"I just don't get it, you guys all saw the map," Pope exclaims as JJ finishing smoothing down the soil on the newly refreshed grave that we've spent the last thirty minutes filling thanks to the work of Limbrey's men, "He hides his gold so no one finds it for over a hundred years, and then he sends a message to his son to come here to his mother's grave, but he never gets the message, and I'm sure we're in the right spot, it feels like-"

"Like we missed something?" JJ interrupts, grabbing our attention as he stares up at the tree.

"What is it?" I ask as he approaches the side of the twinkie, hauling himself up onto the roof, keeping his gaze transfixed on the tree, Kiara climbs up after him, as the rest of us observe from ground level.

"That looks like-"

"The painting from the Island Room," Kiara mutters.

"It's worth a shot, right?" JJ sighs, looking down at us.

"Nothing to lose, right?" I smile up at him reassuringly.

"Well, ladies first," JJ gestures between Kiara and the hole in the tree.

"I went into the storm drain, so I think it's your turn," Kiara steps back, leaving JJ closest to the tree.

"I think this one's on you, cowboy," I smirk at JJ, as we all watch in anticipation.

"Yeah, I've got this," JJ assures us as he cracks his knuckles in preparation.

"You're scared aren't you?" Sarah calls up to him.

"I'm not scared," JJ says firmly.

"You do seem scared," I nod in agreement as JJ slowly puts his hand into the hole.

"There's something in here," He announces, leaving us all in suspense, "Wait."

Suddenly he grunts in pain, causing John B and I to scramble towards the twinkie, ready to climb up as JJ continues to thrash his body around in an attempt himself from the tree.

"Come here," Kiara panics, grabbing onto his jacket.

I watch as the mood on JJ's face changes, his face erupting with laughter, as we all sigh with relief and frustration.

"I will kill you myself if you pull a stunt like that again," I huff, running my hand over my hair.

"And I'll help," John B sighs.

"Oh dude, I got all of you on that one!" JJ laughs.

"Nothing about any of that was funny," I exclaim.

"Wait, there is actually something in here," JJ mutters, his arm still in the hole. Slowly he pulls something out, a gold and mahogany cylinder.

"Let me see it," Pope holds his hands out to JJ.

JJ hands the object to Pope before climbing down from the roof of the twinkie, I watch as Pope brushes the side of it, "HMS Royal Merchant."

"Give it to the captain," JJ grabs it from his hand, stretching it out to reveal that it is in fact a telescope, "It's a spyglass, look."

"There's something written on it," I run my hand along the side of the telescope.

"She's right," John B looks over my shoulder, "An inscription right there."

"Holy shit," Pope whispers, taking the spyglass back into his hands.

"What does it say?" JJ asks him.

"You've come this far, do not falter, the cross is on the Freedman's altar." Pope reads.

"The church?" I look up at him.

"Surely," Pope nods.

"Well, what are we doing here, we got a cross to find," JJ beams as I help Kiara down from the roof of the twinkie.

"Woogity, woogity," JJ and Pope grin before we all scramble back into the twinkie.

We speed back the way we drove in, following the tracks left by Rafe, Limbrey and her men, John B driving with JJ riding shotgun while the rest of us are seated in the back.

"Oh shit, the tide beat us to it," JJ sighs as we come to a stop.

"How deep is that?" Kiara asks.

"It's hard to tell, the road is gone," John B sighs.

"How high are the spark plugs?" JJ asks.

"They're good, we're fine." John B assures us.

"How high are they?" Pope reiterates.

"Uh," John B sticks his head out of the window, "Just above the tail light."

"So that's about three feet?" I reply.

"It can't be three feet deep, surely," Kiara sighs.

"Then what's the problem?" John B asks.

"Not a problem," JJ insists, and I'm not sure how much I believe him, "We're all good, she'll make it."

"Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts, we're going full throttle," John B announces as we all reach for something to hold onto.

"I'll just say a quick prayer," JJ nods as we wait with baited breath.

"Three, two, one," John B puts his foot down on the accelerator and nothing happens, we just remain stagnant as the back wheels struggle within the thick mud.

"Okay! You got this!" JJ shouts as the twinkie begins to move.

"Holy shit!" I hiss as I grab onto the window frame.

"Speed is your friend here!" JJ exclaims as we plummet through the water, all of us hoping that we'll make it to the other side.

"Come on!" Pope exclaims as we continue to speed forward.

But as always it's too good to be true, we veer off to the side in what can only be described as a waterlogged ditch.

"Well that's not good," I sigh, looking out of the window at the water surrounding the twinkie.

"I knew I should've driven," JJ mutters.

"Maybe we should get out and see how bad it is," I suggest.

"Good idea," Sarah nods, "Maybe we can push the twinkie out."

"That might be wishful thinking," Pope sighs, opening the door for us to all climb out.

"Nothing to lose, I suppose," Kie replies.

We climb out one by one, acting our fate as we end up standing in knee high water, "Maybe we can walk from here?" Pope suggests.

"What, and leave the twinkie?" John B replies, "The tide is already coming in."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Sarah asks.

"Not stay here, that's for sure," JJ replies.

"I can take my Dad's truck," Kiara offers.

An idea pops into my head at her suggestion, "Why don't we go together, in case your parents are out? We can always use my parents' truck as a backup plan."

"Are you guys sure?" John B asks us.

"How much worse can it get?" Kiara sighs.

"My parents already think I'm a druggy, what's adding thief to that list of disappointment?" I huff, more than prepared to step up for my friends when my parents have abandoned me the way they did.

"We'll need something to pull her out, there's a winch at the chateau," JJ tells us.

"If you're going to do this, let's go, who knows how much time we have left," John B replies.

"Come on ladies, let's JJ's Angels this shit," JJ exclaims, leading us towards dry land.

"This is going to be fun," I mutter to Kiara as we follow after him.

"Sid, Kie, we ain't got time to stand around gossiping," JJ tells us, "We're on a mission, chop chop."

"Don't you love it when he starts cosplaying James Bond?" I whisper to Kiara.

"Oh, it's like number three on my list of things he does that infuriate me," She grins.

"Well, I'm glad we're in agreement," I nod.

After a long walk through the forest, we make it to  Figure Eight. Kiara and I have been subjected to thirty minutes of secret mission lingo from JJ, which is leading us both close to losing the plot. If I have to hear 'extracting the keys' and 'targets on site' one more time I might feed him to the gators.

We carefully approach Kiara's house, ducking down out of sight of the windows, which JJ takes to an extreme. He scurries up the driveway with his back against the side of the truck, looking over his shoulder to see that the car is empty.

"The coast is clear," He whispers to us, "Activate phase two of the extraction plan."

"What plan?" I hiss as Kiara and I crouch in front of the large wooden fence at the front of her parents' home.

"The one where Kie gets the keys," JJ tells me like it's obvious, "I'm not hotwiring this shit."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I turn my attention to Kiara, "I'm already enough of a disappointment to my parents if you'd rather we take theirs."

"It's okay," Kiara assures me, "It's for the pogues, it's for Pope."

"It's Dad Theft Auto time, baby," JJ declares as he and I remain crouching at the fence. He carefully opens the gate, letting Kiara slip through, closing it behind her while we wait with anticipation.

"You think she'll be okay in there?" I whisper as we watch Kiara make her way up the stairs to her parents' front door.

"Of course," JJ nods, the only independent variable being whether her parents spot us or not, "What is there to lose?"

"A lot actually," I sigh, reminded of how strained all three of our relationships are with our parents. While Kiara and I didn't burn the bridges with our parents deliberately, it was our actions that triggered it. Whereas JJ, well his Dad is just an asshole.

"At least we've got your parents as a backup if this goes wrong," JJ replies, filling me with little hope of having to go back there.

"You'd have to be the one to go in if it comes to that," I tell him, keeping my eye on the porch.

"The minute my mother sees me she'll have me carted off to rehab, even though I've been clean since then," I explain.

"Well, I wouldn't let them take you," He assures me with a gentle smile, "And I should've told you this sooner, but I'm proud of you, we all are."

"Thank you," I smile before glancing back up at the porch to see Kiara running down the steps, "Here she comes."

JJ carefully opens the gate, letting Kie slip through without a sound before closing it again. Kiara heads for the driver's seat while I take shotgun, leaving JJ with the backseat.

Kiara unlocks the car and we all climb in as she quickly puts the key in the ignition, before putting her foot down on the pedal and speeding us away from the house.

ੈ✩‧₊˚

The journey to the chateau was quick, each of us increasingly aware that we are on borrowed time, we've not got long until the twinkie is entirely submerged in water so we have to act fast.

"This will only take a second, I think it's in the surf shack," JJ tells us as we pull up in front of the chateau, "Yeah, it's in the surf shack, I'll be right back."

"Okay," I sigh as he jumps straight out of the car.

We watch as JJ runs towards the surf shack, tripping on some uneven ground, "Don't trip, kid!" I shout as he scrambles to stand up.

"I'm okay!" He calls back before sprinting to the surf shack.

As we watch JJ disappear into the surf shack, I decide to tell Kiara about the conversation JJ and I had at the bonfire that's been playing on my mind, "Did you know JJ used to have feelings for me?"

She looks at me with a telling grin as I frown in response, "What's that look for?" I ask.

"You're telling me you really didn't know?" She replies with a smile.

"I mean there was always the flirting, but I didn't know it ran that deep," I tell her, before exclaiming, "Was I the only one who didn't know?"

"It seems that way," Kiara smirks.

"Wow," I nod to myself, "No wonder Rafe was so jealous."

"How are you doing with all that?" Kiara asks as we keep our eyes on the open water, "It can't have been easy seeing him there today."

"I thought I was good, I thought I could do the whole healing thing, but I just really miss him," I tell her honestly, even though I know those aren't the words she wants to hear, "I still have the nightmares, and the random spikes of anxiety, but I would relive everything I went through, just to be him and I again."

"You really love him, don't you?" Kiara replies, which aren't the words I was expecting. I had expected her to remind me how poisonous he's been, and all the awful things he did, but she didn't.

"I don't think I'll ever stop," I mutter, my eyes widening at the sight of JJ accompanied by his father.

"What the fuck?" Kiara hisses.

"No way," I climb out of the car, Kiara close behind, "You aren't doing this J."

Seeing the hold JJ's father has on him, even after everything he put him through is horribly painful. I don't know what it is that makes JJ think he owes his father anything, but he doesn't. That man has not been a dad in any sense of the word since JJ was born.

"Get in the truck," JJ instructs his Dad, ignoring Kiara and I.

"JJ," I grab his wrist, "You are not helping your father after everything he's done to you."

"The twinkie is drowning, JJ," Kiara adds, "What is the plan here?"

"Listen to me," He frees his wrist from my grip, "I need to get into the Marina Club, there's a boat there that he can take. This truck has the sticker, that's all I need."

"The twinkie will be a submarine by then!" Kiara exclaims.

"I know," JJ sighs, looking helpless.

"Then let's leave him, and we can come back," I suggest.

"The cops are after him," He tells us, "If I do this now, maybe I'll never have to do it again."

"He doesn't deserve a son like you," I reply, glancing at Kiara, "We'll do it, but make it quick."

Kiara climbs into the driver's seat and I take the front passenger seat again, leaving JJ in the back with his father, which already makes me uneasy enough.

On our way over to the marina we end up parked outside of a convenience store. JJ's father insists that he'll need provisions for the journey, but as far as I'm concerned he can starve to death on that boat. He has not done one ounce of good to deserve JJ's kindness.

"Crackers, baked beans and tuna, alright?" JJ's dad rambles at him as JJ closes the car door, "And some salt and pepper."

"Yeah," JJ nods.

"Five days worth," His Dad calls out to him as Kiara and I share a knowing glance.

"I know," JJ replies before running into the store.

Kiara and I sit in silence as JJ's father starts tapping his hands against the back of both our seats. It is taking my entire willpower not to turn around and hit him across the face.

But as I've realised before, words are a far stronger weapon than hands, "You're a terrible father, you know that?"

"Come on, preach it to me," Luke replies with a grin, "Set me straight."

"Do you have any idea how special your son is?" Kiara asks him, backing up my previous point.

"He's a thief, is what he is." Luke scoffs, as though our words mean nothing.

"What does that make you?" I reply, glancing at him in the rear view mirror, "You're just a wasted local salt who never did shit except getting messed up and hustling people, I'd hardly call that something to write home about."

"You are just like your parents," He laughs under his breath as I roll my eyes, "They washed their hands of me a long time ago, and now it seems they've done the same with you, even their littlest princess isn't good enough for them."

"Don't talk about her family like that," Kiara tells him firmly as I gaze out of the window, his words stinging because I know they're true.

"Your Mama was just the same, always thought she was better than everybody else. Kook princess." Luke directs his frustration at Kiara, which I can tell she won't take well.

I glance at Kiara to see her face remaining as straight as possible, neither of us giving into his tasteless words.

"You know, I bet you're a lot like your Mama, slumming with the bad boys," He continues his attempt at getting under her skin, "Are you an ungrateful shit like she was?"

"I bet you are," He mutters as I watch JJ leaving the shop armed with brown paper bags, "Miss Figure Eight, hopping up onto your high horse and riding around in Daddy's car."

Before JJ can reach the car I flinch as Kiara swings her arm back, elbowing Luke straight in the face. He deserved it completely, and I simply offer her a silent nod with a smirk as JJ approaches the car.

"You deserved that." I exhale as JJ reaches the car, handing his dad some beer cans through the open window before dumping the bags of food in the back of the truck and climbing into the backseat.

"Let's get this over and done with," Kiara sighs as she puts her key in the ignition.

"So tell me, Sidney, what was it that attracted you to Ward Cameron's son? Was it the inheritance or the violent outbursts?" Luke asks, redirecting his attention to me again.

"Dad." JJ hisses.

"I suggest you shut your mouth, or I'll shut it for you. Again." Kiara warns him sternly before glancing at me with a reassuring smile before returning her attention to the road ahead.

"I just think it's pretty hypocritical to speak to me the way you did when you were sharing a bed with a murderer," Luke continues to lay into me, and as I glance back at JJ I see the regret in his eyes for involving Kiara and I in this.

"The silent treatment only gets you so far, kiddo." Luke adds as I continue my attempt at ignoring his bitter words.

"It's working just fine for me," I mumble under my breath as we continue to approach the yacht club.

"I mean I know Ward took the wrap for his son, but I think we all know it was Rafe who pulled the trigger, don't we?" Luke continues.

"For a middle aged man you're pretty fucking interested in my life," I mutter as we drive through the yacht club gates.

"Dad, leave it." JJ hisses as the car comes to a stop.

As we pull up in the parking lot, JJ climbs out of the car to grab the bags from the back as Luke leans forward in between Kiara and I, "Tell your Mums I said hi."

"Shut up," JJ mutters, encouraging his father out of the car.

"Make it quick." I tell JJ as he closes the car door.

"Come on," JJ gestures to his father as they begin heading down the path to the main marina area.

Kiara nudges me with a cunning grin before calling out, "Hey, Luke."

As he turns around the two of us flip him off with our middle fingers. Before he can react, JJ herds him towards the marina, no doubt eager to get this over with.

Once JJ returns from the marina, we make our way back to our friends as quickly as we can. Kiara and I spent the entire drive talking about stupid shit to keep the conversations alive in a bid to prevent JJ from getting caught up in his own thoughts.

"Where the hell were you guys?" Pope shouts the minute we climb out of the truck.

"Paternal complications," Kiara sighs as JJ retrieves the winch from the back of the truck.

"Luke was at the chateau." JJ tells them simply.

"Oh great, while you were having family time with your pops, John B got bit by a gator." Pope exclaims as we notice the blood on both John B and Sarah.

"For real?" JJ replies.

"Does it look like we're joking?" Sarah answers back.

"What the hell happened?" I ask the three of them.

"I got bit by a gator!" John B exclaims.

"I don't know why we're being yelled at, when Kie put her ass on the line to get us the truck." I jump to our defence.

"Because it should've taken about twenty minutes!" Pope replies.

"We got here as fast as we could, it wasn't like we were having a tea party back there!" I tell them, knowing how difficult this whole afternoon has been for JJ.

We continue to argue, and I can't even tell what anyone is saying by this point, and it feels like a losing battle until JJ breaks his silence, "Shut up!"

We all stand in silence as he continues to talk, "Seriously guys, I can't take it anymore, everyone just cut it out for a second."

"I just helped my Dad leave this island for good, like he's not ever coming back, he's straight up like the Spanish, just 'Bon voyage." JJ begins to tell us.

"That's not the right language," Sarah whispers as we all look at each other in confusion.

"All we got, and I know for a fact all I got is you guys, you're it. I've come too close to losing you, all of you," He tells us, looking at us each one by one, "I mean Kie, you almost drowned, Pope you were kidnapped, Sarah you got shot, Sid, you overdosed, and John B, you were almost dinner for the gators."

He's right, we've all been through far too much to think about the possibility of losing each other.

"So, this blaming each other is some kook ass bullshit, alright?" JJ continues, "We don't do that, we're Pogues."

"Sorry, that was a lot." He laughs awkwardly.

"But everything you said was true," I assure him, nudging him with my elbow as the others nod in agreement, "You guys are family for me too."

The others all begin clapping JJ as Kie and I join in, "That was the best speech you've ever given," John B admits.

In this past year each of us have lost so much, some of it we didn't even know we had. I don't have much left going for me, but what I do have is these five people, my best friends, who I will always call family.

authors note: thank you for bearing with me loves, hope you enjoyed these chapters

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