(Continued from Team Introv3rsion)
Moira looked at Toby. "We're done for three months? We get to go home?"
He shrugged. "I guess so." Though he didn't really want to go home.
"Ummm . . . do you want to come home with me?" Moira blurted.
"You want to bring me home?" He swallowed hard, unsure of what to think about this. He loved her, wanted to be with her, but what about her family? What would they think? What would they do?
She blushed. "Sorry. Only if you want to. I have to go home. My mom will want to see me. I'd like to introduce you to her, if that's okay with you. I know she'd love to meet you. Besides, I don't really want to leave you now that we've actually gotten to be together," she finished in a rush.
"My mom will want me to come home to see her, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it." He shrugged but let the issue go. If it was what she wanted, then he would do it because he felt so strongly for her.
Moira pulled away from him a little. "If you don't want to, I totally understand. I probably shouldn't have said anything. Ummm . . . I guess I'll go." She started to stand.
He frowned when she got up to leave. "Oh...I...well...fine." He whispered and stared down at his hands. "Never mind then."
She stopped. "Never mind what? I'm letting you off the hook. If you don't want to go back to California with me, then it's okay. No pressure. I'm not going to hate you or anything because you're not ready to meet my mom. I totally understand."
He shook his head. "Just never mind I guess. I never said I didn't want to meet her. It just wasn't what I was thinking." Or what he was sure he needed. "The only thing I know is that I want to be where you are. If you are going to be at home, then I will be too."
"Really? You actually WANT to go?" She thought about it for a minute. "Would it make you feel better if we went somewhere else?"
"I don't want to go home. What's for me at home Moira? My over protective bitchy mom who tries to control my life and doesn't care about what I want, just how she looks in front of all of her friends?" He didn't care if he said it out loud or if was caught on film. She needed to know. "There's no place for me to go. No one else for me to be with. If that's where you want to be then...I'll be there."
Moira wanted to cry. She had no idea it was that bad for Toby at home. He had never really talked about it before. "Well, my mom's not like that. She's like, the complete opposite of controlling. She'd be more than fine with you coming to stay--as long as you want. In fact, she's been asking me when you were coming to visit. I'd really love for you to come too. I promise, it will be so much better than at your house."
"Alright. I'll put off my plans to see the world for another time,” he said with a small laugh.
"You want to go somewhere else? I said we could go somewhere else."
"I said I wanted to be wherever you were going to be," he pointed out.
"I know, but I don't HAVE to go home. It would just be the easiest place to go. No planning, no cost, and we can lounge on the beach all day."
"Then we can do that," he said with a nod. "I told you Moira, what else am I going to do?"
"I don't know, go to Europe?" she quipped.
"Or Asia or Africa or Australia or anywhere, still not the point I'm trying to make. I'd be alone. Without you. I'd rather not..."
She placed a finger against his lips to quiet him. "Don't even think it. You're coming home with me." She smiled. "I insist."
"Alright," he said and nodded.
It was then that Moira realized that both of their teams plus Chance were still gathered around the fire, listening to every word. "Ummm . . ."
He raised an eyebrow. "Um?"
"I think everyone's listening to us."
He shrugged and kissed her. "So? You got something to say people?"
She laughed against Toby's lips and kissed him harder, wrapping her arms around his neck. If he didn't care, then she didn't either.
He held her close.
"Ah young love," Chance said. "I see these two aren't wasting any time, so why are the rest of you?"
"We want to know who the MVPs were," Lily said.
"Give us a moment to tally the results." Chance said with a rather forced smile.
Moira rolled her eyes. "As if SHE would be MVP," she whispered to Toby. "She didn't do a damn thing!"
Toby laughed and chance consulted one of the producers for a moment, and then returned. "Alright we have the mvps. Team introv3rsion is Mr. Coty “T” Ranover. Congrats. And from Team Promethiad . . . Adrian Rayne! Congratulations to both of you."
"Is he serious? I did more than he did," Moira told Toby.
He laughed. "Yeah I don't even know."
"Well, that's it folks," Chance said. "Your instructions for next season will be mailed to you. See you in three months!" He disappeared into the trees.
Adrian, Lily and Jesse immediately headed in the other direction without saying goodbye. Will lingered, but he took one look at Moira standing with Toby and left silently.
"So, are you ready to see California?" Moira asked.
Toby said goodbye to the others with a quick wave. Ipod hugged him and then ran off to the other two. He sighed and nodded at her. "Yeah. I'm ready."
"Let's get the heck out of this jungle and back to the hotel. I'll call my mom from there and let her know we're coming."
"Right away? Or should we finish off the week here...together?" he asked softly.
"Sounds like . . . paradise." She laughed at her own joke. "I can wait a few days to call my mom." She raised her voice a little. "In case someone's filming this, Mom I promise I'll be home soon. Sorry I'm not calling you immediately."
He laughed. "I'm pretty sure they edit things. It'll air later." He kissed her and sighed.
"Just my luck, they'll leave that part in and Mom will be annoyed at me for not coming home—and bringing you with me—as soon as I could." She held out a hand to him. "Want to go back now?"
"Go back?" he asked curiously.
"To the hotel. We have to at least get our stuff."
He nodded. "Alright. Sounds good."
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