After the waves of pleasure subside, James and I lay like sweaty messes next to each other, cuddled up in each other's arms as we both drop off to sleep.

*****

Emma P.O.V

As my eyes flutter open, I see that I've been untangled from James' arms. The curtains of the palace have been drawn back to let in beams from the Australian sun.

I stretch out my limbs and throw the covers back. You know when you wake up with loads of energy? It's one of those mornings.

"Morning Em," Emily smiles, watching me stumble down the hill. "Careful there."

"I'm good, I think." I chuckle. "Have you cooked the rice and beans?"

"Yeah, there's a tray of yours on the side there." Sair points to my tray that's led on the red throne. I grab it, with a spoon, and start to chow down on my jungle breakfast. "Morning Hazza."

"Morning Em," Harry yawns, coming to join us. "You know, I swear I heard the weirdest animal noises last night." He scratches his head. "Anyone else?"

Everyone else just frowns ... thank god.

"Oh, you're up."

I turn to see James wondering back from the Telegraph. He's shirtless, with those more familiar tanned abs out, and his wet hair is spiked back from his morning shower. "Morning beautiful,"

"Morning." I peck his lips.

"James," Harry croaks. "Did you hear animals last night? Like, odd noises?"

He takes in a sharp inhalation of air to hold back a giggle. "I didn't hear anything, Hazza. You must have been dreaming."

Harry throws the claim away. James looks to me, flashes his eyebrows and takes a seat by my side. His fingertips massage my thigh, bare from my short shorts. "So who's going this morning?"

"No idea," Anne shakes her head. "I hope it's me."

"Oh, Anne."

"No, seriously," She shakes her head. "You all want to stay, and I want to leave."

Only a few minutes pass before Holly and Dec wonder into camp to reveal the news. "How are you all this morning?"

"Good!" I reply with a grin, a lot louder than everyone else.

"Well, we are here to reveal who is leaving today. In no particular order,"

"Fleur ... it's not you."

"James ... it's not you."

"Harry ... it's not you."

"Sair ... it might be you."

"Emily ... it's not you."

"Emma ... it's not you."

"Anne ... it's not you."

"John ... it's not you."

"Which means that Nick, it might be you."

I take Sair's hand in my own.

"The third person to leave I'm a Celebrity is ... Sair."

My heart shatters. "Sair ... no." I cry, hugging her tightly.

"It's ok, Em." She pecks my cheek. "I'll see you soon anyway. I promise."

I help Sair grab her things as she's been rushed by Dec and Holly. She slings her backpack over her shoulders, her hat on her head, and runs off, meaning she's the first of the girls to leave camp.

"I can't believe it," I whisper into James' chest. I feel a tear drip down my face that James wipes away with his thumb. She was one of the quieter campmates, but I never thought I'd leave before her.

"It's ok to cry. Come on. Let's wave her off."

Sair was a good friend of mine; it's atrocious to see our jungle family gradually getting smaller and smaller.

Later on ...

"So you said about your sister?" John questions me.

John, James, Fleur and I have been cuddled up together in the treehouse, talking about all of camp and family life. The treehouse is where I go on the odd occasion - it reminds me a lot of Noel.

"Yeah, Cassy." I nod. "She means the world to me."

"Older?"

I nod. "She's three years older."

Cassy, my older sister, is basically my role model. She got me into dance, she was my guide and my shining light when things got a bit blurry growing up. "I love her with everything I have," I comment. "And I miss her so much."

I blink hard to hold the tears back. In this camp, where everything is so tranquil but restricted, you think about your family all the time. Are they safe? What are they doing and thinking?

Am I making them proud?

"I'm sure they're so proud of you." James pecks my temple like he's read my thoughts. "They have to be."

The hours fly by as we move into talking about Sophie - James' sister, Sandra - Harry's wife, and Keshia - Fleur's sister. By the time we've finished, the sky has misted to a dark grey, and Emily, Nick and John have returned to camp.

"We got 8 stars!"

"Well done guys!" Anne applauds. "So what was the challenge?"

As James runs up to the Telegraph, John goes into specific detail about the dire trial. "It was called Wicked Warehouse. Emily had to pick up these critters-,"

"There were spiders!" Emily interrupts. "Massive great bloody spiders!"

Nick then delves into his perspective, before the sound of flapping plastic is heard. "I have a laminate."

James trots back from the Telegraph. "Celebrities. Tonight, you will have a chance to win letters from home."

My heart stops.

My heart starts again.

"In tonight's challenge, you must move eggs from one basket to the other with only your fingertips. An egg must pass over everyone's fingers at least once in the duration of the challenge. Every egg has a name on it and only the eggs in the basket at the end of the challenge will be saved. Any eggs that are dropped, the letter will be lost."

Moved into camp by some rangers is a metal grate - that I guess we have to put our fingers through - and two baskets. One full of eggs, and one not.

I spot my name on one of the eggs. That's my letter in an eggshell - no pun intended.

"Let's go for Emma's first," Fleur nods. "Emma's, Nick's and Harry's, because they gave up their care packages."

"You don't have to-," I try to but in, but Emily is having none of it.

"You deserve your letter from home, babe. Now shush."

On the klaxon, Nick picks my egg up and puts it on his fingers. He rolls it across to where James has slotted his hands through the grate.

Every single time the egg moves, it feels like I'm going to throw up my heart. The egg rolls across James to Anne, and then Anne to Emily, and then Emily to John.

"You got it, babe?"

I slide my fingers through the metal grate as far as they'll go. I get my hands under John's and he drops my egg into my grip.

The pressure is so intense that my hands tremble like walking on a tightrope. Harry is the final member to slot his hands into the grate, and he catches my egg as it falls from my fingertips.

I can't watch.

James holds me against his chest tightly as we study every single one of Harry's muscle movements. He rolls the egg over his fingertips ever so leisurely and lowers the egg straight into the basket.

"Oh my gosh," a massive weight falls off of my shoulders. "Thank you, Harry."

We succeed in getting Nick's and Harry's eggs, and the next one we go for is James'. James, Nick and Harry take the front-runner, and they seem to have the technique perfected.

James' egg rolls rapidly into the basket, without any cracks or smashes, meaning he also has a letter from home.

Emily manages to get her egg in too, in addition to John's.

"We have two minutes," Fleur beats her hand on a log.

"Let's get Fleur's next," Nick instructs. Harry picks the egg up with his fingertips and passes it along the grate. As the boys are rushing, the pressure is multiplied by an infinite amount - the clock acts like a ticking time bomb.

"Ok," Nick breathes. "Just roll it carefully onto my fingers, John."

I clutch onto the fabric of James' shirt, being held in his chest. It's like a horror movie - I can't watch, but I desperately want to.

John passes the egg over the tips of his middle, ring and little finger. "I'm ready,"

John then lets the egg drop into Nick's fingers. It wobbles. As if in slow motion, the oval egg somersaults out of Nick's fingertips.

It smashes on the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.

"It's okay." Fleur breaks the tension. "It's fine ... let's just get Anne's egg and -,"

The klaxon sounds, signalling the end of the game.

"I ... I'm so sorry, Fleur." Nick hugs my crazy-haired friend nest friend. "It was my fault that,"

"Don't worry." She shrugs. Even though she's put up an unbreakable barrier, it's transparent. The tears well up in her eyes, but she fights them away. "I'm just glad everyone else got their letters from home."

As everyone takes the time to comfort Anne and my best friend, Emily and I run to the telegraph to grab the wicker basket full of rolled up letters. When we return, everyone is grouped around the fire, ready to hear from their loved ones.

John's letter is the first to be read. Nick begins to read out his beautiful letter from John's husband Scott - it's a shame I can't put a face to Scott's name, because according to John, he's absolutely fabulous.

"Thank you, Nick." John takes the letter, wiping his tears away with his top.

Harry's letter from Sandra is when the tears start to roll down my own skin. Sandra may as well be a campmate in here, as she's talked about so much.

"To Emily," Harry reads out her letter. The message is stunning. Her mum - Kate - talks about how proud she is of her gorgeous young daughter, and how happy she makes her.

After Nick's letter is read out, there are two letters left. "Will you read mine for me?" My boyfriend asks, handing me the tea-stained paper.

I unwrap the teal ribbon and unroll the letter. Whoever wrote it has prepossessing handwriting, definitely a lot neater than mine. "To my amazing older brother,"

He lets out a sob.

"I can't put into words how amazing you're doing. To watch you every single night on TV, developing into an independent man is such a testimony. You never stop smiling and you look like you're having the time of your life. Enjoy it, as the jungle journey is quickly coming to an end. Your friendship with all of the guys is hilarious; Brad, Connor, Tristan, mum, dad and I sit around and pee ourselves with laughter. I see you've gotten yourself a girlfriend too."

I giggle. James takes his hands away from his face and lets one lie on my thigh. "She's the perfect girl for you. Keep hold of her James - we can't wait to meet her."

"We'll see you soon. Your sister, Sophie xxx."

I roll the paper back up, and on the underside splashes a tear from my eye. "Here," I hand it to James. "Your sister is so proud of you."

After comforting James, waiting for the tears to subside, my letter is handed to him. He pulls at the lilac ribbon and takes it away, opening up the paper.

Just the sight of my sister's handwriting has me in floods.

*****

Who's excited for Celebrity Cyclone tonight? <3!!

Thank you so much to the wonderful UnicornqueenReal for the lovely messages!

Xoxo