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Chapter 46: The End (But not for them)

Dacky woke up early as usual. Even when they were little she was always the one who woke up first, she usually helped Chef with Breakfast. She got up and decided to check out the house. She was surprised when she found her dad in the kitchen making coffee. "You're up early." He said. "You drink coffee?" Dacky asked. "Hell no this shit's nasty. Your mom does though. I try to make sure she always has a hot cup when she wakes up. She and the twins usually sleep forever. I guess you're the only other one who's a morning person." Dacky poured herself a cup and sat down at the table. "You don't seem like a morning person." He chuckled and said "I get that a lot. Hey do you want to go on a walk kid?"

The forest was surprisingly beautiful. "It's nice up here." She said. "Yeah. So nice I can almost forget how much I hate it here." Dacky looked at her dad. "Why'd you stay then?" "Because I'm a father and a husband. Your mom and I are a team. And we decided we needed to protect the twins." "How did you and mom even last this long? I mean no offense but it seemed like you two fucking hated each other on the show." "Listen honey there's something you need to understand about that show. They recorded all the time yeah. But they did that so they knew every single God damn detail of your life. Then they would use that to write the scripts for the parts that were aired. They made us say things about the people we cared about, do things we didn't want to, and then the worst part was the world believed whatever Chris told them too."

Dacky hadn't realized how bad it was. "They picked their contestants based on how desperate they were for money." "Why did you need money?" "Bail for your uncle." Dacky snorted. "Yeah. And your mom was trying to put herself through lawschool. Everyone had their reasons, but either way we were all desperate enough to go through with it. We were so mistreated. The food was barely food, the beds were freezing, we weren't allowed to sleep much, and the challenges were so dangerous that some of us actually almost died." "Holy shit. I thought that was fake." "Everyone did. And then I finally found someone who made being there tolerable. And they took her away. And then the miscarriage was right after." "Oh my God." "Yeah. You were our little miracle sweetheart." She smiled at him. "So you and mom never hated each other?" "Oh no we definitely did. We couldn't stand each other when we first met. But then I realized she was exactly what I needed. And she's fucking hot." "Ewwww." "Sorry but-" They were interrupted by a woman screaming. Then a helicopter flying over the clearing. They could see CM on the side of it. "No." Duncan said, then took off. Dacky was right behind him. When they got to where they could see, their blood ran cold. Chris was in the clearing. And Courtney was on the ground. Definitely unconscious.

A few of Chris's goons had guns pointed at the kids. Leah and Sandy clutched each other, and were holding back a screaming Henry. He was kicking and hitting trying to break free. Ian was crying while Carly was hastily texting someone. Her parents most likely. Brandon was trying to comfort a crying Ash. She was screaming for Courtney, asking someone to help her. Dacky was wishing the same thing as she saw blood seeping into the ground near her head. Duncan was getting ready to charge in, but Dacky stopped him. "I'm going to distract him. You're going to sneak up behind him. But we need to wait." He nodded. "Looks like we've got almost the whole gang. But where's Daddy and his little delinquent?" Dacky nodded to him. "I knew you would miss me." "Thereeee she is." Dacky was resisting the urge to lose her shit. Her friends, parents, boyfriend, and siblings were in trouble. But she knew if she got too angry she would be restrained, and then she couldn't help her dad if she needed to. "So you found us. How?" After all those years in the mansion, Chris had never passed up an opportunity to talk about himself. He laughed and said "You really think I just let you leave? That RV had trackers and cameras in it. I let you go far enough to where we have enough material for a whole new season! Which was the point of this little exercise. Plus I wanted to see where Duncan and Courtney ended up. I knew they had to have left some way for their precious daughter to find them, so I just turned you loose and waited. And now I have two more to add to my collection!" He said, gesturing to the twins.

"And," He said smirking. "Looks like you and Brandon have been... contributing too. That little bun in your oven will be the start of the third generation of people I own because of the contract your parents signed when they were 16." "So you knew where we were the whole time?" "Yep. And we've been recording the entire time." "And now you're taking the twins back to the mansion with us?" "Yes I am." Duncan raised the huge branch above his head and said "No. You're not." He brought it down just as Chris turned around, and he crumpled to the ground.

Duncan looked to the armed men and women guarding the kids. "Hey I know how Chris works. We're going to take care of him. He doesn't have any power over you or your families anymore." Several people thanked him, and they all got on the chopper and it quickly flew away. Duncan waited to make sure they were really gone, then dropped down next to Courtney. He rolled her over and gently checked her head. He sighed in relief and said "She's just knocked out. Must've gotten this cut when they hit her." Henry and Ash ran to Dacky, Ash hugging her for the first time. Henry clung to her legs while Dacky held Ash. "It's ok guys. It's going to be ok." Courtney woke up and screamed. She was kicking and punching, still in the fight. Duncan held her down and she squeezed him tight when she realized it was him. The hug was shirt lived as she started panicking "Where are they Where- oh thank God." She jumped to her feet and pulled her children close.  She was crying as she checked all of them over for injuries. "Are you hurt at all? Did any of you get hit?" They all told her they were fine. "Sweetie I think you're the one we need to focus on right now." Duncan said. She looked to Chris on the ground and said "After we deal with him. Duncan go get the rope. Dacky take everyone inside. Close the windows and nobody is to come outside until we give the ok. Do you all understand?" They all nodded and made their way inside.

Dacky and Brandon were trying to console a very pale Ash. "It's over now." Dacky told her. "Did you bring them here?" Ash asked Dacky. "Not on purpose. I promise." Ash mumbled something. "What?" "They're my parents. You don't get to take them away." "I never wanted to Ash. Why do you say that?" "I heard you talking to Mama and Dad. You want to take the to Forida." Dacky realized the miscommunication. "I do but I want to take you and Henry too. We can all be a family." Ash nodded. Henry came over and asked "What's Forida?" "Florida is where my parents live. It's really warm and sunny, and it's by the ocean." "You've seen the ocean?" Henry asked his sister in surprise. "I've been in it." Dacky told him. "Did you wrestle sharks?" Dacky laughed and said "No, sorry dude."

Their friends were very nervous. They all sat on the ground together, exchanging nervous glances. "Guys what's wrong? We won." Dacky said. "Kind of. What about Chris? He's still alive." Carly pointed out. "Yeah but my parents will take care of him." Dacky said. That seemed to make everyone more nervous. "Ok I'm just going to say it. We're afraid that your parents are going to trade us for you and the twins." Dacky wanted to say they wouldn't, but her mom would do anything to win. "We need an escape plan if that does happen." Ian said. "Woah now, let's not get too hasty." Brandon said. "Yeah I don't want to leave my family." Dacky said. "Sorry Dacky but if your parents sell us out then you're staying." Brandon was pissed at what Sandy had said. "She's not the only one we're leaving behind if we do that. It's also our kid. Your niece or nephew." Sandy went quiet but Leah joined her side. "Brandon nobody wants to do it, but who knows how far Duncan and Courtney are willing to go to protect their kids?" Their question was answered when they heard a gunshot outside.