"I'm sorry." Rafes voice broke, his eyes wide and focused as he looked at June. He seemed to notice that her  knees had given out, her eyes were closed and she was almost gone. Finally he gained some semblance of reality, the boy realizing what he had done, what he was doing. His lip trembled as he looked at the paleness of her face, his chest burning with grief as his tears stained his face. Rafe let out a gasp, his fingers loosening the tiniest bit, enough for the girl to feel it as she tried to cling onto the last remaining bit of life that she had. She didn't want to give up.  He let out a groan, trying to find the will to finish the job but the longer he looked at her the harder it was. His eyes dropped to the hand that was gripping his wrist, the way it had fallen limp and the only thing holding it up was his own hands. He blinked a few times, the boy fighting internally to just let her go, maybe he should just let her go. His fingers loosened even more, the tips still feeling the alarmingly slow beat of her heart. His eyes widened as he looked at her, his other hand going up to pat her face as the panic started to set in. His breaths immediately started to heave, the boy using his fingers to tap the side of her face, trying to wake her up. Finally he had realized what he had done completely, feeling regret and guilt rip through his body as he tried to wake her.

"June? June! Wake up. Oh my God! No! Hey-"

"Get the hell off of her!"

A thud sounded from in front of her, air breaking into her lungs as Rafes hands fell away. June collapsed to the ground, coughing violently as she felt her body coming back to life. Her eyes flew open, the girl looking down at the ground as she rubbed at her throat, trying to get a regular breath in. She looked up, the sight of Tyler Sutherland making her feel the complete and utter relief that he had provided a few times now. She looked beside her, seeing Rafe who was holding his head and groaning.  She coughed two more times, the blood from her mouth splattering onto the floor below her.

"I'm tired of saving you June." Tyler said, reaching down and pulling her up by the armpits. He grunted as he lifted most of her weight, his arms straining to hold her as she began to regain her footing. He pulled her away down the deck, June's eyes catching onto Rafe who was sitting up now. She felt the hatred burn in her chest, and the sympathy, and the guilt.

Tyler pulled her to the edge of the Coastal Venture, June catching sight of John B and Sarah in the lifeboat. There was shouts from all over, the girl couldn't quite focus on anything but the intense blur of noises. He turned her, grabbing her shoulders and looking her in the eyes.

"Are you ready?" Tyler asked, his eyes boring into hers. June looked back out at the water, and then to the figures down below that were in the lifeboat.

"As I'll ever be." She choked out, her voice hoarse as she pulled him to the edge. He squeezed her hand as they jumped, June and Tyler dropping into the ocean below. The dark water surrounded her, June remembering when she had drowned, her arms immediately fighting to bring her back to the surface.   She had been jumping off of one too many boats lately, it was hard to keep her newfound fear in check. The dark water below her seemed like it was trying to pull her back once more, reclaim the life it almost stole.

She broke through the water, gasping in the air, her eyes searching for the life boat. She caught sight of it, her body instantly kicking into motion as she swam towards it. John B spotted her first, the boy pulling her into the boat and hugging her to him. He breathed out a breath of relief as he held her, happy that she was okay.  He held her head to his chest by his hand, June's eyes wide and frantic as she tried to gather what exactly had just happened to her.

She pushed him off, her eyes widening as Sarah and John B helped to pull Tyler in.  There were a few frantic shouts, June spotting Pope and Cleo in the water. They sped over, the four in the boat pulling them in.  June watched as the cross was pulled back on board, her eyes wide as she realized they had done it again. They had lost again.

A thought struck all of them at the same time, John B looking at Pope.

"Where's J and Kie?"

"I thought they were with you." Pope said,  June feeling as if she had been shot in the chest as she realized they were lost. Suddenly she remembered what had happened, her body tensing up at the memory of JJ laying face down in the water.

"We gotta find them all right? We gotta find them!" John B shouted, starting the engine as Cleo yelled. June's heart was already beating out of her chest, her skin raising in goosebumps as the wind hit her wet skin.

"Last time I saw them they were on the other side of the ship." June felt as if her chest was caving in,  her eyes scanning the water frantically as she pushed the wet hair from her face.   She could feel her face heating up, the worry taking hold of her and not letting go.

"No. No. JJ! JJ! No!" June yelled as she looked for him, the girl not liking the feeling of not knowing where he was. The last time she had seen him he had fallen over the side of the boat, unconscious. She put her hands in her hair as she let out a terrified sob, her eyes closing as she continued to torture herself with bad thoughts.

"John B! Help!"  The yell broke through the air, June's heading turning in the direction of it. She felt her heartbeat pick up drastically, her eyes widening as she looked for where it came from.

"That's Kie!"  Sarah said,  looking at John B with wide eyes.

"Where are they?!"  Pope yelled as they rounded the side of the boat.  They all caught sight of the two at the same time, June feeling like someone had just punched her in the gut as she saw Kie holding JJ up. They all started to shout, June feeling the lump in her throat grow when she realized that JJ...was not okay.

"Oh my God! No! JJ! No!" June yelled as she reached over the side of the boat with John B. JJs head was thrown back, his mouth open as he floated in the water. He looked dead, something that could not possibly be, because JJ didn't die. He wasn't allowed, it wasn't even a possibility. June pulled with all her might, her teeth gritting as he got in, the boy falling into her lap. John B took off once they got Kie inside, but of course the engine stalled as they tried to get away.

June was staring down at JJ in her lap, shaking his shoulders as he laid there motionless. She felt the panic hit her, the girl become hysterical as she tried to wake him. 

"Wake up! Come on! You gotta—no! JJ! Please!" The girl pleaded, her eyes flooded with tears as she shook him. Nothing was working, she was losing hope by the second.  "Shit! Please!"

The rest of them were shouting something about a gun, something about sitting ducks. Sarah stared at her brother, the boy feeling her gaze burn into him as he held the gun up, his finger hovering over the trigger. He had never struggled like this, the internal battle being one of the worst he had ever experienced. He could end it all right now, or he could let them go. Rafe Cameron lowered the gun with a gasp, feeling physical pain as he watched his sister and June float away.

June began to cry as her shaking didn't work, the girl starting to slap his chest as her tears fell on him. She couldn't lose him, not like this. The others watched in nervous silence as they waited for him to wake up, or not wake up. The tears were present for everyone as they not only worried for JJ, but they watched the beyond hysterical June try to wake him.

"JJ! Please! Wake up!" June shouted, her lip trembling as she felt him slipping away. All those future plans, all the things he wanted to do, wanted them to do together, was moments from being gone.  June let out one last cry, using the Hail Mary and dropping her fist down onto his chest.

A gasp fell from her lips as he sputtered, the water spurting from his mouth and onto his chin. He sat up with the help of June, the girl supporting his head as he twisted to spit the water out. They all let out a sound of relief as he opened his eyes.

"Yeah there you go buddy, cough it out! Cough it out." John B said, launching forwards as JJ coughed.

"Welcome to the land of the living man."

"No CPR needed huh?" John B said, a smile on his face as JJ looked at who was holding him.

The sun shone brightly behind June's head, JJ blinking multiple times as he took in the sight in front of him. It was almost as if there was a halo around her, his mouth dropping open as she cried over him, his love for her growing by a ton as he looked at her beautiful face, the one he never got tired of seeing. It was as if it struck him once more that she loved him, she loved him. June was holding his head up, her fingers gripping the back of his neck as she looked over him. He blinked once more, disbelief on his face as he pushed a wet hair from her face. They all waited for him to say something,  June looking at him worriedly as he finally uttered some words.

"Am I in heaven? Because you're an angel." A smile broke across all their faces, June letting out a gasp of relief as JJ gave her a goofy grin. She launched forwards, hugging him as close as she could. She sobbed for a moment, her worry melting away as she tried to gather the fact that he was okay. He used his one arm to wrap around her weakly, his eyes closing as she cried into his hair. She pressed a kiss to the top of his head, laughing finally at his awful pick up line. She held the side of his face,  pressing another kiss to his head as she held him to her. He indulged of the feeling of her kisses, of their skin touching, this was the perfect place to wake up. The perfect time to be alive, right here, in her arms.

"Alright June you gotta share." Pope said, earning a glare from June and a chuckle from JJ as the March girl pulled back. She scooted away so that everyone could give him a hug and talk to him, a permanent smile on her lips.

"What the hell happened?" JJ asked, his hand flying to the wound on his head. June felt an awful pain in her ribs as she took a deep breath, trying to stop crying.

"The blunt end of a machete."

"A machete?" He asked, his mouth wide as he looked over at June. She nodded, the boy opening his mouth in awe.

"The blunt end. Next time, duck." Cleo said, looking at the blonde boy.  June let out a chuckle as JJ spoke again.

"I'll try to remember that next time. Thanks." JJ said, giving her a raised eyebrow. Pope looked back at the ship, his eyes catching onto the cross as they pulled it back on board. There was a glimmer in his eyes, one that June recognized every single time they lost.

"This shit ain't over." The Heyward boy said, earning  a shake of the head from John B.

"No it ain't."

June looked back at the boat, her stomach turning as she thought of what had happened.  She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Rafe  had tried to kill her, she couldn't shake the feeling of his hands around her neck, the look in his eyes as he called her a traitor.  Their fight was far from over, especially after his final words to her.

A wave of emotion hit her, the girl feeling the pain and loss and hurt and suffering of the entire last month all in one moment, her chest physically hurting. She rubbed at it, a gasp leaving her lips as she looked out at the water, feeling as if everything in her life had led up to this moment, to this adventure. She wanted to hug her mom, the homesickness also hitting her, damaging her morale even more. June had never been part of the nothing to lose crew, she had always had something to lose. There was a daunting feeling in her stomach as she thought of the pain  that her parents would endure once again, knowing that she was missing. And this time, June wasn't so sure about a return. She took another look at the ocean, wondering where in the hell they were, a shaky breath falling from her lips as she did so.  Yeah, a return was not likely. At least not anytime soon.

"Juney are you okay?" John B asked, a frown on his lips as he looked at her.  She nodded, her eyes going to JJ and then back to John B. John B noticed this, the boy reaching out and pulling her into one more hug. He buried his head in her wet hair, letting out a relieved sigh as he realized he had gotten his girls back. It was easy to feel at ease when they were all together, the Routledge boy feeling happiness bloom in him as June returned his hug. The uncertainty of their futures were hanging over his head, the boy still feeling quite a bit responsible for the March girl. But there was one thing that put a smile on his face like no other.

They were all back together. One big happy family.

___________

I loved writing this chapter so much and Idek why. So so sorry for that cliffhanger, I know I scared Yall but that's what makes it fun HA.

Let me know what you think!!

The end is near 🥲