The Challenge

Chapter Twenty-One

She's so flipping queasy and it has nothing to do with the one hundred feet suspension she's about to be dangling from and everything to do with today's challenge. Her biggest fear. Her greatest nemesis. Trivia. A classic and TJ's personal favorite and Emma can picture him now, cackling away after one of her dumbass answers because she's a high school dropout.

Killian slings an arm around her as Elsa motions for them to begin their interview. "I know this is Margaret, Belle, and Neal's specialty so we really have to buckle down and think about our answers before we just blurt out something stupid."

"I can't make any promises," Emma mumbles under her breath but Killian tosses his head back in laughter and pulls her closer into his embrace.

Kristoff stops filming just then so production can escort them to the platform that will lift one hundred feet above the water. Where she will be standing on a platform that could drop out from under her and send her crashing into the waters if she doesn't answer enough questions right.

Fuck.

"I am so fucked," she whispers into Killian's side, clinging to her own life jacket to trick her mind into thinking she's safe.

"Ah, it won't be so bad. We've all said stupid things under pressure and in the moment. No worries, just enjoy TJ's laugh." 

She groans, usually when she watches this show, Trivia Day is her favorite because TJ's laugh is contagious but now she thinks she might vomit and pretend to be sick just so she doesn't have to embarrass herself.

"Everyone ready?" TJ hollers from his secure location on the fucking ground.

The whole cast screams their approval and excitement but Emma freezes up, her nails digging deeper and deeper into her jacket.

"Belle, you're up first."

"Okay, Teej!"

"In Ancient Egyptian society, who is the person that had the highest rank?"

"Pharaoh!" Belle screams like her life hangs in the balance and well...it kind of does.

"That's correct," TJ proudly declares. "Who would you like to sabotage?"

Emma holds her breath, terrified Belle might come after her and Killian because three strikes and they are plummeting to the waters below.

"Zelena."

"Alright, that's one mark against you, Zelena," TJ informs the group as he slams his hand down on a button that has Zelena's platform sinking down just a tad so everyone can see how many marks each individual has.

"Fuck you!" Zelena spits in disgust, eliciting a tiny chuckle from Emma. They will definitely have to bleep that out of the show.

TJ explodes with laughter as he flips to the next card of questions in his hand. "Okay, David, what is the capital of Italy?"

"Rome."

"Correct, who would you like to sabotage?"

Crap, Emma knows for a fact she would have missed both questions already and most likely be closer to her death. How the hell is she going to make it through this challenge and not appear like the total idiot she is.

"August."

TJ aggressively slams his palm down on the button and lowers August. "I better get to August before his team sinks. So August, what is the official language spoken in Australia?"

"Dutch!"

"Dutch?" Neal repeats in disgust as TJ keels over from a full belly laugh.

"Are you joking?" Belle exclaims, her tongue heavy with her adorable Australian accent.