"Welcome back to Total Drama Island: Return to Wawanakwa!" Chris welcomed, "Before the break, Amalia secured herself a spot in the final two, while Devin secured himself a spot in the Submarine of Losers. Who will leave alongside him? And who will Amalia pick to be in the final two with her? Let's listen in on what the remaining campers have done since the challenge."

--------

The cameras panned in on the dingy cabin, now containing two sulking campers. Devin was packing his belongings in preparation for his elimination, while Daniel laid silently on one of the bunks, keeping his thoughts to himself. Normally, being eliminated would make someone sad, but Devin took his defeat graciously. He knew that he tried his hardest, and he knew that not many people have made it to the top four on the show, and he was proud to be a part of that group.

"This sucks..." Daniel muttered, "We were so close to winning it all."

"Yeah...so close..." Devin agreed, continuing to place his clothes in his bag, "Nothing I can do about it, though."

"I can't believe that we were the last two to finish," Daniel admitted, still lying down.

"It's a shame," Devin agreed, "But what'd we expect? Amalia won a lot of challenges but Rhythm came out of nowhere today."

"Yeah..." Daniel muttered, "I really screwed up."

"We both screwed up," Devin reminded, "But we can't blame ourselves. We tried our best."

"I-I-I failed..." Daniel recalled, "I can't believe this..."

"Daniel is taking the loss harder than I thought. Although, I honestly think that he's more upset that he lost than he is of there being a chance for him to be eliminated. It's understandable: he spent the past few weeks bailing Amalia out of tough situations and to find out that he can't do it for himself this time must feel terrible."- Devin

"Do you know that feeling when you're so down that you don't know what to do? That's how I feel," Daniel explained, "Yes, it's a bit melodramatic, but I can't stop it."

"What's the problem?" Devin asked, "You tried your best."

"If I can barely place third now, how am I supposed to step up my game in time for the final challenge?" Daniel questioned as he threw his head into his hands, "I'm an embarrassment."

"That's not the way to feel man," Devin insisted as he took a seat next to Daniel, "You should be happy; at least you have a chance to make it to the final two."

"Yeah; all I need is a few more hours and I'll be out of here," Daniel remarked, "You were right; Amalia's gonna get rid of me."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Devin insisted, "Hey, you probably won't be voted out. If you and Amalia have as strong of a relationship as you claim, she'll take you."

--------

While Devin and Daniel had their conversation in the cabin, Rhythm and Amalia were showering in the communal bathrooms. Even though they were in different showers, that didn't stop them from having a conversation. With Amalia having the power to pick who goes with her, Rhythm needed to take any chance that she had to talk to her.

"Good job during the challenge!" Rhythm congratulated.

"Now that Amalia has immunity, I have to do whatever I can to convince her that I'm the better choice to take to the final two as opposed to Daniel. It'll be a tough thing to pull off, but I've got to try for it. I'm not just gonna roll over and give up at the first sign of trouble."- Rhythm

"Thanks," Amalia thanked, turning her attention to her shower.

"Now...obviously you have the power, and it's time for you to make the move that benefits you the most," Rhythm began before revealing her intention, "At the end of the day, you have a better chance of beating me in the final two than Daniel."

"As much as I want to tell her that I'm taking Daniel and that's final, I kinda have to listen to her. I've never been the kind of girl to take the first offer; if Rhythm can present a legit argument, then I might have to consider it, even if it means that I might have to betray Daniel...again."-Amalia

"At least, if you're willing to listen," Rhythm added.

"Of course I'll listen," Amalia assured, "Speak away."

"First off, Daniel being next to you makes your game look much worse," Rhythm claimed.

"How so?" Amalia asked, intrigued.

"Honestly, Daniel is the real reason why you're here," Rhythm insisted, "There were times when if he didn't give you immunity, you would've been voted out."

"Of course!" Amalia agreed, "But hey, I've done my fair share of work. I've won five immunity challenges!"

"Daniel helped you win two of them," Rhythm noted, trying to prove her point, "He ran this entire game, and people will praise him for it."

"It's not just that. I'm concerned that people will hate me for voting out Daniel," Amalia explained, "He's made every possible effort to keep me safe, so to vote him out would be terrible for me."

"It would be terrible for you to go all the way to the final two only to lose it all." Rhythm noted, "He really cares for you; if he was as caring as he's shown himself to be over the past few days, he would be happy to see you win."

"Yeah...maybe..." Amalia agreed as she grabbed her towel to dry herself off.

"My strategy when talking to Amalia is to convince her that Daniel won't be hurt by voting him out. Honestly, I know that he wants to be in the final two, but I wouldn't put it past him to forgive Amalia for voting him out."- Rhythm

"You're a lucky girl," Rhythm commented, "If he really loves you, he wouldn't mind taking the fall for you."

"Yeah, I guess so..." Amalia admitted whilst drying herself.

"I get that Rhythm is telling me everything that I want to hear, but I can't help but listen. Daniel is genuinely a nice guy, and it would hurt me so much to vote him out. At the same time, he is a much bigger threat, and he might be able to look past this as a game move and not a personal one."- Amalia

"I mean, all things considered, you and I have been through a lot together in this game," Rhythm reminded, "Ever since Veronica was voted off, you and I have been really close. We made decisions in this game together, and I honestly think that it'd be right if we ended this game together."

"Yeah...that does sound pretty good I guess," Amalia admitted as she put on her bra, underwear, and bathrobe, "I'm gonna go to the Mess Hall for a snack. Want anything?"

"It's fine, go ahead," Rhythm allowed.

Without hesitation, Amalia exited the communal bathroom, but was caught off guard by a puzzling sight. To her surprise, Daniel was sitting on the steps leading to the bathroom. The immediate thought that came into her mind was that Daniel had eavesdropped on the entire conversation and was upset that she betrayed him again. Being cautious, she took a seat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey...what's up, Daniel?" Amalia asked, trying to act like nothing was wrong.

"Hey," Daniel greeted before kissing Amalia on the cheek, "I'm just....sad..."

"Sad?" Amalia repeated, confused, "Why?"

"I mean...I really thought that I would do better in the challenge," Daniel explained, "It's disheartening."

"Daniel, you did well today," Amalia assured, "The important part is that one of us won, and neither of us were in last."

"Y-you're taking me to the final two, right?" Daniel asked, wanting confirmation.

"Of course!" Amalia agreed, trying her best to block Rhythm's points out of her mind, "It was always gonna be you."

"The last thing that I need is for Daniel to find out that I'm undecided. The hardest part is looking him in the eyes and lying right to his face. Man...why must being secretive be so hard?!"- Amalia

"Daniel, we can't spend the rest of our time together being sad," Amalia rationalized as she gave him a hug, "How about this: we go to the mini-mansion, and we just binge-watch movies together."

"Y-yeah..." Daniel allowed, nodding, "Yeah...that s-sounds good..."

"C'mon...where's that smile? Where's that smile...?" Amalia taunted as she began tickling Daniel, causing him to laugh instinctively.

"Okay! Okay!" Daniel insisted, laughing, "I get the point!"

"There's the Daniel that I know and love," Amalia commented.

"Yeah...I don't know what I would do without you..." Daniel declared as he stood up, "C'mon, let's go have some fun."

With that, the ship of Amaniel ran off to the mini-mansion to have some fun, leaving behind the emotional conversation that had just taken place. Little did they know that they weren't the only ones exposed to the true details of that conversation. However, that lack of knowledge wasn't going to last much longer.

"Hmm...what would Daniel do without her?" Rhythm asked to herself, having eavesdropped on the conversation from behind the door.

--------

After getting properly dressed, Amalia joined Daniel in the living room to watch the first Pitch Perfect movie. In a way, it seemed symbolical; on the first day, they watched the third movie, and on the second-to last day, they watched the first movie. Although, neither half of the couple was too comfortable; Amalia was still trying to figure out who she should take to the finals, while Daniel was concerned that Amalia would betray him again.

"Just to be clear, you're taking me to the final two, right?" Daniel repeated.

"Yes!" Amalia insisted, laughing in awkwardness, "Why do you keep asking that?"

"Just checking, hehe..." Daniel explained.

"Forgive me for being paranoid, but let's face it, Amalia doesn't have the best track record when it comes to staying loyal. I'm just hoping that she holds up her end of the deal. At the end of the day, I've been nothing but loyal to her, and hopefully what her and I have together is strong enough that she'll take me."- Daniel

"I can tell that Daniel is a bit nervous about tonight's elimination, and honestly, I don't blame him. I'd be nervous too. To be honest, I still don't know where I'm going with tonight's vote. I've just got to play it cool and think it over carefully."- Amalia

"You'd tell me if you were voting me out, right?" Daniel asked.

"I mean, I'm not voting you out," Amalia noted.

"I know," Daniel insisted, "It's just that I've played the game the only way I knew how, and the last thing that I want is to be blindsided in third place."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I would tell you if I was going to vote you out," Amalia claimed, knowing deep down that she might be lying.

"Thanks," Daniel thanked before taking a deep breath, "Hey, can I say something?"

"Sure...?" Amalia allowed, a bit unsure of where Daniel was going with this.

"For once, I actually can't read Amalia. It's like my eyes are telling me that she's being honest, but my mind is warning me that this is my last night on the island. Y'know, if I am the one going home, I might as well leave with no regrets."- Daniel

"Amalia, the past few weeks have been some of the best weeks of my life. I came here as an intellectual boy who wanted to dedicate my full attention to the game, but having met you has definitely changed my perspective of the world. I'm glad that I finally met someone who could understand what goes on in my mind, whether it's complicated or random. I've spent a lot of time trying to get us to the end, and I'm glad that we're going to sit next to each other in the finale."

"Thanks..." Amalia thanked, blushing.

"Honestly, outside this game, I don't meet many girls like you," Daniel admitted, "Typically when I think of a rebel, I think of another Duncan. But you've helped open my mind to new ideas, and I've done things here that I never thought that I would do. Wherever this relationship goes, I just want to say that you've made me a better man, and thank you."

"Aww..." Amalia muttered as she pulled him in for a passionate kiss, "I love you, Daniel Trieu."

"I...love you too, Amalia Rahela-Filipescu," Daniel replied, finally able to express his love for his girlfriend.

"Y-you said it!" Amalia noted, excited.

"And I meant it," Daniel confirmed, "I love you."

"I can't believe it..." Amalia admitted, smiling.

"And another thing," Daniel remarked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out two rings, "Remember these?"

"Yeah..." Amalia confirmed, "They're from the first immunity challenge that we won together."

"Here," Daniel offered as he placed a ring on Amalia's left index finger before doing the same to himself, "It's a promise ring; a symbol of our unwavering love for each other."

"Wow..." Amalia muttered, flattered, "Thanks..."

"Damn it, Daniel! Why are you making this decision so hard?! Ugh.....I feel so bad for even considering voting him out! He poured his heart and soul out to me; voting him out could literally ruin everything! My God...I almost wish Rhythm won so I wouldn't have to make this decision. F**K!"- Amalia

"Sorry to interrupt," Rhythm apologized as she entered the room, causing the couple to turn to face her, "Daniel, can I talk to you for a moment in private?"

"Uh..." Daniel muttered as he turned to Amalia for confirmation before turning back to face Rhythm seconds later, "Sure, that's fine."

"Daniel is already turning up the flirtatious element. He's smart: he knows that if he can give Amalia what she wants romantically, she'll keep him around. I've got to step in and see if I can get any information from Daniel that I can use against him."- Rhythm

"What's up?" Daniel asked, having followed Rhythm up to the second floor.

"Well, y'know, it's one of us going tonight," Rhythm reminded, "Do you think that you're safe?"

"Save it," Daniel insisted, "I know that whatever I tell you, you're going to tell Amalia, and I don't need anything out there to incriminate me."

"Wha.....??" Rhythm asked, shocked beyond belief, "Look, I know that you love Amalia and all, but she's not as loyal-"

"Here's what you need to know," Daniel interrupted, wanting to get his point across, "Amalia is one of the nicest and sweetest girls that I've ever met in my life. Being who I am outside of the game, I hardly ever meet girls like her. She teaches me to be more loose, and I help her have fun without breaking rules. People have gone to me to try and get me to vote her out for being a threat, but this is more than just a game to me! People keep on underestimating how close Amalia and I are!"

"But she backstabbed you!" Rhythm revealed, trying to get the conversation under control, "She told me in the shower-"

"I don't care!" Daniel interjected, "Amalia and I have a relationship that goes beyond this game. Sure, she may have thrown me under the bus, but I know that she had to keep every option open. She promised to take me to the final two, and for all I know, she may have promised the same to you. But I have faith that Amalia would at least tell me if she was going to vote me out before she actually does it. That's what I have to say. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to spend as much time as I can with the girl that I love."

With that, Daniel turned around, walked downstairs, and rejoined his girlfriend on the couch, leaving Rhythm more frustrated than before she entered the mini-mansion. She gained nothing from her conversation with Daniel, and was left even more worried with what would happen at the elimination ceremony.

"Attention campers!" Chris called out from the loudspeakers, "It's time for the elimination ceremony! Please make your way down to the Dock of Shame, now!"

--------

It was now 7:30pm, and all four campers lined up on the Dock of Shame, where two of them were to be shipped away, while the final two would enjoy one last night on the island in preparation for the biggest day of their lives. They all had different emotions. Devin was relatively content, having accepted his fate. Rhythm was stressed, wondering if she did enough to convince Amalia that she was the best option for the final two. Daniel was calm, reasonably confident that his wishes would be fulfilled. And Amalia was nervous, constantly wondering if her decision was the right one to make.

"Welcome campers to the final elimination before the finale," Chris welcomed, "Before Amalia announces her vote, we have to bid farewell to one person first. Devin, by virtue of losing the last challenge, you are automatically eliminated. Please say goodbye and walk down the Dock of Shame."

"It's been fun guys," Devin remarked, "Amalia, well done at winning all those challenges. Rhythm, I'll always remember you as the outgoing music fanatic. And Daniel, it's been a fun ride strategizing. I'll see you all at the finale."

"Bye!" Rhythm, Amalia, and Daniel replied as they watched Devin walk down the Dock of Shame and into the Submarine of Losers.

"Now Amalia, this next part is all you," Chris declared, "Now, I'm only asking this as a formality: who will you send into the Submarine of Losers? Rhythm, or Daniel?"

"I just want to say that this wasn't an easy decision, and at the end of the day, this is the decision that I feel the most comfortable making," Amalia declared before taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry but....I choose to eliminate.....Daniel."

"WHAT?!" Rhythm exclaimed, shocked at the vote.

"Wow...that's cold..." Chris remarked, shocked, "Daniel, are you alright?"

All the eyes were on Daniel, who still had a shocked expression on his face. Even though he considered the possibility of Amalia voting him out, he didn't think that she'd actually do it. His mind was frozen by Amalia's choice, as if he was a computer that just crashed.

"Daniel, I want you to know that I still love you; I wasn't lying when I said that," Amalia insisted, hoping for Daniel to not be mad, "I just can't risk losing in the final two, and it would be really difficult for me to beat you in the final two. I'm sorry!"

Daniel continued to be frozen, save for his quickly changing facial expressions. They all waited patiently for Daniel to say something in response as he continued to process all of the information given to him. After roughly fifteen seconds of waiting, Amalia broke the silence.

"Daniel, please..." Amalia pleaded as she walked up to Daniel and place her hands on his cheeks, "Please say something..."

"J-just.....just don't talk to me..." Daniel requested before removing Amalia's hands from his face and heading down the dock.

"Daniel...please don't be mad!" Amalia begged as she followed Daniel, "Please don't be mad! I'm sorry! I'm-"

"Save it," Daniel declared as he took off his ring and threw it at Amalia, "I hope you're proud of yourself."

With that, Daniel stepped into the Submarine of Losers and slammed the hatch shut, allowing him to be taken away from the island. Amalia could only watch and cry as her boyfriend disappeared from her line of sight. She didn't know what was worse: the fact that she may have made the wrong choice, or the possibility of not being able to call Daniel her boyfriend anymore.

"No....no..." Amalia muttered, sobbing.

"Here..." Rhythm ordered as she pulled Amalia into a hug, "Just calm down, alright? It's over. There's nothing that we can do about it now."

"And with that, we have our finalists!" Chris declared as he pulled the remaining two campers alongside him, "Who will take home the million dollar prize? Will it be Rhythm? Or will it be Amalia? Find out next time on the finale of Total...Drama...Island:...Return to Wawanakwa!"