgotten. He was a kind, giving human being. I'm honored to have ever met him, and to have been a part of his life." Bridgette turned to Ezekiel and said, "Thank you."

Ezekiel hugged Bridgette and said, "That is what I wanted. I wanted them to be remembered for who they were, not for what they were on TV." Ezekiel turned to the microphone and addressed the empty room. "Eva appeared to be a gruff individual, to say the least, eh. But not many people saw her kinder side. It never showed up on television, but when she was with her friends she was one of the most gentle people you could ever meet."

Bridgette took her turn, "DJ was one of my closest friends. He had a beautiful heart, and a part of him will shine on in the hearts of everyone who was ever touched by his love for others, animals, and charity."

Ezekiel said, "I didn't know Harold as well as some others may have, but he always made me smile whenever I saw him. I remember the time..."

Emmy's Note: This chapter was written by Sprinklemist (Sprinklemist1 on this site) and I made some minor modifications to it. Next chapter will be written by myself. We appreciate the reviews, as usual. ;)

Cheers!

~Emmy. (CamperThirteen)