this is a double update, read 32 first!

We sped down to the harbour as quickly as physically possible, Pope worrying about his father the entire time. I've been trying my best not to dwell on Maggie's reaction to my overdose. I really hope that she doesn't tell our parents, I know how they're bound to react and I just really don't need that grief right now.

So now we're sitting on the dock with Pope's dad, he seems pretty shaken up, and he's pretty badly injured.

"Let me know if I'm hurting you." Sarah smiles gently, pressing a plaster down on the wound to his forehead.

"You're doing fine." Heyward sighs as the rest of us watch on.

"Pop, what happened?" Pope asks frantically as Sarah finishes patching Heyward up.

"I should've known better," Heyward sighs, "He came in just as I was about to lock up, he caught me by surprise and knocked me onto the floor, he asked me about the key from the drawing you showed me. And before you ask, I didn't say anything."

"I found it, Dad," Pope tells him, pulling an old key from his pocket. JJ told me about this when I was in hospital, explaining what happened on their 'excursion' to Charleston, "It was in Mee-maw's apartment, just like you said."

"You should've given this to me sooner," Heyward mutters as he takes the key from Pope, "I wouldn't have had to take such a beating. What's the big deal? It's not worth anything."

"I'm not sure, I got this letter telling me to go to Charleston, and this crazy rich lady wanted me to give her a key that I didn't know anything about." Pope explains.

"None of this makes sense." Kiara sighs.

"Well done just sit here whining about it," Heyward smiles, "Figure it out."

"No, I'll just give the key to the lady," Pope tells him.

"No way, I didn't raise you to back down from a fight," Heyward replies, "And I'm interested, because it must mean something for me to get a beating like this."

"They mentioned a cross, some kind of lost treasure." Pope explains.

"Well you should go see your great grandmother Mee-Maw, she'll have the answers you need."

ੈ✩‧₊˚

"We have received reports from Kildare County Sheriff's department that they have a warrant for the arrest of nineteen year old Rafe Cameron for the murder of Sheriff Peterkin," The reporter on the car radio announces, "The suspect may be armed and dangerous, so the Sheriff's department are asking the public to remain vigilant and to not approach the suspect, but to instead call the police."

"What would you do if you saw him, Sid?" Pope asks me, "Would you speak to him or would you call the cops?"

I lean back in my seat, staring out of the window, "Honestly, I don't know, there's so much I have left to say to him, and maybe I still mean enough to him that my words could talk him down from doing something stupid."

"Do you think he regrets it?" Kiara asks.

"I think he regrets losing me, but I think if he had to kill for Ward again he'd do it in a heartbeat." I tell her, part of me wishing that I could have just five minutes with Rafe before our world implodes.

His ring is still on my finger, and it's the only thing I have left tying me to him. I don't think I can bring myself to take it off just yet. I feel like I'm coping with the loss of mine and Rafe's relationship, but that's probably just because I'm focusing on what this key might lead to. If it ends up leading nowhere then that's when I'll start getting lost inside my own head all over again.

"Once a daddy's boy, always a daddy's boy." Sarah mutters under her breath, appearing visibly distant from John B.

"So that thing Limbrey said, I don't think she meant to let it slip," Pope tells us, and I'm thankful that he's changed the topic of conversation, "She said the key leads to the cross of Santo Domingo."

"Are we meant to know what that is?" Sarah asks Pope as I gaze out of the window, trying not to think about Rafe.

"I'm guessing it's some sort of important historical artefact." Pope replies.

"Well the internet says that it was a gift from New Spain to the Spanish king." Kiara tells us.

"New Spain?" Does that mean there's an old Spain?" JJ asks.

"Talk about over gifting, look at that thing," Kiara holds her phone up for us to see, "Looks like there's a person standing next to it."

"I'll get you something as insane as that for your eighteenth birthday, Sid." JJ grins, reminding me that my birthday which I had forgotten about, is in about a month and a half.

I don't feel like celebrating, the birthday I would've had in mind several months ago is completely different. My friends and I would've had some insane party down on the beach. Rafe probably would've taken me on holiday and told me everything I needed to hear. And I would be happy.

"It was widely considered to be the most extravagant tribute ever," Kiara reads from her phone, "It was lost off of the coast of Bermuda in 1829."

"Did you just say Bermuda?" JJ glances over his shoulder.

"Not the triangle." I mutter.

"It always leads back to the triangle, Sid," JJ grins, "Every time something weird happens, blame it on Bermuda."

"Well what does a key found above your Mee-maw's pharmacy have to do with this?" Kiara asks Pope.

"I don't know, that's a good question." Pope sighs as we pull up outside our destination, the nursing home where Pope's great grandmother is living.

"Sounds like the start of another treasure hunt," I sigh to myself as JJ opens the back door.

"I actually think I'll do this by myself," Pope tells Kie as they climb out of the car.

"Are you sure?" She replies.

"Yeah, I can handle it, I don't really need you." Pope shrugs her off.

"Oh, we're just all one big happy family today?" JJ adds, "I love it when we play happy families."

After dropping Pope off at the nursing home we drive just around the corner to a strip of shops, the boys told us they would wait in the twinkie while Kiara, Sarah and I head into the convenience store in search of a cold drink.

"What soda do you guys want?" I ask as we reach the drinks dispenser at the back of the shop.

"Strawberry please," Sarah sighs.

"I'll have orange." Kie smiles as I pour both of their drinks and a lemonade for myself.

"Sid, I just wanted to apologise for the way my brother treated you." Sarah tells me as I hand her drink to her.

I glance up at her briefly as I take sip of my drink, "There's nothing for you to apologise for, despite everything that happened, he still loved me through all of it, and holding onto that almost makes it easier to forget what he did to Peterkin."

"But he shouldn't have lied to you, you didn't deserve that, and I hate what his lies did to us, and what they did to you when you found out." She sighs, and I can see that she means it. We've both been hurt by Rafe, just in different ways, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to look at him in the same way knowing that he could do that to his own sister.

"You don't always have to pretend that you're coping, Sid," Kiara assures me, "You've been through so much."

"Can we talk about something else?" I sigh, pulling some cash from my pocket and handing them to the cashier as we make our way towards the exit, "Like what's going on with you and John B?"

"He's not happy about what happened with Topper." Sarah replies as we exit the shop, "But of course I thanked him, he saved my life, but you'd think it's the crime of the century."

"Tell me about it, all this crazy shit is happening and Pope's giving me the silent treatment for not being in love with him." Kiara tells us, and I quickly realise just how much I've missed in my absence.

"Boys, who'd have them?" I sigh with a grin as we approach the twinkie.

"And we're the dramatic ones?" Sarah smiles as we climb back into the twinkie.

"You ladies okay?" JJ glances over his shoulder as John B starts the engine.

"Yeah, feeling incredibly refreshed." I nod, taking a sip of my ice cold drink.

"I should've asked you to get me one," JJ huffs as we begin heading back around the corner towards the nursing home.

"Help yourself," I hand him my cup, "Just don't drink all of it."

"You lifesaver," He grins, taking a large sip before handing the cup back to me, "That was beautiful."

"So do you think Pope got the answers he wanted?" Sarah asks.

"I think he got answers, but knowing our luck, I doubt they're the answers we want." I reply as we begin driving down the street where the nursing home is.

"There he is," John B nods in Pope's direction as the twinkie slows down, Pope opens the door and climbs in, sighing heavily as the rest of us look on in concern.

"So, how did it go?" I ask the question we're all thinking.

"Shit just got way more personal." Pope sighs.

"What does that mean?" Kiara asks.

"Denmark Tanny is my ancestor." Pope tells us, and I almost don't believe him.

"What?" We all reply in unison.

"He's my great grandfather going way back." Pope tells us casually.

"So the cross," I mutter.

"Belongs to my family."

We sped back towards the harbour as quickly as possible. Pope wanted to tell Heyward immediately, in the hope it might relieve some of the shock from when he was attacked earlier. He immediately offered us all a beer, and at first I was tentative to accept, and JJ was about to make up some excuse on my behalf, but in the end I accepted, knowing that as long as I'm careful, and avoid drinking spirits, I can avoid slipping down that slope.

"I still can't believe you're related to Denmark Tanny," John B exclaims as we sit on top of a bunch of discarded crates at the back of Heyward's, "Are we in the presence of a royal?"

"A king?" JJ adds, "We shall crown him, all hail the lord of Tannyhill!"

"We're not worthy!" Kiara jokes as we all mimic bowing in front of him.

"Let's just reel it in a bit," Pope says, "I just keep thinking about the letter Limbrey sent, it had the wheat symbol on it, so it must have something to do with the Royal Merchant."

"Feels like a bit more than a coincidence." I nod in agreement

"But if we find that cross, we can split it like we were going to split the gold." Pope tells us.

"And live happily ever after?" We all look up to see an older lady with a walking stick, accompanied by her sidekick who looks more like scrappy doo.

"You assaulted my father." Pope hisses, approaching them both, the henchman standing in his way before he can reach the woman I assume is Limbrey.

"Oh, I didn't assault anybody," She replies.

"So it was Scrappy Doo, then?" I smirk, pointing at her henchman.

"What did you call me?" He replies attempting to bolster his appearance.

"Watch yourself when you talk to her." JJ interjects, moving to stand in between John B and I.

"Why would my employee assault your father?" Limbrey replies, as if she didn't most likely order him to threaten Heyward in order to get to Pope, "Look, we can continue to negotiate, but I want that key, and I won't stop till I have it."

"It's Limbrey, right?" John B interrupts, holding up an old key, "Is this what you're looking for?"

"Yes, it is."

"Looking at the tide, I'd say it's about twenty feet deep out there, so if I just happened to toss it into that water, the chances of you finding it are slim to none." There's no way John B would give that key away, knowing what it could lead us to, and I don't even remember Pope giving it to him, but as I look to Pope, I realise that he didn't give it to him as he pulls the real key out of his pocket slightly.

"You want to give it a shot?" John B pretends to toss the key into the water.

"No!" Limbrey exclaims.

"Get him to back the hell up,"John B points at the henchman.

"Of course," She nods at her sidekick, before turning to Pope, "As I said before, I'm willing to be reasonable."

"Okay," Pope nods, "I'll give you the key, but I want the tape."

"Of course." Limbrey replies.

"Pope, you don't have to do this." I play along with the act.

"No its okay," Pope replies, "This is for John B's Dad, and for you to get proper closure."

John B passes the fake key to Pope who holds it out in front of Limbrey, "The tape?"

"Yes, the tape," She pulls a retro looking tape recorder out of her bag, handing it to Pope as she takes the key from his hand.

"You know, I wish you'd come to this decision a lot sooner, we could've avoided all this unpleasantness." She says to Pope before turning around and limping away from us, her little lap dog close behind.

"How long do you think we have till she realises that she has your father's old key?" JJ mutters to John B with a smirk.

"Ten minutes." John B mutters.

"Whose idea was the fake key?" Pope asks frantically.

"Dumb and dumber over there, probably." I sigh, pointing at JJ and John B.

"For the record I'm not dumber," JJ tells me.

"Sure." I smirk.

"I'm impressed." Kiara exclaims.

"Even a blind pig can find an acorn at times." JJ exhales.

"We've got to take the tape to Shoupe." John B interrupts, and instantly reality kicks in, we both know what this means for Rafe and Ward. And while I wish that there could be a way to undo what Rafe did, I learnt very quickly that there's no such thing as fairy tale endings.

"Ward Cameron, we're coming for you big boy!" JJ exclaims as the boys and Kiara rush in the direction of the twinkie, Sarah and I trailing behind.

"Hey," I whisper, wrapping my arm around her waist, "I know it doesn't feel like it, but this is going to be okay."

"It doesn't feel like it," Sarah mutters as we walk slowly towards the twinkie.

"We've got to stick together," I tell her, "Because as much as I adore those boys, all they see is two top kooks getting arrested for a very long time, they're like horses with those blinkers, they won't be focused on the way this affects us."

"Thank you," Sarah smiles, "I've got your back too."