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Flashback

Night - Hawk's Nest

During John B's fall/push from the Hawk's Nest, this time in the flashback, it was shown from his point of view, where he was seen panicking while falling knowing there was a chance he could get severely hurt or die.

John B: (voice over) "There are only three kinds of relationships in the animal kingdom.  The first is commensalism. One example? Fish finding hiding spots in coral reefs. Fish profit, but life for the coral doesn't change."

John B hit the ground.

Saran knelt next to John B.

Pope: (voice over) "What happened?"

Isa, Kaylee, JJ, Kie and Pope ran up to Sarah, freezing when they saw John B on the ground, barely moving with Sarah hovering over him, sobbing.

"Oh, my God," Kaylee said in horror.

Isa was absolutely horrified and could hardly breathe at the sight in front of her, fearful of losing her brother, sliding to her knees next to John B's side, taking his hand. The wind was blowing through Kaylee and Kie's hair as they looked worriedly at Isa, Sarah and John B. JJ was freaking out silently. Isa and Sarah were both crying and sobbing as wind blew through their hair.

Isa: (voice over) "Then there's mutualism. A relationship where both animals benefit from each other. The tricky thing about animals is you don't always know what kind of relationship you're in."

⚓️

Now

Same Day as Day Two of 1.05

Day One

Morning - Tannyhill Estate - Outside

Ward drove John B, Isa, Lia and Sarah home from the hospital that day. John B was in the passenger seat, and the three girls were in the backseat.

John B: (voice over) "Which brings us to relationship number three. The parasitic."

Ward removed his sunglasses. "Welcome home, kids."

Isa looked up at the gigantic house, playing with the bracelets on her wrist anxiously.

⚓️

Inside - John B's Room

Lia and Sarah were giving Isa and John B an official grand tour of the mansion.

"This is your room, John B," Sarah told him, gesturing toward the open doorway as they walked in.

John B looked around, impressed by the size of the room. "Whoa."

John B threw his hat onto the large bed.

"This is probably bigger than our two rooms at the Chateau combined," Isa remarked. "This house is like one gigantic labyrinth. Probably gonna get lost a lot."

Lia chuckled. "And Isa, your room is right across the hall."

"Thanks," Isa said.

John B threw his backpack onto the bed.

"It's not too shabby, huh?" Sarah asked.

John B was still looking around. "Yeah. Not too shabby at all."

Sarah whispered to John B flirtatiously. "And my room is just upstairs, in case you were wondering." Isa and Lia exchanged a look, rolling their eyes, smirking a bit sheepishly. "Are you okay?"

John B rolled onto the bed, trying not to put pressure on the cast that was around his wrist. "Yeah. No, I'm good. I'm good. I got it."

"But I have to warn you..." Sarah trailed off, chuckling.

"Uh-oh," Isa said.

"I sleepwalk," Sarah finished. "So if I show up in your room in the middle of the night..."

"You just want me to roll with it?" John B asked.

Sarah leaned in for a kiss. "Yeah, maybe."

They kissed.

Isa rolled her eyes. "On that note, I'm gonna go to my room."

Lia smirked. "Same."

Ward walked around the corner and into the room. "Lia and Sarah Cameron. You've already broken the first rule. What is the first rule? Stay out of each other's rooms. All right, seriously." He pointed to the doorway, gesturing to an imaginary line on the floor. "Picture that as a boundary. This is like a minefield. Yes, sir?"

Sarah smirked. "Yes, sir."

Lia nodded. "Don't have to worry about me. Yes, sir."

"Yes, sir, John B?" Ward asked.

"Uh, yes, sir, yeah," John B answered with a stutter.

"Yes, sir, Isa?" Ward asked.

Isa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, sir."

Ward nodded. "All right. Lia, Sarah, can you give me and the new inmates a quick minute here?"

Sarah turned and smiled at John B before walking out of the room.

Lia looked at Ward wearily. "Please be nice."

"I'll be nice," Ward replied. Lia looked at Isa and John B before walking out of the room. Ward looked at John B. "How are you doing? How's the arm feeling?"

"Uh, better," John B answered.

"You're a lucky kid," Ward pointed out. "Fall any other way, you don't hit that sand, you could've broken both your legs and your back."

"Yeah, I'm super lucky," John B agreed.

"How are you doing, Isa?" Ward asked. "Think you're gonna settle in okay?"

Isa nodded, giving a tight-lipped smile. "I think I'll be just fine."

Ward nodded. "Good, good."

"I just wanna say thank you for sticking up to the DCS for me and Isa," John B admitted.

Ward shook his head dismissively. "Don't even think about it. Happy to do it. One other thing. Um... Last night, Lia was in my office and she was getting a map. She said that it was because of her love for history and all, but then Sarah told me that she had it, and Sarah turned up at the tower with the two of you and your friends..." Isa and John B shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I just have to ask. You're not chasing after pots of gold like your old man, are you?"

Isa and John B maintained eye contact.

Isa, the better liar out of her and her brother, already came up with one. "Look, Mr. C, uh, Lia just told us you guys had some cool old maps because she was looking for a history buff like herself to bond with."

"Mm-hmm," Ward urged them to keep going.

"And we're kind of history buffs ourselves," Isa told him, chuckling. "And, uh, that, I guess, we got from our dad, so..."

Ward nodded, shaking his head with a smile. "That makes sense. Anyway, uh, take it easy the next couple days, all right?"

"Absolutely, yeah," John B answered.

"You've been through a lot," Ward told him. "You too, Isa."

Ward left the room.

Finally, Isa and John B were on their own.

Isa walked over to John B, sitting next to him on the end of his bed.

John B leaned over toward his backpack on the other side of the bed, pulling out the map that Lia had gotten for them and Sarah had given to him, laying it out over their laps.

Isa pointed to Parcel 9 on the upper left portion of the map. "There."

John B nodded in agreement. "Yup. Kaylee said we could meet her at the Pogue Nest. Kie, JJ and Pope will all be there too, obviously."

"Yeah," Isa agreed. "Let's go."

⚓️ Worlds Colliding (Outer Banks) ⚓️

The Pogue Nest - Kaylee's Room

The next morning, Kaylee and JJ were sleeping together in her bed, both clothed in PJs.

As she woke up in his arms, Kaylee gazed at JJ for a moment, in utter awe of how JJ defended not just her safety the night before at Midsummers, but also her character against both Rafe and Tod. He saw her lightness while they saw her darkness.

She wished that he could see that the darkness inside her wasn't forced upon her by them, but she didn't know how to explain that without disrupting the relationship they were just beginning to build.

She couldn't believe that even after last night, he wanted to be with her without hesitation. She didn't think she deserved it, didn't think she deserved JJ, especially after the way Rafe's words about accepting her darkness and setting it free got under her skin.

Kaylee gently traced JJ's features with her fingertips, marveling at how peaceful he looked in sleep. All the tension and bravado melted away, leaving him looking young and vulnerable. Her heart swelled with affection.

JJ stirred, his eyes fluttering open. A slow smile spread across his face as he focused on Kaylee. "Mornin', beautiful."

Kaylee smiled back, though there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "Morning, Jayj."

JJ's brow furrowed slightly as he noticed her expression. "What's wrong?"

Kaylee bit her lip, hesitating. "I just... after everything that happened last night, with Rafe and Tod... are you sure about this? About us?"

JJ propped himself up on his elbow, looking at Kaylee intently. "Kay, listen to me. Nothing Rafe or Tod can do could make me not want to be with you."

Kaylee looked down, swallowing. "They're not what I'm worried about, JJ."

Kaylee closed her eyes in shame at how Rafe's words slithered into her head the night before and made her question everything she knew about herself. She could feel how close that darkness was to taking over the night before, and she had no idea if it would happen again.

JJ looked at Kaylee sadly, stroking a curl of her hair behind her ear. He gently tilted Kaylee's chin up, meeting her eyes. "Hey, look at me. I meant what I said last night. I see the light in you, even if you don't, and even if they don't. And I'll be here to remind you of it every day."

Kaylee's eyes widened slightly, her heart skipping a beat.

JJ continued, his voice soft but firm. "I know Rafe got in your head last night. He's good at that. But he doesn't understand you like I do. I don't care about this darkness or whatever the fuck that was forced on you. Because it doesn't change who you are. This fierce, passionate, incredible person who would do anything to protect the people she cares about."

Kaylee sniffed as she struggled to accept JJ's words. Knowing that at some level, they weren't true, because the darkness was never forced onto her, since it was always there. But she didn't want to go into that right now.

JJ cupped Kaylee's face in his hands, his thumbs gently stroking her cheeks. "You're not Rafe, Kay. You're not Tod. Not even close."

Kaylee's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "But what if Rafe's right? What if I can't control it? What if I end up hurting you or someone else? The others?"

JJ shook his head firmly. "That's not going to happen. You know why? Because you're stronger than that darkness. You prove it every day by choosing to be kind, to protect the people you care about."

"But it felt so good, JJ," Kaylee whispered, her voice barely audible. "When I set that fire at the movie, when I threatened Rafe and the others... part of me loved it. Wanted more."

JJ nodded, his expression understanding rather than judgmental. "I know, Kay. And that's okay. But the difference is, you don't let it control you. You use it to protect people, not hurt them."

Kaylee searched JJ's eyes, looking for any hint of doubt or fear. She found none. "How can you be so sure?"

JJ smiled softly. "Because I know you, Kaylee Carrera. Better than anyone. I've seen you at your best and your worst. And even at your darkest moments, your first instinct is always to protect the people you care about. That's who you are at your core."

Kaylee felt a warmth spreading through her chest at JJ's words, more relieved than words could express, a tear escaping down her cheek.

JJ wiped her tear. "It's okay. Feeling that rush, that power - it doesn't make you a bad person. It's what you choose to do with it that matters. And I've seen you make the right choice over and over again, even when it's hard. Even when giving in would be easier." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before continuing. "You could have let that darkness take over so many times. When your parents were awful to you, when the Kooks harassed us, when Tod..."

JJ's jaw clenched, unable to finish with what Tod almost did to Kaylee the year before. Kaylee looked down, swallowing.

JJ leaned his head against hers. "But you didn't. You fought against it each and every time. You made your choice. To stand with me, the Pogues, to be good. That's what matters."

Kaylee let out a shaky breath of relief, smiling softly. "Since when did you become so wise? I didn't think you had that in you."

JJ laughed lightly. "I didn't either, to be honest. But with you, it's easy."

Kaylee felt reassured, confident in herself now more than before after hearing JJ describe the choices she made to be better. She had struggled with it daily, but she knew he was right. The choices she made mattered more than the darkness she felt. As long as she could maintain that, with JJ and the Pogue's help, she felt as if she could handle anything.

Kaylee closed her eyes, grateful beyond compare. "Thank you."

JJ stroked her cheek. "I didn't do anything, Kaylee. I just reminded you of who you really are and what you can do."

Kaylee gazed at JJ, her eyes filled with gratitude and affection. "You do so much more than you realize, JJ. That means everything."

JJ smiled softly at Kaylee, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. "Always, Kay. I'm not going anywhere."

Kaylee leaned into his touch, her eyes closing briefly as she savored the moment. When she opened them again, there was a newfound determination in her gaze. "I want you to know that I'm all in, JJ. With you, with us. No matter what Rafe or Tod or anyone else tries to do."

JJ's smile widened, his eyes shining with happiness. "I'm all in too, Kay. Always have been, always will be."

Kaylee's heart swelled with emotion. She leaned in, closing the distance between them and capturing JJ's lips in a tender kiss. JJ responded immediately, his hand sliding into her hair as he deepened the kiss. When they finally pulled apart, both were slightly breathless, smiling slightly.

"I never thought we'd get this far," Kaylee admitted.

JJ chuckled softly. "To be honest, neither did I. But it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Kaylee nodded in agreement, her hand gripping his. "Me too."

With JJ's home life, he had never had anyone to stay with him truly. But with Kaylee and the Pogues, he did. He had never been shown love outside of his found family with Kaylee and their friends, so he had trouble expressing it in the actual words 'I love you', but his actions declared it more than words ever could.

Likewise, Kaylee was the same way after everything she had endured with her family and with Rafe and Tod. Her parents never truly cared about her, Tod attempted to assault her and still tried to control her for his own means, and Rafe... Rafe was obsessed with their parallels and their similar darkness, thinking that if Kaylee was ever going to be truly happy, she had to release the thing that terrified her the most, because he saw how much she struggled each day and he knew that it was torture to try and contain that inner monster.

But JJ showed unconditional love and accepted her for all she was, which Kaylee never had before. Both were coming to terms in finally having that with each other after a lifetime of being denied just that. They had to navigate how to be in a relationship when neither truly knew how to be in one, but so far, they were doing great figuring it out together despite their fears and insecurities and feelings of low self-worth.

Kaylee and JJ lay in comfortable silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's presence. The morning sunlight filtered through the windows of the Pogue Nest, casting a warm glow over them.

Eventually, Kaylee sighed softly. "We should probably get up. The others will be here soon."

JJ groaned playfully, tightening his arms around her. "Do we have to? I'm pretty comfortable right here."

Kaylee laughed, poking him in the side. "Come on, lazy bones. We've got a treasure to find, remember?"

JJ's eyes lit up at the mention of the gold. "Oh yeah! Let's go get rich, baby!"

JJ jumped out of bed with newfound energy.

Kaylee smiled, sitting up as she turned to get out of bed to - she stumbled slightly, wincing as the movement aggravated her injuries from Tod.

JJ frowned in concern. "Kay?"

Kaylee shook her head. "I'll be okay. I just need to do stretches and exercises for treatment." 

JJ nodded barely. "Mm-hmm. What was the other thing that you said you had to do?"

"Muscle therapy," Kaylee answered. "It's just like massaging the injured muscles to be able to have an easier time through the day."

JJ took this into consideration as he inched closer to Kaylee, resting his hand over her side and stomach, gently beginning to make massaging motions over her injured muscles. "Like that?"

Kaylee's breath caught at JJ's gentle touch. She nodded, her voice soft. "Yeah, like that."

JJ continued the gentle massage, his eyes focused on Kaylee's face to gauge her reactions. "Is this okay? I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Kaylee shook her head, relaxing into his touch. "No, it feels good. Thank you, Jayj."

JJ smiled softly, continuing his ministrations. "Anytime, Kay. I want to help however I can."

Kaylee closed her eyes, letting out a soft sigh of relief as some of the tension began to ease.

As JJ worked out the tension in her muscles, Kaylee felt a warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with her injuries. The care and tenderness in JJ's touch made her heart swell with emotion.

No one had ever taken care of her like this before, and it was a feeling she had to get used to.

"JJ," Kaylee murmured, her hand coming to rest over his.

JJ paused, meeting her gaze. "Yeah?"

Kaylee gazed into JJ's eyes, feeling overwhelmed by the tenderness and care he was showing her. "Thank you. For everything. For being here, for understanding me, for...this." She gestured to his hands still resting gently on her side.

JJ smiled, his eyes warm. "You don't have to thank me, Kay. I want to take care of you. Always."

Kaylee felt her heart swell with emotion. She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to JJ's lips. When she pulled back, there were tears shining in her eyes. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm so grateful."

JJ cupped her face gently. "Hey, none of that. You deserve the world, Kaylee Carrera. And I'm going to do my best to give it to you."

Kaylee reached up to brush a blond lock of JJ's hair back, meeting his blue eyes. "You do, too. JJ Maybank. World's up for grabs. Let's take it."

JJ smiled. "Damn right."

Kaylee leaned in, capturing JJ's lips in a tender kiss. JJ responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her carefully to avoid aggravating her injuries. When they finally pulled apart, both were smiling.

They heard a loud knocking from downstairs, breaking the moment, and Kie's voice accompanying the knocking. "Kaylee! JJ! Stop whatever you're doing and get your asses down here! Isa, John B and Pope just showed up."

Kaylee and JJ pulled away, groaning slightly at the interrupting, looking at each other, smirking a bit.

⚓️

Second Floor

Isa and John B walked into the Pogue Nest, climbing up to the second floor room where the others were sitting around the room.

Kaylee and JJ walked over to give both Isa and John B a hug in relief.

"Hey," Kaylee told them. "You're okay."

"Yeah, we're good," Isa answered.

Kie didn't even glance at them, still pissed about the Lia and Sarah thing (more so Lia as she didn't seem to care much about Sarah).

Pope walked over, doing the Pogue handshake with both Isa and John B.

A bit later, JJ, Isa and John B were sitting on one side of the room.

Kie and Pope were sitting in two chairs a little bit away by the TV.

Kaylee was sitting in the middle of the floor, doing her stretches, and starting her exercises to help with her small injury to make sure it didn't get worse. JJ was watching Kaylee curiously, concerned, though he clearly did find her attractive even when doing exercises like this.

While in a bridge with her arms on the floor, Kaylee looked at Isa and John B. "I'm sorry, you're staying where?"

"Tannyhill," John B answered.

"So you're living with Lia and Sarah Cameron," Kie concluded.

"Okay, look, the only reason that we're living there is because their dad bailed us out, all right?" Isa asked. "And it's way better than foster care, which, by the way, is where John B and I were about to go if Ward didn't--"

"Hey, so like, do you have a membership to the clubs now?" Pope asked.

"I don't know, Pope," John B responded.

"What about those golf carts they drive around?" JJ joked. "You get one of them?"

"Does it come with a sweater vest, or do you have to buy one on your own?" Pope asked, leaning his head back in his seat.

Kie looked at John B seriously. "Look, you promised. You said you weren't with Sarah." She pointed at Isa with one hand as she put her other hand on her hip. "And you promised you weren't with Lia."

"I'm not with Lia," Isa replied. "I'm really not."

"Then why do I get the feeling that you are hiding something?" Kie asked.

Isa rolled her eyes.

"Guys..." Pope trailed off. "Guys."

"You two, just own it," JJ advised. "They got you."

Kaylee finished with her exercises, standing. "Look, if you wanna hang out with them, that's fine. But Kie's not gonna forgive Lia easily. Whenever Lia's tried to talk to Kie, Kie always snaps at her, and Sarah usually butts in to defend Lia by snapping at Kie, and then I step in to defend Kie. It's this whole thing.  Though Lia's never actually tried to start a fight or fight us at all in general."

Isa put her hand to her head as she leaned her elbow onto the wall next to her, raising her eyebrow.

Kaylee walked toward John B, JJ and Isa, sitting on the couch with JJ, closer to Isa, while JJ was closer to John B.

JJ pulled Kaylee into his lap, whispering teasingly. "Sure you don't want to do more of those? That looked pretty hot."

Kaylee gave JJ an amused look, smiling, resting her head on his shoulder, resting her feet on the table in front of them.

"I don't care about Sarah, all right?" Kie asked. "But I'm letting you know now that I'm not doing anything with Lia."

John B looked between everyone. "Do you guys see them here? No, right? Okay. A little focus would be fantastic. We've got the map, right?"

JJ's gaze shifted to the map that laid across the table in front of John B, JJ, Kaylee and Isa. "Well, it's all out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it."

Kie and Pope walked closer to look at the map.

Pope ran his fingers over it with a pencil in hand.

"It's 'cause the coast has changed," Kaylee explained, looking up from studying the map.

JJ nodded with an "oh" look.

"So we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed," Pope concluded.

"What about the old forts?" Isa suggested. "Battery Jasper."

Kie pointed to the landmark on the map.

"All right, let's go," JJ said, tapping Kaylee's leg.

Kaylee untangled herself from JJ. JJ helped Kaylee stand as he also stood.

Kaylee walked over to one of the entry points for the exit slides.

"You're seriously gonna use the slide right now?" John B asked, not surprised.

"Well, I always use it, but definitely now because of the fucking pain my torso in right now," Kaylee answered. "Slightly less than what it was yesterday after doing treatments, but still."

"Fair point," Isa agreed.

JJ walked over to the other entry point in the room for the other slide. "I'll use it too."

"See you guys down there," Pope told them.

Kaylee and JJ slid down the slides, as the others used the ladders and stairs to exit the Pogue Nest.

⚓️

Battery Jasper

The Pogues made it to Battery Jasper. The wind blew through Isa, Kaylee and Kie's hair.

Isa stood on top of one of the large stones that laid in the area, looking out over the island as her hair blew around.

Pope laid out the map as he, John B and JJ leaned over it.

"We're in Battery, right here," Pope explained. "So if this is Parcel 9, then it's somewhere northeast of here."

Kie and Kaylee walked over toward the map to take a look for themselves.

Kie looked out toward where Pope was pointing. "Somewhere over there."

"Right," Kaylee confirmed.

"Over there?" JJ asked. "Guys, that's not Tannyhill, that's a subdivision."

"According to Lia, Tannyhill Plantation used to be the entire island," John B explained. Kie rolled her eyes. "It got sold into smaller pieces over time."

"So we're just looking for an old stone wall," Pope told them.

Isa jumped off the rock, walking toward the van. "Let's go then."

⚓️

On the Road

John B was driving the van. Pope was holding the map in the passenger's seat.

In the back, Kaylee and JJ were sitting on one side. Kaylee was laying across the floor, resting her feet in JJ's lap. JJ raised an eyebrow at Kaylee, smirking. Kaylee smiled in response.

Kie and Isa were on the other, but Isa was sitting behind John B's seat, and Kie was sitting as far away as she could against the other wall, giving Isa a look before looking away. Isa just shook her head, looking away, tired of the stand off that only Kie was doing, being unreasonably hateful and unfair.

JJ and Kaylee looked back and forth between Kie and Isa, able to tell the tension between them even with the silence and lack of eye contact.

Pope directed John B with the map as they drove around the island. "Okay, so the road should split up here. All right. You're gonna take a left."

John B took the sharp left, jostling everyone.

Isa put a hand against the side of the van so that she didn't smack into it. "Jesus, JB."

JJ looked out the window. "That looks like a stone wall to me."

The others followed his gaze to see the stone wall right outside the van. John B brought the van to a stop.

"This is it," Pope confirmed.

JJ gently moved Kaylee's legs off of his to stand up, and Kaylee held up her hands so he could take them and help her up. "Up and at 'em."

They all got out of the van.

⚓️

Outside

Kaylee looked at the house behind the stone wall. "Not the Crain house."

They all looked at the house in shock.

"Are you kidding me?" Kie asked.

JJ walked up to the girls. "Worst case scenario."

"Why'd it have to be here, of all places?" Isa asked.

"I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband's head on the property," JJ stated.

Pope shook his head. "There is no way that I'm going. This is trespassing. What if we get caught?"

"$400 mil, Pope," John B reminded him, turning to face Pope with a convincing look on his face.

Isa shrugged. "Fuck it."

Isa walked over to the wall, beginning to climb.

"Do we have to?" Kie whined.

Kaylee smiled. "Come on, Kie. Pope, you too."

Isa gestured to JJ and Kaylee. "I need your help to make sure they don't do anything stupid."

JJ and Kaylee smiled sarcastically, but knew Isa had a point. Isa smirked in response.

"Oh, we will," JJ replied.

"Have you met them two?" John B asked. "Them together is just an explosion of things waiting to happen, literally. Gun and fire? Uh-uh."

Kaylee grinned, slinging her arm around JJ's shoulders. "We take pride in that."

JJ grinned. "Hell yeah we do."

Kie sighed in defeat, walking closer. JJ, John B and Kie started to climb, and Kaylee was able to start climbing on her own, but it was hurting her side, so JJ helped her up, but she was able to climb down on the other side on her own, landing carefully.

"Guys," Pope tried, and failed, to stop them.

"Come on, Pope," John B told him. "If Mrs. Crain catches us, we sacrifice JJ and make a run for it."

John B hopped over on the other side.

"Hey!" JJ complained, jumping down.

Isa laughed, jumping down.

Kie landed next to Isa a moment later.

Pope gave in, climbing over the stone wall. "I hate all of you."

Isa smiled encouragingly. "Attaboy, Pope!"

⚓️

Grubbs House - Living Room

Peterkin was here to talk to Lana. "Domestic disturbance. Potential home invasion."

Lana walked toward her couch. "Reports had it wrong. Nobody invaded anybody."

Lana lit a candle in front of Scooter's picture in his memory.

"Two men were here, Lana," Peterkin stated. "The only questions I have is why they were here, and why are you protecting them?" Lana sat down. Peterkin turned to point at the door. "You mean to tell me you ripped the front door off its hinges."

"I was upset," Lana told her. "I had to break something. Grief does powerful things."

Peterkin tilted her head skeptically. "Not that powerful. I got the GPS coordinates off Scooter's Grady White. I mapped out the route he took that last day. You mind?" She showed Lana the map. "Wanna know where he went? It's curious. On the day of the hurricane, when he should've been here with you, he was riskin' his life, goin' to an uninhabited island 30 miles offshore. Now Scooter? He wasn't a stupid man. Why he out in open water on the day of the storm?" Lana didn't answer, looking too scared to say anything. "If you're afraid of somebody, I can protect you."

Lana sighed, standing. "I told you, I don't know anything."

⚓️

Tannyhill Estate - Outside

Rafe was in the middle of snorting coke by his bike.

Barry walked closer. "You gonna give me a bump, big boy? Man, check out this place, though, huh?"

"Hey, Barry," Rafe told him. "Barry. Hey, man."

"It's fancy," Barry exclaimed. "It's a nice place to live."

Rafe spoke quietly, nervously. "Look, I don't have your money. All right? Uh, you shouldn't be here right now. What are you doing?"

"I'm right here," Barry told him. "You wanna know why?"

"Give me till the weekend, okay?" Rafe asked. "All I--all I need you to do is front me more coke."

Barry nodded sarcastically in frustration. "Mm-hmm. Yeah."

"I got a guy coming this weekend," Rafe told him. "It's cool, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Barry replied sarcastically. He placed a hand on Rafe's shoulder, gesturing to Rafe's bike next to them. "Who come you got all this nice shit, though? Can you tell me that? You ain't got my money, but you got all this nice shit."

"Man, just..." Rafe trailed off. Barry got in Rafe's face, pushing him back. Rafe put his hands up in defense. "Hey, chill, chill! All right. Hey!" Barry grabbed Rafe, pulling him toward the bike. "Hey! Get off! What're you doing? Hey!"

Barry put Rafe's arm on the still scorching hot pipe of the bar, making Rafe's skin burn and sizzle. "Put that on there. Yeah!"

Rafe yelled in pain. "Hey! Shit! Stop, stop, stop, stop!"

"That's it!" Barry taunted. "That's it, you little bitch!"

"Okay, stop, stop!" Rafe pleaded. "Okay, chill, man."

Barry pushed Rafe to the ground. "How's that feel, baby boy?" Rafe was groaning in extreme pain. "That's just the coming attractions, big boy." Barry walked toward Rafe's motorcycle. "Consider this shit right here your down payment. You got three days." Lia was just getting to the house, not having heard the commotion from Rafe or Barry, and was walking up to the front door yards away from them, not noticing them. Barry saw Lia, recognizing her from the night he used her to get Robbie to pay him 600 dollars and threatened them both with his gun. "Shit."

Barry pulled on Rafe's helmet before Lia could see or recognize him, driving off on Rafe's bike.

Trying to get his breathing under control, automatically, Rafe closed his eyes, his mind going to a simpler, nicer memory to keep his mind off the pain he had now.

⚓️

Flashback 1 - Kook Year

Morning - Dance Academy

https://youtu.be/qBvri9CFCbo

After the previous night's party, Kaylee arrived late to practice, slightly hungover and disappointed to find the doors already unlocked. As she entered, her dull headache intensified under the scrutiny of all eyes on her.

Tull stopped mid-sentence, giving Kaylee a condescending click of his tongue and a narrowing gaze. "Look who decided to grace us with their presence." Nonchalantly, Kaylee flashed a peace sign as she made her way to the back of the studio to set down her belongings. "How considerate of you to join us, Miss Carrera. Today, you and Mr. Cameron will be partners, since both of you had more important things to do than arrive punctually."

Surprised, Kaylee's gaze shot to Rafe, who, equally taken aback, allowed a smug smirk to play on his lips.

Topper and Kelce also threw Rafe a look of amused surprise.

Lia, Sarah, and Kie paused in their dance with Timothee, Topper, and Kelce to express their astonishment.

With a sigh and a tilt of her head, Kaylee muttered to herself. "Oh, great."

Torn between Rafe and Tod, Kaylee was uncertain if this pairing was a blessing or a curse after Tod's recent actions. She quickly swapped her sneakers for her well-worn heels.

Tull resumed leading the class. "Back to first position, everyone. One, two, three, one, two, three--"

Kelce let Kie guide him closer to the rear mirrors where Kaylee was attempting to slip into her heels.

"I'm sorry, Kay, I assumed you would be awake," Kie confessed. "You were at the Chateau last night, so picking you up wasn't an option."

Kaylee simply shook her head. "It's okay. Last night was wild."

Kelce gave a slight smirk of amusement and nodded. "Sounds like it was quite the party."

Kaylee offered a sarcastic smile with a tilt of her head.

Kelce ushered Kie towards the room's center to rejoin the others in dancing.

Kaylee's gaze shifted to Rafe, who leaned against the barre, arms folded across his chest, waiting. Approaching him, she noticed his appearance was as disheveled as hers. Rafe looked particularly rough, with dark circles under his eyes, his complexion pale, and his hair seemingly untouched by a comb that morning. Kaylee wasn't one to judge, though; she was in no better shape.

Despite his fatigue, Rafe seized every opportunity with Kaylee, guiding her to his usual spot.

With a quick glance, Kaylee realized that their partners had been temporarily switched. Tod caught her eye as he danced with Amber, his perplexed frown and questioning head gesture going unanswered.

Kaylee averted her gaze from Tod's. She had no desire to confront his earnest, doe-eyed stare.

Rafe's hand found Kaylee's shoulder swiftly, his smirk confident. She ignored his smug expression, taking his hand and placing her other hand on his bicep. As Rafe led the dance, Kaylee's eyes roamed his face with a morbid curiosity. His gaze locked with hers as he spun her around, once, twice, then dipped her low. His eyes held her captive as he slowly pulled her back to a standing position.

Kaylee's breath hitched at the movement. She took several deep breaths, realizing Rafe had been holding back during their practice at Tannyhill. Now, with her improved fluidity and experience, the dance felt different. "You're actually really good at this. You were holding back before."

"You've improved," Rafe remarked, drawing Kaylee close, diminishing the space between them until they were nearly chest to chest.

Rafe guided Kaylee across the floor, transitioning into a step-ball change, his grip firming significantly. Releasing her, he allowed Kaylee to twirl gracefully around him, his gaze locking with hers on each rotation of the choreographed dance, observing as she circled him and concluded with an elaborate curtsy.

Rafe responded with a bow, mirroring Kaylee's curtsy. "You'd be amazed at what they teach in finishing school."

With a light chuckle, Kaylee straightened up, acknowledging his gesture. "I can only imagine."

Standing tall with a playful smirk, Rafe was poised to clasp her hands again. Kaylee obliged, and they resumed their prior dance stance. His hands, coarse on her back, molded to her form, his face just a breath away from hers. As they began to whirl, Rafe's mischievous grin was all she could see, the dance moving them to the bittersweet yet eerie tune of the music, the piano's melody shifting from gentle softness to a more sinister depth. Rafe led Kaylee in a seamless spin, keeping her close to the warmth of his body, his hand's subtle pressure ensuring she remained grounded. The hand on her shoulder was firm as they moved with fluid grace.

In a hushed tone meant for her ears alone, Rafe confessed. "I meant what I said earlier. You're pretty hot."

"Why bring this up again now?" Kaylee inquired.

Rafe extended his arm, inviting her to twirl out and then back into his embrace. "I don't think you realize just how hot you are."

Kaylee let out a soft scoff. "Are you flirting with me after all you've said before?"

Rafe gave a smug shrug. "Maybe I am. What if I am?"

"I'd say you're completely insane," Kaylee retorted.

"No more than usual, though?" Rafe inquired with a hint of sarcasm.

"Maybe a little," Kaylee conceded.

A look of genuine affection and amusement crossed Rafe's face at her remark. Kaylee surrendered to the rhythm, seamlessly following Rafe's lead through the dance steps, her movements precise and avoiding any missteps, much to her delight. She listened to his quiet humming as they glided past each other, his gaze locked with hers. They continued to dance in this close, silent harmony for a moment longer, encircled in their own world.

Rafe grasped Kaylee's hand, spinning her so her back pressed against his chest. Kaylee's hand curled around his neck while Rafe resisted the urge to bury his face in the crook of her shoulder. With one hand securing her wrist above them and the other encircling her waist, they moved in harmony with the other dancers. Following this, Rafe twirled her into a dip, her breathing quickening with the motion.

Tull completed another circuit and paused to observe the pair. He clapped vigorously, a broad smile on his face as he cleared his throat, drawing attention to them. "Only when you embody the raw passion and boldness displayed by these two have you truly mastered the dance. Exquisite form, Miss Carrera, and commendable guidance, Mr. Cameron."

Rafe lifted Kaylee from the dip, and she inhaled deeply, both of them conscious of Lia, Sarah, Kie, Topper, Kelce, Timothee, Tod, and Amber watching, yet Rafe and Kaylee remained indifferent to the attention.

As the other dancers resumed their practice, Kaylee and Rafe maintained their close stance, both slightly breathless from the intense dance. Kaylee's eyes flickered up to meet Rafe's, finding an unexpected intensity in his gaze.

"You're full of surprises," Kaylee murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rafe's lips quirked into a half-smile. "So are you."

Their faces were mere inches apart, and for a fleeting moment, Kaylee felt a pull towards him that she couldn't quite explain. Rafe seemed to sense it too, his eyes darting briefly to her lips before meeting her gaze again.

The spell was broken by Tull's voice calling out new instructions. Kaylee stepped back, clearing her throat and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"We should, uh... keep practicing," Kaylee said, gesturing vaguely.

Rafe nodded, amused. "Right."

They resumed their dance position, but something had shifted. Kaylee was hyperaware of every point of contact between them, and Rafe's touch seemed to linger a moment longer than necessary with each movement. As they danced, Kaylee found herself stealing glances at Rafe, noticing the way his jaw clenched in concentration and how his eyes sparkled when he caught her looking.

Rafe leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear. "You know, we make a pretty good team."

Kaylee suppressed a shiver at his proximity. "Don't get any ideas, Cameron."

Rafe chuckled softly. "Too late for that."

The rest of the practice passed in a blur of spins, dips, and stolen glances. When Tull finally called an end to the session, Kaylee felt a mix of relief and disappointment. She stepped away from Rafe, suddenly unsure of what to say or do.

"Well," Rafe said, running a hand through his hair. "That was..."

"Intense," Kaylee finished for him.

Rafe nodded, a smirk playing at his lips. "Yeah, intense."

They stood there for a moment, the air between them charged with unspoken tension. Kaylee opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, unsure of how to process what had just transpired between them.

Rafe seemed equally at a loss, his usual cocky demeanor faltering for a moment. He cleared his throat. "I should probably..."

"Yeah, me too," Kaylee said quickly, grateful for the out.

Kaylee turned to gather her things, feeling Rafe's eyes on her as she moved away.

⚓️

Outside

Kaylee, Kie, Lia, and Sarah were leaving practice.

Sarah glanced at Kaylee. "Is there something going on between you and Rafe?"

Kaylee anticipated this question, considering the glances she caught from Rafe, the leisurely, tantalizing way he surveyed her, and their playful banter as they tried to outdo each other, and especially after their dance inside.

Yet, Kaylee tried to play it off. "Do you hear yourself? That's ridiculous."

Kie tilted her head, offering a shrug. "Stranger things have happened. It's okay if you do."

"We won't be mad," Lia chimed in. "Just be careful, okay? I love our brother, but he tends to play games with girls."

"What kind of games?" Kie inquired.

"The kind where Rafe tries to prove he can charm any girl," Sarah explained. "Sleeps with them, then leaves them, and moves on. We don't want you caught in that."

Kaylee scoffed. "Caught up in one of Rafe's games like that? Only in his sad, pitiful fantasies."

Lia, Sarah, and Kie shared a glance.

"Though this doesn't seem like just another game to him," Lia conceded. "It seems... different."

With a mischievous and conspiratorial smirk, Sarah leaned in, gesturing for Kaylee to come closer. "Do you want to know a secret?"

Kaylee shrugged. "I don't know. Not with the way you're looking at me right now."

Sarah laughed. "I think Rafe might have a crush on you." Kaylee let out a scoff of disbelief, but Lia, Sarah, and Kie remained serious. "Don't laugh. I know how it sounds--"

Kaylee listed them, counting on her fingers. "Crazy, stupid, absolutely not true."

"And maybe a million other things, sure," Lia agreed.

"But you're missing the point," Sarah insisted.

"Are you two high?" Kaylee inquired. "That's the only logical explanation here."

Kie tilted her head, clucking her tongue in a reprimanding tone that reminded Kaylee of their mother. "Oh, come on. You can't act as if you haven't noticed anything, especially after that dance."

Kaylee remained silent, releasing a long, exasperated sigh as she looked downward.

Sarah tilted her head to the side. "We want you to be cautious because we don't want you caught in another one of Rafe's schemes. However, he isn't as terrible as he's portrayed, you know. And as we've mentioned, this situation seems different."

"Maybe it is," Lia pondered. "Just..."

"Be careful," Kaylee interjected. "I understand. Both of you have warned me. But I doubt it will lead to anything."

Lia, Sarah, and Kie glanced at Kaylee with raised eyebrows, but decided to drop the subject for the time being.

Despite her words, Kaylee wasn't so sure, and that unnerved her, knowing that Rafe got under her skin, and they were getting closer than she ever expected them to be. She just didn't know if this was another game to him, and she didn't want to get hurt.

⚓️

Now

Day - The Crain House - Outside

Pope, JJ, Kaylee, Isa, Kie and John B started walking through the tall, unkept plants that covered the yard.

"Look, you guys know whose house this is, right?" Kie asked.

"Who doesn't?" Kaylee replied. "And no shit, we know, Kie. We just said her name how many times?"

"Not helping, Kaylee," Kie told her.

"Honestly, I don't really believe the stories of this place," John B admitted.

Pope turned back to shush him. "Shh."

"What?" John B asked.

"Which stories did you hear?" JJ asked.

"The one where she killed her husband with an axe and that she's been holed up ever since," Isa answered. "On certain nights, when the moon is full..." Her tone went from serious to lighthearted. "You can see her in the window." She continued on, waving her hands like a ghost, spinning around, mocking the rumor. "Waah!"

Kaylee laughed. Kie was amused, but she was still mad at Isa. John B and Pope smirked.

JJ remained serious. "No, it's not funny, 'cause it's all true. I swear to God, guys, this is all real. I knew Hollis." He turned to look back at John B and Pope, before turning back around to find himself face to face with a stone statue, jumping, holding his arms up in defense. "Jeez!"

Kaylee laughed lightly. "It's a statue, you idiot."

"Wait, you knew Hollis Crain?" Pope asked.

They all looked at JJ.

JJ shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, dude."

"Dude, how do you know Hollis Crain?" Pope asked in shock, putting a hand on JJ's arm to push him back.

"She was my babysitter, man," JJ replied. "She told me all about it. Told me the truth, about her mother and what happened in this house."

Isa rolled her eyes. "Oh, here we go."

"So as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father, and she was a murderer and all," JJ started. "Hollis didn't believe it. Until that night."

"What night?" John B asked.

"It all came back to her," JJ stated. Pope tilted his head, listening intently to the story. JJ turned back to the statue. "When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs. So she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in a sink... full of blood."

John B and Isa looked at him skeptically, not buying any of this.

Kaylee smirked.

JJ continued with his horror story. "Her mother just says that she cut her finger. The next morning, she says her father and her split up. But then, Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out and in out with plastic bags. Weeks pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse, and as she's using it, she looks down, and there, in the outhouse, is her father's head looking straight back at her."

John B threw his head back in disbelief. "God, you are so full of shit."

JJ shook his head. "Dude, I swear to God, man."

"Did she call the police?" Pope asked.

"She didn't have time," JJ responded. John B and Kaylee continued on. JJ ran after them, putting an arm on both their shoulders to stop them. "Wait! Hold on, guys."

Isa, Kie and Pope followed.

"What?" Kie asked.

JJ looked between John B and Kaylee. "You sure you two wanna do this? She's an axe murderer. Kaylee, you're still healing, and John B's got the cast on."

Kaylee rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. I don't give a shit if she's an axe murderer, okay?"

Pope's eyes grew wider as he looked at Kaylee as if she had lost her mind, in a hilarious fashion.

"We got nothing to lose, right?" John B asked. "You coming or what?"

They continued on.

"Come on," Kie softly urged Pope to follow.

Isa waved them over. "Hey, come on. Come here." They all gathered together, crouching down. "So here's the plan. We need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark's letter."

"Okay, like, what kind of water?" Pope asked. "Like, pond water?"

JJ chuckled. "Bong water?"

They all turned to give JJ a weird look, though Kaylee and Isa smirked in amusement.

"No, it--it just said look for water, okay?" John B asked.

"That's the shittiest secret message ever," Kie muttered, walking past the group further into the yard.

The others followed.

"You wanna complain a little more, Kie?" Kaylee asked. "Nobody said it was gonna be easy."

"I'll search the northeast quadrant," Pope volunteered. "JJ, Kay, you two take the northwest."

"Got it," Kaylee agreed.

"The decapitation quadrant," JJ called to Pope, walking away with Kaylee.

They continued searching in groups of two, Isa/John B, Kie/Pope and Kaylee/JJ.

"There's nothing here," Kaylee observed.

Isa called out to the others in a quiet voice. "Hey, psst! Hey, come on. It's the only place we haven't looked."

They walked toward Isa.

JJ tumbled through the plants as some bird flew out right beside him. "Oh, shit."

Kaylee smirked, shaking her head.

"Here we go," John B said.

Kaylee shrugged. "Let's do this."

⚓️

Underground Area

The Pogues headed into an underground area of the house, turning on flashlights. Pipes lined the area from floor to ceiling and wooden boards were scattered throughout the dirty floor.

JJ spoke in a singsong voice. "Down came Mrs. Crain and chopped of all our heads / Then up came the sun and dried up all the blood."

"JJ, I will strangle you if you do not stop," Kaylee told him.

JJ smirked. "Oh, kinky Kay came out to play."

Kaylee turned to give him an amused look. "Really? Right now?"

"Could you two stop?" John B asked.

"It's not me," Kaylee defended. "JJ started it."

JJ walked toward Kaylee, like he was teasingly trying to kiss her though she teasingly moved her head. "You missed me."

Kaylee shook her head. "Not at all."

JJ cupped her neck, causing her to turn around, kissing her. "Yeah, you did."

Kaylee smirked, leaning in close to whisper into JJ's ear. "Don't start anything you can't finish."

JJ raised his eyebrows in surprise, but was pleased, smirking. Kaylee smirked, winking.

Kie shook her head. "Get a room."

"We get it," Pope said. "You guys are like kids."

Kaylee and JJ shrugged.

Isa smirked. "They don't care."

They continued looking around, seeing a bunch of wooden cribs and creepy old dolls everywhere. Loose wiring ran throughout the area.

"See any water?" Kie asked.

Mosquitoes swarmed around them, and the floor creaked beneath their feet.

"Another dead end?" Kaylee asked in disappointment.

Isa ran her hand over the metal pipe above her head. "That's not even water on the pipes."

"There's no water here," Pope stated.

"Not a dropamino," JJ agreed.

"Know why we didn't find it?" Kie asked. "Bad karma."

Isa sighed, knowing that Kie was about to tear into her and John B again. "Oh, God, here we go."

"You know, we had a good thing going," Kie stated. "And then you two decide to rope in Barbies, and now the trail's gone dry. Coincidence? Probably not."

"Us not finding water has nothing to do with them," Isa replied.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you about Sarah and Lia," John B told her.

Isa walked closer to Kie. "And I repeat, there is nothing going on between me and Lia."

Kie nodded skeptically. "You can keep saying that, Isa, but I don't believe you. Unless it's yourself that you're lying to, even though it is clear that you do like her. And I'm guessing something is gonna happen between you two sooner rather than later if you keep this up."

"Why do you keep insisting that something will and being all pissed about it?" Isa asked. "What the hell's the deal? What's going on with you two?"

"Nothing," Kie replied in denial.

"Nothing?" Isa repeated skeptically. "Why is this such a big deal to you? That you're so mad that something, anything, could be going on between us? Is it because I kissed you? Is that the problem?"

Kie slapped Isa in the face, turning her head to the side, while the other Pogues reacted in shock and made comments.

"Oh!" Pope gasped.

"Oh, shit," JJ exclaimed in a whisper.

Kaylee tilted her head. "Here we go."

"That echoed, dude," John B remarked.

Kie gave Isa a look. "I'm not some girl that's obsessed with you."

Isa turned her head to look at Kie, giving her a look in return. "Never said you were. Never treated you that way either. I'm just asking for a little bit of trust right now, when I haven't done anything for you to not trust me."

"I'm just your best friend who's trying to look out for you," Kie told her.

"Oh, and that's why you slapped me?" Isa asked.

Kie showed a dead mosquito on the palm of her hand. "Skeeter."

"Skeeter?" Isa repeated.

Kie nodded, looking at her hand. "Yeah, you see it?"

Isa nodded. "Yeah."

Isa slapped Kie in the face.

"Oh, hey!" JJ commented.

"Okay..." Pope trailed off.

"Again?" John B asked. "Really?"

Kaylee nodded. "Saw that one coming."

Kie turned her head to look at Isa. "Where's your proof?"

Isa held up her hand to show the dead mosquito on the palm of her head. "Skeeter."

"Yeah?" Kie asked. "There was probably one right there."

Kie pushed Isa's chest.

Isa lightly tapped Kie's arm. "There's one right there."

"Really?" Kie asked. "You saw that?"

Isa reached out to tap Kie's forehead. "On your forehead."

They both started to laugh lightly.

"You're dead," Kie said. "That's it. Today is the day that you die."

Isa walked toward Kie who backed away. "Oh, really? Today's your funeral. One bandito."

Isa and Kie continued to lightly slap each other, both joking and teasing and messing around now, laughing, making up even though they had just literally slapped each other in the face. The others smiled at this.

The mosquitoes grew worse as as Pope now swatted at his own legs. They could hear their incessant buzzing, swatting around themselves to try and keep them away.

"These things are freaking swarming," Pope stated.

Isa and Kie were continuing their little playful slap fight, laughing.

"You know how this ends," Isa told her.

Kaylee shushed them. "Hey, shh! Shh! Keep it down."

"Why are there so many mosquitoes in a basement?" Pope asked.

"Dude, I know, seriously," JJ complained. "Tiny vampire bats, just leave me alone. Oh, my gosh!" He walked along. "Can we go? I'm just itching to leave. Ha! Punny."

JJ smacked the mosquitoes around his legs.

Kaylee realized. "Mosquitoes are attracted to water."

The Pogues exchanged a look.

JJ saw some creepy old dolls. "I just found Mrs. Crain's voodoo dolls, guys."

Pope and Kaylee were looking around.

"There's gotta be water under the boards," Kaylee said quietly.

Pope shone his flashlight on the wooden floorboards, walking over, stomping on the boards.

Isa and Kie were still going at it.

Kie giggled. "Oh, shit."

John B was amused. "Are you two done now?"

Kaylee picked up a rock, showing it to Pope. Pope nodded. Kaylee dropped it down between the boards.

"All right, can we leave this?" JJ asked. "'Cause this is getting--"

The rock that Kaylee dropped echoed with the sound of water splashing. Pope looked up at Kaylee as Kaylee looked down at him, both of them with their mouths hanging open in surprise, smiling at their discovery, doing the Pogue handshake at their success.

The others didn't notice what they found yet.

"Skeeter, for real," Kie commented.

"Hey, guys," Pope called.

Pope and Kaylee began to frantically remove the boards and stuff from the ground.

"Hey, Pope!" JJ called out quietly. "Kaylee!"

"Oh, shh!" John B hushed.

"Hey, help us move this," Kaylee told them quietly.

"Okay, just quiet," John B agreed.

They all started to move the boards.

"All right," JJ whispered.

"Guys," Kie said. "Guys!"

"Guys," Pope replied. "I know. Yeah, yeah, shh, shh."

"She's probably right upstairs," Isa whispered.

They removed all the boards to reveal a well in the ground, shining their flashlights down there.

Pope smiled. "Well, well, well."

"That was a good dad joke," John B commented.

"They built this part of the house right over it," Kaylee stated.

"This is where she hid the bodies," JJ remarked.

"Oh, dude, come on," Pope said, nudging JJ.

"Stop," Kie whined.

"No, I'm dead serious," JJ defended.

"Hey," Isa said.

"It was never an outhouse," JJ commented.

"She probably doesn't even know it's here," Kie replied.

"So..." Isa trailed off, looking over to Kaylee and Pope. "Nice discovery." Kaylee and Pope smiled. "We found water."

"We're gonna need a really big rope," John B observed.

The Pogues looked down into the well with smiles.

⚓️

Tannyhill Estate - Sun Room

Sarah was sitting at the table in the sunroom, working on something.

Topper walked in behind her. "Hey. Hey, how's John B? Is he--is he doing all right?"

Sarah just gave him an unimpressed look. "Like you give a shit."

"You realize I did not push him," Topper lied. "He lost his balance and fell."

Sarah glared. "Don't you lie to me."

"He fell against the rail," Topper continued. "Not my fault."

Sarah scoffed. "That is messed up."

Sarah stood, pacing.

"You forget about us, like..." Topper trailed off. Sarah turned to face him incredulously. "Midsummers was supposed to be our--our coming out party. That was supposed to be something special, right?"

"What does it matter, Topper?" Sarah asked in frustration. "We're in high school. It's not like we're getting married."

"I don't care if we're in high school!" Topper replied. "I love you! I love you!"

Sarah shook her head. "No, you don't, Topper! You love the idea of me. You love being seen with me."

Topper shook his head. "Stop."

"But you don't love me," Sarah continued.

Topper gave her a cold look. "You have no idea what I'm feeling. You have no clue. What about--what about this summer? Right? This summer was supposed to be legendary."

"I don't care anymore, Topper," Sarah told him, walking away from him. "I can't be with you. Not after last night."

"Oh, after last night?" Topper repeated.

"Yeah," Sarah answered.

"You--you wanna talk about last night?" Topper asked.

"Sure," Sarah replied.

Topper raised his voice. "Did you forget the part where you cheated on me? Huh? Did you forget about that?"

"Do you honestly think I'm only talking about John B?" Sarah asked. "Last night when Lia told me what you, Rafe, Tod and Kelce did, and you started a fight that got Lia hurt, the way you all treat her... the way you treat me. I'm done with it."

Topper walked closer angrily. "What about the way you treat me? You're a slut! You know that? You're a slut!"

Lia walked in. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Stay out of this, Lia," Topper replied. "This is part of your fault too for running your big, crazy mouth."

Topper got too close to being in Sarah's face, almost looking like he could hurt her.

Lia scoffed softly, looking away, pushing Topper away from Sarah. "First of all, I can deal with you calling me crazy like everyone else, but don't you dare get in my sister's face or call her a slut after everything you've done to everybody, you psycho!"

"Your sister's banging a Pogue," Topper replied. "And I'm tired of you trying to drive a wedge between me and her and causing all of this, freak."

Lia rolled her eyes. "She deserves so much better than you, psycho. In case you've forgotten, last night was the third time you've almost killed someone. I know that in your delusional mindset, you don't think of the Pogues as people, but the Pogues are still people. And you call me crazy."

Topper looked at Lia with a sneer. "Crazy bitch." He looked at Sarah. "Slutty wore. What a pair."

Lia reacted on instinct and instantly slapped Topper in the face, pushing him back toward the door. 

"Lia," Sarah said softly.

Lia glared at Topper. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that. You need to go home, Topper. Get the hell out of our house." Topper glared at her, seething. Lia returned the glare. "What are you gonna do, Top? You gonna be a woman beater like Tod to top it all off? Yeah, we might be flawed, but you're way worse. I'm sure your mother would just love to hear about all the things you've done, which you should be behind bars for." She pointed to the door. "Now get... the fuck... out!"

Topper glared between Lia and Sarah, turning around, walking out of the mansion.

Sarah started to cry. "Oh, my God."

Lia walked toward Sarah to wrap her arms around her. "Sarah, it's okay. Shh. Come on."

⚓️

Ocean

Peterkin and Shoupe were driving a boat out to the water.

"What the hell was Scooter Grubbs doing out this far?" Shoupe asked. "Hell of a place to come on the day of a hurricane."

"Yes, it is," Peterkin agreed. "It's just a spit of land." Reaching the island, they tied their boat in the water so it wouldn't float away, and walked up onto shore. "The shoals ain't that big. You take this side, I'll take the other."

"What is it I'm supposed to be looking for, anyway?" Shoupe asked.

"Anything that might tell us what Scooter Grubbs was doin' here the night he died," Peterkin answered.

They split up to look.

⚓️

Woods

Sarah and John B were walking together.

"So you found the gold?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," John B answered.

"But under an axe murderer's house?" Sarah asked.

"Well, yeah, uh, kind of," John B answered.

Sarah nodded in amusement. "That's perfect."

"Yes, perfect," John B agreed. "I mean, the only thing is the well is super sketchy deep."

"Kinda wish Lia and I were there with you guys," Sarah admitted.

"You'll both be there for real tonight," John B told her.

"Is it okay?" Sarah asked.

John B nodded. "Yeah, of course. What? Vlad and Val gotta be together, right?"

"No, no, I mean... with the others," Sarah admitted.

John B nodded. "Yes, everything's fine." Sarah stopped walking, putting a hand on her hip. "What?"

"Kiara said something, didn't she?" Sarah asked.

"No," John B lied.

"You're the worst liar I've ever met," Sarah told him.

"I'm not lying," John B lied.

"Look, John B, Kie has this grudge against Lia because of the way things ended between them," Sarah told him. "And Lia won't do anything to stand up to her for herself because she feels guilty, so I always have to, and whenever I do, Kaylee snaps at me because I snapped at Kie. If that happens, I--"

"Hey, hey, hey, just listen," John B told her. "All right? You and Lia are a part of this too. Lia told us everything that we were missing on the information, you got me into Chapel Hill where we got the letter to find the location of the gold, and Lia got us the map that you brought to me. Once we get with everybody, they're gonna be excited. I promise."

⚓️

Trail

Isa and Lia were walking together down the trail.

"So you found the gold and you're gonna go for it, huh?" Lia asked.

Isa sighed. "I know what you're gonna say. That we're stupid, that John B and I are concocting, that we're just trying to make something out of nothing in a grief about our father. That he's dead like everybody says. That we should just accept reality and leave it all rest."

"Who's told you that?" Lia asked.

"Literally everyone I know, including my friends," Isa answered. "Except Kaylee, actually. She's the only one that's been supportive of us trying to figure out what really happened."

Lia nodded in understanding. "Well, you don't know what I'm gonna say. Because I wasn't gonna say any of that."

Isa frowned in confusion. "Really?"

"Yeah," Lia answered. She hesitated, looking down, but felt like she trusted Isa enough to tell her the truth about her own history. "I... I used to have this friend. He lived on the Cut. And one day, I found him dead. Hanging from the ceiling by a noose." Isa was absolutely stunned. "When they examined his body, they said that the markings on his neck... from where the knot was on the noose... didn't match up with how he could've done it himself. Like... someone else could've done it to him. Where it could've been a murder instead of a suicide."

Isa frowned in realization. "Wait, you're talking about Robbie Ramirez, right? Everyone back on the Cut was talking about this for months after it happened, at the start of the year." Lia nodded in agreement. "I had no idea he was your friend."

"No one did," Lia admitted. "Because Robbie didn't want to be judged for having the Kook Outcast as his friend, and I didn't want my dad finding out I was hanging out with him as my friend because of what he could've done or reacted, and I was right to be worried."

"Oh, my God," Isa said in concern. "Lia..."

"You know how the cops dropped the theory that Robbie was murdered," Lia stated. She shook her head, upset, eyes glassed over with anger that Robbie was left forgotten by the so-called justice system. "They didn't care enough to look into it. Blamed the apparent suicide on drugs and alcohol because he was an addict. But he had such a horrible home life. His mother died with cancer when he was young. His father was abusive until he got sick and he died, and Robbie just wanted to numb the pain."

Isa looked at her in concern. "I get it."

Lia sniffed. "But he was never suicidal. He never would've hurt himself. I don't know what really happened, but I know that he never would've killed himself. Especially because one of the last times I saw him, his drug dealer had showed up when we were supposed to hang out, and Robbie was only supposed to pay 300 for what he owed him, after he stopped using, might I add. But then the dealer started taunting us and asking if I wanted to buy and wanted to force me to buy but we both kept telling him no. When the dealer touched me, Robbie wanted to push him off of me. But the dealer had a gun and threatened him. And he made Robbie pay 300 more dollars to make it 600 just so that he would leave me alone. Robbie didn't have any rent money after that. He spent it all just to make sure that his fucking dealer wouldn't hurt me."

"Lia..." Isa trailed off.

Lia took a deep breath, tears in her eyes, continuing the story. "After I found Robbie's body, I tried to convince the cops to keep looking even after they decided that they didn't want to look further into the case. Of course they wouldn't listen to a grief-stricken teenage girl no matter who her family was. So I begged my dad to ask them to keep looking, to find out what really happened, who could've done this to him. But my dad didn't listen. He told them not to take my word seriously. That my friend was a 'depressed, depraved, troubled young man who wasn't worth the time and resources'."

Isa was in shock that Ward could do that to his own daughter. "That asshole. I'm so sorry."

Even though Lia had tears in her eyes, she refused to cry, swallowing. "After that, Ward put me on medication. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety. Anything to keep me from stirring up trouble or making a fuss. But they just made me feel like a zombie. So numb and distant, unfeeling. So I stopped taking them. But made my family think that I was still taking them so that Ward wouldn't do anything else. Besides locking me up and keeping me on a leash whenever he has the choice to." She scoffed softly. "Hell, I wasn't even really allowed to leave the house even for therapy and doctors appointments. He had my room arranged so that there's a couch in there now with two chairs and a lounge chair that look like they could be pulled right out of a therapist's office... because he would get the doctors to come to me so I wouldn't leave the house."

Isa was absolutely sick with the way that Ward had treated Lia, shaking her head. "That's why it looked like that. When you first showed me and John B when you and Sarah helped us after the bike accident. This is why you were on lockdown. Why the other Kooks treat you so differently."

Lia nodded. "Tod, Topper and Kelce are the worst. I used to be close with my brother Rafe until last year when he snapped and I don't even know why, but now Rafe would help our dad by ratting me out every chance he got and helping Ward keep me on lockdown. And Topper, Tod and Kelce treated me like I was the psycho even after everything they've done. Hell, Topper just stormed into our house calling Sarah a slut and calling me a crazy bitch before I slapped the fuck out of him and told him to get the hell out."

"Good for you," Isa told her.

"But because of the way those three run their mouths, of course every Kook besides Sarah and Wheezie thinks I'm crazy, and they want nothing to do with me," Lia explained. "And good riddance, because I don't want anything to do with them. But I would do anything to find out what really happened to Robbie, Isa. Do anything to be able to make sure his dream was realized. Maybe that's me concocting or projecting or whatever, but I get why you and John B are doing this. I get why you need to do this. And I wish that I had someone that could help me with finding out what really happened with Robbie like that. So yeah, I get it. I get having no idea what really happened to someone you care about so much. And just having to wonder every single day, while it slowly tries to drive you crazy. So I would like to help you with this."

Isa stood there in stunned silence for a moment, processing everything Lia had just shared. The pain and trauma Lia had endured, the injustice of what happened to her friend Robbie, the cruel treatment from her own family and the rest of the Kooks - it was overwhelming. Isa felt a deep ache in her chest for what Lia had been through.

Finally, Isa spoke softly. "Lia, I... I'm so sorry. What happened to Robbie, what your family and the Kooks did to you - it's awful. I had no idea."

Lia gave a small, sad smile. "Not many people do. It's not exactly something I advertise."

"You didn't deserve any of that," Isa said softly.

Lia gave a small, sad smile. "Thanks. I've never really told anyone the full story before. It feels good to finally talk about it."

"I'm glad you felt you could trust me," Isa replied. "And I really appreciate you offering to help us. Having someone else who understands what it's like to lose someone and not know the full truth... it means a lot."

Isa reached out and gently took Lia's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. They walked in silence for a moment, still holding hands. Lia felt a warmth spreading through her chest at finally being seen and understood by someone besides her sisters - she was treated fairly by someone for the first time in so long.

Isa gazed at Lia for a moment, knowing how much she wanted to help. "I've got something for you, if you're up for it. Coming with us to get the gold. You're as much apart of this as we are, Lia. If it wasn't for you, we'd never have known where to start looking for the gold again. You've helped so much. And I want you to be able to come with us and find a way to get the hell out of the life, the prison, you're in right now."

"Like I said, Isa, I don't care about the gold," Lia pointed out. "But if I go with you to the Pogues, Kie's not gonna be happy at all. She hates me."

"She is definitely mad and making a big deal out of something so small," Isa admitted. "Especially since she is being a huge hypocrite about all of this."

"What do you mean?" Lia asked.

Isa shook her head. "I can explain that later. But what really matters is that we fix things between you and Kie."

"Why would you want to fix things between me and Kie?" Lia asked.

"Because you've tried to talk to her and tried to fix them yourself, but she won't even let you talk to her," Isa answered. "I know you want the chance to explain yourself. To try and make things right. And I think I can help with that. I hope so, anyway."

Lia looked at Isa. "Why are you being so nice? You've always been nice to me. You're supposed to hate me."

Isa nodded. "Supposed to. But I don't. Just like you've always been nice to me. And defended me and my friends I don't know how many times. You're basically the Pogue ambassador." Lia chuckled lightly while Isa continued. "I think that whatever went down with you and Kie was something that you couldn't avoid, but now maybe we can fix it. And I don't think you're nearly as horrible as she makes you out to be."

Lia managed a small smile. "You're a pretty great friend, Isa."

Isa smiled teasingly. "That much I know."

They both smiled.

Lia suddenly hugged Isa, arms around her waist as she leaned her head on Isa's shoulder. "Thank you for talking to me."

Isa returned the embrace, rubbing the back of her head slightly. "It's not a problem, Lia."

"I'm just tired of feeling so alone," Lia admitted.

Isa nodded. "I can't imagine how it was for you. And I have so many great friends who are like family. But in some ways, I do feel alone. Rejected."

"Romantically speaking?" Lia finished.

"Yeah," Isa answered. "So you can say that I'm tired of feeling alone too."

Isa and Lia pulled away from each other, with Isa's hands still on her waist while Lia's fell over her shoulders slightly. They were close, at the same height. Lia rested her forehead against Isa's.

Isa whispered softly. "Lia. What are we doing?"

"Nothing," Lia gently replied. They let each other go. "You see me."

"What do you mean?" Isa asked.

Lia bit her lip. "You see me, like you don't think I'm some crazy person like everyone else does, or that I'm horrible like Kie does, the one person that I wanted to be friends with again so much over the past year. No one ever sees me for me anymore."

"Yeah, well, you just needed better people in your life to see you," Isa pointed out, nudging Lia's head with her own slightly, her hands coming up to hold the side of her face as their eyes locked for a moment. "I see you."

"I see you too," Lia whispered.

Isa let Lia go, though Lia caught Isa's hand. They were so close they could brush lips. Lia was breathing slightly unevenly like her heart was racing since she had never felt this before and it scared the hell out of her but like she wanted more.

Isa cupped Lia's cheek, silently questioning Lia with her eyes. Lia nodded barely in confirmation - she wanted this.

Isa leaned in slowly, giving Lia time to pull away if she wanted. But Lia didn't move, her eyes fluttering closed as Isa's lips met hers in a soft, tentative kiss.

It was gentle at first, both girls savoring the moment. Then Lia wrapped her arms around Isa's neck, pulling her closer as the kiss and their connection deepened. Isa's hands settled on Lia's waist, holding her steady. They lost themselves in the kiss, all the tension and longing of the past few weeks pouring out. Lia melted into Isa's hold, like all her fears and worries faded away in the moment when all they had was this, their kiss becoming more passionate.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathless. Lia rested her forehead against Isa's, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Wow," Lia whispered.

"Yeah," Isa agreed, her voice equally soft, her own smile growing.

They stood like that for a long moment, neither wanting to break the spell.

But reality began to creep back in, and Isa pulled away, though she kept her hand within Lia's for support. "Are you ready to go see Kie?"

Despite knowing how hateful Kie would react, Lia wanted to make things right with her more than anything. She sighed, nodding shakily.

Lia swallowed. "Isa... what I felt for Kie last year... it never went away. I just want to let you know that."

Isa gave Lia a small, knowing and understanding smile. "That's okay. Because if I'm being completely honest, I've had a thing for Kie for a long time too."

Lia chuckled in surprise but relief, glad that her confession didn't dissuade Isa in the least. The complicated ties between the three girls were developing the more Isa and Lia realized that they had feelings for each other, and still had feelings for Kie. Kie, who ironically had feelings for both of them despite her mixed signals and stubborn refusal to forgive Lia for "abandoning" her last year.

"So what does this mean?" Lia asked.

"It means we're going to help you fix things with Kie, and then we'll figure it all out from there," Isa answered. "I promise."

⚓️

Pogue Nest - Outside

John B and Isa brought Sarah and Lia to the Pogue Nest, who both looked awed by the treehouse home and gathering for the Pogues in the woods behind the Carrera House.

Isa had asked Kaylee beforehand if it was okay to bring them here, given it was Kaylee's home.

Kaylee just wanted Kie to stop fighting with Lia after everything Lia did to defend the Pogues, and protected her from Tod at the expense of getting hurt herself. And she knew Kie was the happiest when both Isa and Lia were in her life, so of course she said yes.

As John B and Isa led Sarah and Lia into the Pogue Nest, the other Pogues looked up in surprise. JJ and Pope exchanged wary glances, while Kaylee offered a small smile of welcome.

Kie's eyes widened in shock before narrowing suspiciously. "No effing way! You brought them here? Into the Pogue Nest?"

Isa stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Lia's arm. "John B and I invited them."

"That's not your choice to make, Isa," Kie snapped.

"No, it's mine," Kaylee agreed. "And I said yes. After the way Lia helped me with Tod at the movie, and helped us with the cops afterward, keeping me from getting arrested and disowned by our parents, by the way, the least we could do is hear them out."

Pope and JJ knew that was a good point, nodding.

Kie scoffed.

"We need their help, Kie," Isa told her. "And I think it's time we all talked."

Kie scoffed, crossing her arms. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Kie, please," Kaylee pleaded softly. "Just hear them out."

Kie refused to listen. "So what? They're in on this now?"

Isa and John B looked over to Pope, Kaylee and JJ for help.

Pope shrugged. "I dunno."

JJ pointed to Isa and John B. "Look, all I care about is their cut comes out of your shares."

Kie tilted her head to look back at Isa and John B. "You know, I don't remember taking a vote. This is our thing. A Pogue thing."

"I gotta say, I'm just a tad bit uncomfortable with this," Pope admitted.

Kie crossed her arms. "Thank you."

"When are you not uncomfortable, Pope?" John B asked.

Pope shrugged. "I don't know. I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably."

JJ nodded. "It's true. Most relaxed I've ever seen him."

Kaylee smirked. "Cute, guys."

Kie gave them a look, gesturing to Lia and Sarah. "You know, we were all extremely comfortable until you brought them."

"Stop talking about us like we're not here," Sarah told her.

"Then leave," Kie replied.

"This is my place, Kie," Kaylee told her. "You don't get to tell them to leave."

Sarah scoffed.

Lia looked at Isa. "I told you."

Kie looked between Isa and Lia. "Tell her what, exactly? That you're a liar?"

Lia looked down.

Sarah spoke up to defend her sister since she knew that Lia wouldn't say anything. "That you're a shit-talking bitch."

Lia looked up in surprise. "Sarah, stop."

Kaylee's eyes flashed with anger as she stepped between Sarah and Kie. "Whoa, hold up. I may be giving you and Lia a chance here, but that doesn't mean you get to come into my home and disrespect my sister like that." Sarah opened her mouth to retort, but Kaylee cut her off with a sharp gesture. "I don't care if you're trying to defend Lia. I get it, she's your sister, too. But Kie is mine, and while I want to give Lia a chance to explain herself, that doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and let you disrespect Kie."

The tension in the treehouse was palpable, the air thick with unspoken emotions and long-held grudges. Kaylee's protective stance in front of Kie spoke volumes about the bond between the Carrera sisters, despite their frequent disagreements.

Kaylee stared Sarah down. "You disrespect Kie, my sister, you disrespect me. So if you wanna walk out of here without a fight, I suggest you stay out of what has nothing to do with you, and keep your opinions to yourself."

Pope turned to JJ, putting a hand over his mouth. "Oh, shit."

JJ sat up slightly, pulling his wallet out of his pocket, taking out money, whispering to Pope, betting on who would win the fight. "Money's on Kaylee and Kie."

Kie straightened her shoulders, giving Lia and Sarah a challenging look. "Yeah?"

Lia looked up at Kie, speaking perfectly calmly, trying to diffuse the situation. "When have I ever lied to you? I didn't lie about anything."

"No, you just aban--" Kie started.

Isa had had enough, throwing her arms up. "Everybody, shut up!" Everyone fell quiet, looking at Isa. "Let's just talk about this like adults."

"Oh, is that what we are?" Kaylee asked sarcastically.

"Kie, you're our best friend, right?" John B asked. "And Sarah, you're..."

Sarah smiled slightly, encouraging him softly to finish. "Say it."

"You're my girlfriend," John B finished.

"Oh, that's new," Pope commented.

Isa raised her eyebrow curiously, crossing her arms. "Yeah, to me too."

Kaylee let out a laugh. "Hmm, John B, remember a little while ago you asked us if you looked like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?"

"She's your girlfriend now?" Kie asked. "What was all that talk about using her and Lia for information? Get the map, cut them loose."

"I believe his exact words were 'I was using them for access', just last night," Kaylee quoted.

John B scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

Lia raised her eyebrows, but didn't seem too bothered.

Sarah looked at John B, hurt. "You said you were using us?"

"No," John B tried lying.

"Yeah, you did," JJ corrected.

"You said those things," Pope agreed.

"Our ears didn't make them up ourselves," Isa told him.

"That definitely came from your mouth," Kaylee added.

"Look, love just walked in, okay?" John B asked.

Kie looked away, biting her tongue. "Oh, vomit."

"I didn't expect it," John B explained. "It just kinda happened. And I'm not gonna deny it, right?"

"Oh," Pope whispered with a snort. "That was corny."

Kie looked at Isa. "So what about you, Isa? Is Lia your girlfriend now?"

"Lia's a friend," Isa answered, not talking about the kiss because she knew that Lia wasn't ready to come out, especially not in the middle of a fight like this, and it wasn't her choice to tell anyway. Lia nodded a bit, thankfully. Isa looked between the others. "And despite everything, she's been a lot more understanding about what I've been going through than most of you have been lately, minus Kaylee."

"Oh, really?" Kie asked skeptically.

"Yeah, really," Isa answered. "For instance, she didn't just brush me off and say that I was projecting or deflecting or concocting about the gold. She said that she understood why me and John B were doing this, when none of you but Kay did, not at first, not until you wanted gold for yourselves too, including you, Kie." She pointed at Kie. "You said it yourself that you thought that I was losing it and that I needed to get a grip. That you didn't believe any of it." Kie looked guilty, turning her head away. "But she even understood why I wouldn't keep any of it for myself but to find our dad and give back to the Cut so a lot of people could have better lives."

None of the Pogues had a response to that, looking between Isa and Lia.

"I don't even want any of the gold, all right?" Lia asked. "Maybe I just want to help."

Kie scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Lia gave her a look. "I'm already rich, Kie. Like you and Kaylee. Despite the fact that Kaylee's having issues with your parents. Why would I want the gold? Maybe I just want to help because this whole thing is like a dream to me, since I looked so much into the past of Denmark Tanny and discovered he was the one that took the gold off the ship. It's like a dream mission to me, but I don't give a damn about the gold."

"Yeah, if it wasn't for Lia, we wouldn't even have known to keep looking for the gold, or where to find it," John B pointed out. "This would've been a dead end when we didn't find the gold in the Royal Merchant if it wasn't for her, so chill. She deserves a chance to live out this quest to the end too."

Lia nodded. "Thank you, John B. And like Isa said, I would want to give back to people who have worse lives. Not a lot of you could say the same thing."

Kie ignored Lia and John B, issuing an ultimatum. "Cut the bullshit, Isa. I already said I don't give a fuck about Sarah. I really don't." Sarah nodded sarcastically, unsurprised. "But if Lia's in, I'm out."

Isa shook her head. "Kie, I'm not doing this."

"You are gonna decide," Kie disagreed.

"I can't," Isa replied.

Kie gave her a look, crossing her arms. "I'm very interested, actually. Me or Lia?"

"Both," Isa answered without hesitation, unable to imagine her life without both of them.

Pope made an interested face. "Ooh."

JJ whistled. "Went for the Hail Mary."

Kie just shook her head, marching out to the exit slide to make a quick exit.

Isa sighed. "Kie."

"Let her cool off," Kaylee told her. Kie slid down the slide to leave the treehouse and head back to the Carrera house. Kaylee looked at JJ and Pope sarcastically. "By the way, so glad that you two find this all amusing."

JJ and Pope smiled.

Lia sighed, standing. "I'm gonna go. Gonna let you guys talk. Let me know, either way. Whatever you choose, it's up to you."

Lia walked away. Kaylee, JJ and Pope raised their eyebrows, impressed by that answer and how Lia seemed to be taking all of this so calmly.

Sarah turned to John B, quoting his words sarcastically. "It'll be cool, right? I'll just be with Lia."

Sarah left with Lia.

Isa sighed, tilting her head back.

JJ stood. "I'd just like to say you handled that beautifully."

Kaylee nodded sarcastically. "I wouldn't have changed a damn thing."

Kaylee gazed off, unable to help but keep thinking about last year because of all of this and everything that happened with Rafe and Tod before.

⚓️

Flashback 2 - Kook Year

Day - Kook Academy - Hallway

The girls habitually gathered at Rafe's locker to ride home in his truck. On Friday afternoons, the crowd around Rafe's locker was so dense that Kaylee felt swamped, particularly when Lia, Kie, and Sarah were not yet there due to their differing last period classes, leaving her feeling alien among the lacrosse players vying for attention.

Determined not to appear timid, Kaylee approached the group nonchalantly.

Rafe was rummaging through his locker amidst the boisterous crowd.

Amber stood close to Rafe, caressing his arm.

Observing this, Kaylee rolled her eyes and reluctantly called out, "Hey." Both Rafe and Amber turned to her. Amber's glare was sharp, fueled by jealousy from seeing Kaylee dance with Rafe at the last practice. Rafe, unfazed and aware it was time to drive the girls home, simply looked on. "Seen the others? They're not replying to my texts."

"No," Rafe replied, swiftly packing his backpack and shutting his locker. "They're aware that if they're not at the car ten minutes post-bell, I leave without them." Kaylee glanced at her phone, noting the girls had a mere four minutes left, her concern evident to Rafe. "Don't worry, they'll make it."

With a snide tone, Amber commented. "Maybe they're frolicking in a meadow or something."

Kaylee shot her a defiant, challenging look, immediately protective of her sister and the two girls who had almost become genuine friends after spending so much time together lately. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Rafe raised his eyebrows at them, his expression slightly amused.

Amber ignored her, turning to Rafe and practically petting his chest. "You should come over after lacrosse tonight."

Kaylee feigned a gag, eliciting another glare from Amber.

Rafe gave Kaylee a look as he glanced at Amber. "I've got plans, thanks."

Kaylee gave a sarcastic smile. "Well, we've got to go now, bye."

Rafe walked away, grabbing Kaylee's arm and pulling her out of the school doors with him.

⚓️

Outside

Rafe stepped outside, tugging Kaylee along to the parking lot.

Kaylee yanked her arm back. "Let go. What the hell?"

"Do you always have to make things harder on yourself?" Rafe inquired. Kaylee arched an eyebrow. "Provoking Amber like that will only make you a target after our last dance practice."

Kaylee snorted. "That dance was meaningless. Give me a break."

Rafe rolled his eyes, just as they arrived at his truck and faced each other.

Rafe grasped Kaylee's shoulders, urging her to meet his eyes, leaning in close, which surprised her, his look earnest. "I mean it."

Kaylee stood her ground. "So do I. I haven't done anything to her. She didn't need a reason to hassle me before, so excuse me for not tolerating her bullshit."

"When was the first time?" Rafe questioned, clearly confused.

Kaylee's confusion cleared as she realized he might not have known. With a sigh of frustration, she explained. "Remember when you helped me pick up my books after I fell in the hall on the first day? I didn't fall. I'm pretty sure she pushed me."

Rafe, taken aback, leaned away, his grip on her shoulders tightening as he recalled the incident, realizing she was probably right.

Feeling his intense gaze and the pressure of his hands, Kaylee shifted uneasily. "You can let go now."

Rafe, becoming aware of his lingering hold, quickly let go and exhaled deeply.

Outside, Lia, Sarah, and Kie hurried over, hoping to catch Rafe before he left without them.

"Sorry we're late," Sarah offered in apology.

With a light laugh, Lia added. "Glad we caught you."

Rafe, breaking from his reverie, gestured towards the truck. "Just get in."

Rafe then moved to the driver's seat, climbing in without further comment.

The girls exchanged puzzled looks at his demeanor.

Kie turned to Kaylee, concern in her voice. "What's up with him?"

Kaylee shook her head, annoyed and confused. "Don't ask me."

The girls climbed into the truck; Sarah took the passenger seat, while Kaylee, Kie, and Lia settled into the backseat as they usually did.

"Are you two going to hang out with us tonight?" Sarah inquired. "Dad mentioned you could stay over, considering we have the Church Hill trip and the concert tomorrow."

Kaylee tilted her head. "I'm not staying the night, but I'd much rather hang out at your place than go home right now."

Kie shot Kaylee a look.

Kaylee remained silent, turning her gaze away.

Lia's grin widened. "Great, then it's settled. We're having a horror movie marathon."

"I'm in," Kaylee declared, pointing at Lia.

"Sounds like a plan," Kie agreed, smiling.

Lia and Sarah exchanged smiles.

Rafe took a brief glance at them in the rearview mirror before he started the engine and drove off.

⚓️

Now

Day - Tannyhill Estate - Ward's Office

Rafe walked in, looking around, closing the door behind him. "Dad?" When he didn't hear from or see Ward, Rafe walked over to Ward's desk, opening a drawer, pulling out a notebook with a list. He saw a set of numbers. "Four, three, three, zero, zero. Okay." He walked over to the painting on the wall, opening the hidden door behind it to reveal the hidden safe, putting in the numbers, but when he messed up the code, he cursed to himself. "Shit. Come on." He put the numbers in again, this time correctly, and was relieved when the numbers worked. "Okay. Yeah." He opened the safe, going through the gold and silver jewelry inside, including a watch, and seeing large bundles of cash. "Okay, okay. Okay."

Rafe closed the safe and the painting/door while taking the watch, but when he did, he saw Ward behind the painting/door, jumping.

"Checking the time?" Ward asked coldly.

Rafe looked down nervously, anxiously.

⚓️

Carrera House - Kie's Room

After leaving Kaylee's treehouse, Kie went back to her room in their family's house.

Kaylee walked in. "I don't know whether I should talk, or..." She sat next to Kie. Kie laid her head on Kaylee's shoulder. Kaylee wrapped her arm around her sister. "Okay."

"I hate Isa right now," Kie admitted. "As much as I hate Lia."

"This seems really important to Isa, Kie," Kaylee pointed out. "But things will work itself out. Don't stress it."

Kie sighed. "Look, it's just because I know how this ends. I've seen this movie. I starred in it. I mean, last year, Kook Academy. You know how intimidating that is, because you had to go there too, even though you refused to go back because of the away things were there. And one of these things is obviously not like the other. I mean, I didn't have anything in common with anyone, and the only reason I didn't slit my wrists is because I had you there with me, but neither of us could like anyone over there. But then the Kook Outcast asks me if I wanna go save baby sea turtles." She took a deep breath, wiping away her tears before continuing. "Our first day together, Lia and I walked to the beach. We waited for the hatch, and we kept the seagulls off so that the turtles could get to the water."

Kaylee gave a small smile. "That actually sounds really nice. You never told me this much."

"It was the best day of my life," Kie admitted.

"You and Lia were really close," Kaylee remembered.

"Yeah, we were," Kie agreed. "But then Lia turned on me like everyone else over there has turned on all of us."

"I'm sorry, Kie," Kaylee told her. "But you have to admit some of the things that Isa and John B were saying was true. We wouldn't have even known to keep looking for the gold let alone where to find it if it wasn't for Lia's history buff-ness. And this mission is like a dream come true for her, whether it's for the gold or not like she said. And like Isa said, the way Lia could relate to her and not make her feel bad about the treasure hunt, about understanding it. And every time that you've fought with Lia, you were always the one that started it. Every time we crossed paths with her, Lia tried to talk to you nicely and you didn't let her."

Kie wiped her eyes. "Because Lia doesn't deserve that chance."

"How do you know that unless you actually give it to her?" Kaylee asked.

"Who's side are you on?" Kie asked.

"I'm not on anyone's side," Kaylee answered. 

"You're supposed to be on my side," Kie told her accusingly. "You're my sister, Kaylee. How can you keep saying that I'm making a big deal out of nothing?"

Kaylee hadn't wanted to say this before because she knew it would hurt Kie's feelings, but she was tired of Kie's attitude toward her own sister. "Because you did the same thing, Kie. Remember when you were friends with Lia, you left the Pogues behind and didn't speak to any of them for a year. All because our parents wanted you to ditch them, and you did. Because you didn't want to turn out to be the hellion daughter that I am. You didn't want to turn into the disappointment that I am to them. Wasn't that your exact words last year? When Mom and Dad made you think that I was the problem child all along since the fourth grade just because I was best friends with Isa, and JJ and John B?"

Kie was shamed with the reminder of how she acted last year. "Kay--"

Kaylee continued. "And Mom and Dad blamed me for 'pulling you' into the Pogues, for 'poisoning you', but you made that decision, you made the decision to start hanging out with Isa and John B and JJ and Pope and for us all to be friends. Until Mom and Dad scared you off from that decision for a year. And you said you didn't want to be a problem like me."

Kie looked down. "Kaylee..."

Kaylee shook her head. "So just think about it that way. You had your reason to ditch the Pogues. Maybe Lia had a reason for what she did. And even though you only came back to us after you guys stopped being friends, the only thing you could talk about after you got back was how Lia ditched you, when you did the exact same thing to us."

Kie was pretty guilty, realizing that Kaylee was right.

"But we all gave you the chance to get back into the group and explain yourself and make things right," Kaylee pointed out. "I gave you a chance to make things right with your own sister even after you called me a disappointment and a problem to our parents because I wouldn't ditch the Pogues like you did. And then you came running back after you and Lia stopped being friends. Isa, John B, even though they went through hell last year with their dad going missing and you weren't there for them, they gave you a chance to explain yourself and become their friend again. So did JJ and Pope. Don't you think that Lia deserves that chance with you? Especially after she protected both you and me from Tod?"

Kie scoffed. "I'm not doing this, Kaylee. I'm not doing this with Lia. Isa's gonna have to choose."

"You know she won't do that," Kaylee pointed out. "Because unlike some other people, Isa doesn't choose one friend over the others. Like you did last year. You chose Lia over us, even though Lia never made you choose. She was okay with you being friends with the Pogues. You're the one that ditched out because our parents tried to scare you straight to the Kook side, remember? But you want to sit here and make Isa choose between you and Lia when clearly they bonded over something they both lost and something they can both relate on, and you just want to be a bitch about it. Think about that. And don't be a hypocrite like our parents. I love you, Kie. You know that. But I won't listen to this shit anymore when you've done the exact same thing but worse, and we all gave you a chance to explain yourself and make it up to us, but you refuse to do that with Lia, and you want to make Isa choose between the people she cares about."

Kaylee stood, walking out of the room, leaving Kie to think about what she said. Kie was stunned speechless, knowing Kaylee was right about everything she said, feeling incredibly guilty about all of it, but still not on board with the others.

⚓️

Flashback 3 - Kook Year

Night - Tannyhill Estate - Living Room

Kaylee, Kie, Lia, and Sarah were engrossed in their horror movie marathon. Kaylee and Lia found amusement in the 'horror' elements and the characters' illogical decisions, laughing heartily, while Kie and Sarah looked on as if they were insane, yet couldn't help but join in the laughter.

Rafe descended the stairs post-shower, sans shirt, his hair damp. Kaylee caught sight of him first, the unexpected view of Rafe's bare torso prompting her to avert her gaze swiftly.

Lia turned at the sound of Rafe bustling in the kitchen. "Hey."

"Hey," Rafe echoed.

Sarah glanced back, eyeing him with mock disgust. "Ew, go put a shirt on."

Lia's smirk broadened; Kie let out a soft chuckle.

Rafe, unfazed, approached the couch, retrieved a shirt he'd left nearby, and donned it. He then proceeded to take the popcorn bowl from Sarah.

Sarah instantly protested, fearing a popcorn heist. "Rafe!"

Contrary to her concern, Rafe settled between Kaylee and Lia. With Kie beside Kaylee and Sarah next to Lia, they formed a lineup on the couch: Kie, Kaylee, Rafe, Lia, and Sarah. The girls, particularly Kaylee, were taken aback as the couch dipped, causing Kaylee to inadvertently lean into Rafe due to his sizable presence, a move he appeared to have orchestrated, judging by the faint smirk directed at Kaylee.

Kaylee righted herself, shooting Rafe a mildly irritated glance as she complained. "Hey."

Lia observed Kaylee and Rafe with a critical eye, taking note of their interaction.

Sarah leaned past Lia to nudge Rafe, causing his shoulder to bump into Kaylee. "Get out of here!"

Rafe, careful not to drop the popcorn, protested. "Whoa. I just finished lacrosse practice. Maybe I want to relax and watch a movie."

Sarah, rolling her eyes and folding her arms, reclined against the couch cushion. "You could do that in your own room."

Lia shot Sarah a warning glance. "Knock it off." She turned to Rafe. "It's fine."

Rafe offered a brief nod of thanks, albeit halfheartedly, as he munched on his popcorn.

Kaylee shifted slightly to increase the scant inches between her and Rafe. The space between them seemed to crackle with tension. She made an effort not to glance at him, focusing intently on the movie instead.

Saying it was easier than doing it, as Kaylee could sense Rafe's frequent glances. He observed her with such intensity, as if she were a mystery he needed to unravel. His gaze lingered on her lips long enough that when his eyes met Kaylee's again, he realized he'd been caught, a small smirk appearing on his lips before he redirected his attention to the TV. He longed for connection and physical touch, and with Kaylee, it made him feel as light as a feather. When she noticed him staring at her lips, it took all his willpower not to lean in and kiss her right there, which was startling. She evoked emotions in him effortlessly, and he welcomed it.

Kaylee bit her lip, uncertain how to respond or what to feel. Her morbid curiosity about Rafe, coupled with her innate defiance and stubbornness, prevented her from avoiding his gaze or playful banter.

As the movie progressed, Kaylee found herself increasingly aware of Rafe's presence beside her. The heat radiating from his body seemed to intensify the longer they sat there. She could feel the slight movement of his arm each time he reached for popcorn, his fingers occasionally brushing against hers in the bowl.

Rafe, for his part, appeared equally affected. His posture was tense, as if he was hyper-aware of every point where their bodies almost touched. When a particularly scary scene made Kaylee tense slightly before she laughed, Rafe's hand instinctively moved towards her, hovering for a moment before he caught himself and pulled it back.

Kaylee noticed, her breath caught in her throat at the unexpected notion. She looked at him, their eyes locking for a moment before she looked back at the TV.

During a lull in the action, Rafe leaned in close to Kaylee, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered. "Scared yet?"

Kaylee suppressed a shiver, turning her head slightly to meet his gaze. Their faces were mere inches apart.

"You wish," Kaylee murmured back, her voice low.

Rafe's lips quirked into a smirk. "I don't know, you seemed a little jumpy earlier."

"That was called acting," Kaylee retorted, rolling her eyes. "Some of us have to pretend to be scared to make Sarah feel better."

Rafe chuckled softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "Yeah, every other time you're laughing like a maniac."

Kaylee shrugged. "Some girls enjoy the dark."

Rafe's eyes darkened with desire at the words, smirking slightly.

They stayed like that for a moment, neither willing to break eye contact first. The tension between them was palpable, crackling like electricity. Kaylee could tell how much Rafe wanted to kiss her right now, to show her just how dark he could be, which was something she likely would be drawn to given her own inner darkness - it created a connection between the two that was almost impossible to ignore. She knew the only thing stopping him from kissing her right now was the fact that their sisters were in the room with him, which she was both disappointed and relieved for. Disappointed because a conflicted part of her did want him to kiss her, while the logical part of her knew that getting involved with him could spell disaster in the end. The fact that they weren't alone prevented her from giving into temptation, especially with how drawn she was to danger and adventure.

Kaylee was the first to break eye contact, turning back to the movie with her heart racing. She could still feel Rafe's gaze on her, intense and searching.

The air between them felt charged, like the moment before a storm breaks.

As the movie progressed, Kaylee found herself hyper-aware of every small movement Rafe made beside her. The brush of his arm against hers as he reached for more popcorn. The slight shift of the couch as he adjusted his position. The low rumble of his laughter at particularly ridiculous scenes.

At one point, during a jump scare that made Sarah yelp, Rafe's hand landed on Kaylee's knee. She froze, her breath catching in her throat. Rafe seemed to realize what he'd done a moment later, but instead of removing his hand immediately, he let it linger for a beat longer than necessary. When he finally pulled away, Kaylee felt the loss of his touch acutely, her skin tingling where his hand had been.

Throughout the movie, Kie and Lia exchanged brief, furtive glances; Kie looked only when Lia was engrossed in the film, and Lia did the same. Thus, neither noticed the other's stolen looks. The only ones aware of this were Kaylee and Rafe, despite the tension between them during the film. Rafe raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

As the credits rolled, Kaylee stood up abruptly, needing to put some distance between herself and Rafe.

"I'm going to get some air," Kaylee announced, heading for the front door.

She could feel Rafe's eyes following her as she left the house.

⚓️

Outside

Once outside, Kaylee leaned against the wall of the house, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. What was happening to her? This was Rafe Cameron, of all people. She shouldn't be feeling this way.

She tried to make sense of the conflicting emotions swirling inside her. On one hand, she was undeniably attracted to Rafe - his intensity, his darkness that seemed to match hers, no matter how much she tried to deny her own darkness.

"Everything okay?"

Kaylee startled at Rafe's voice, turning to find him leaning against the open doorframe of the front door, which had opened without a sound, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked at her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

"Fine," Kaylee said, aiming for nonchalance. "Just needed some air."

Rafe raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying her explanation. He pushed off from the doorframe and took a few steps towards her.

"You sure about that?" Rafe asked, his voice low. "Because it seemed like you were running away from something. Or someone."

Kaylee felt her heart rate pick up as Rafe moved closer. She stood her ground, refusing to back away despite the nervous energy thrumming through her body.

"Don't flatter yourself," Kaylee retorted, her voice steadier than she felt. "I just needed a break from all the horror movie gore."

Rafe smirked, now close enough that Kaylee could feel the heat radiating off his body. "Funny, I thought you enjoyed the dark."

Kaylee's breath hitched at his words, remembering their charged moment on the couch earlier. She met his gaze defiantly.

"I do," Kaylee replied, her voice low. "But that doesn't mean I want to be surrounded by it all the time."

Rafe's eyes darkened as he took another step closer, leaving barely any space between them.

"Are you sure about that?" Rafe murmured, his gaze flickering to her lips. "Because I think you might crave it more than you're willing to admit. Seems to me like you can't stay away."

Kaylee felt her back press against the wall as Rafe placed a hand beside her head, effectively boxing her in. Her heart raced at his proximity, a mix of excitement and apprehension coursing through her, torn between the urge to push him away and the desire to close the distance between them.

"You don't know anything about what I crave," Kaylee said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rafe leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke. "I think I know more than you realize."

A shiver ran down Kaylee's spine at his proximity. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin, acutely aware of every point where their bodies almost touched. She turned her head as she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

Kaylee's breath caught as Rafe's lips hovered tantalizingly close to hers. The tension between them was palpable, electric. For a moment, she thought he might actually kiss her.

But Rafe pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers intensely. "Tell me to stop."

Kaylee knew she should. This was Rafe Cameron - arrogant, troubled, dangerous. Getting involved with him could only lead to heartbreak. And yet... She remained silent, her eyes locked on his.

Taking her silence as permission, Rafe closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Kaylee froze for a split second before responding, her hands coming up to tangle in his hair as she kissed him back with equal fervor.

Rafe pressed Kaylee more firmly against the wall of the house. Kaylee's mind raced as Rafe deepened the kiss, his hands gripping her waist. She knew this was a bad idea, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. The intensity of the moment overwhelmed her senses - the heat of Rafe's body against hers, the taste of him on her lips, the low growl that escaped him as she tugged lightly on his hair.

Her body felt electric, every nerve ending alight with sensation. Rafe's hands gripped her waist, pulling Kaylee impossibly closer as he kissed her with an intensity that left her breathless.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening jolted them apart. They sprang away from each other just as Sarah stepped outside.

"There you two are," Sarah said, eyeing them suspiciously. "What's going on out here?"

"Nothing," Kaylee said quickly, trying to steady her breathing. "Just getting some air."

Rafe nodded, his expression carefully neutral. "Yeah, it was getting stuffy inside."

Sarah looked between them, clearly not convinced. "Okay."

Lia and Kie walked up to the door.

"Kaylee, are you still going home?" Kie asked.

Kaylee nodded breathlessly, needing space from the Cameron estate to think all of this through.

She knew she didn't think things through well at all, evidenced by the kiss just now. She jumped into things recklessly without thought and it got her in trouble most of the time. She didn't know if this would be the same or even worse.

"Yeah, I just need some time on my own," Kaylee answered.

Rafe nodded a bit, as if he expected that, biting his lip. It wasn't like they could do much more here tonight anyway with their sisters here.

"Are you sure you want to go home?" Lia inquired. "You're welcome to stay the night if you'd like."

"Besides, it's pretty late to head home anyway," Sarah pointed out.

"I could drive," Rafe remarked.

"I'll manage," Kaylee replied. "It's not a far walk. I've handled worse. I need to clear my head." Rafe shrugged slightly in acknowledgement. Kaylee looked at the girls. "Plus, we're not leaving until later tomorrow, so what should I do here until then?"

Rafe raised an eyebrow in amusement at Kaylee's words, knowing that as much as he would like to, he couldn't sneak Kaylee away from their sisters long enough for them to continue what just happened. Kaylee was pointedly ignoring his look, not wanting to draw attention to them.

Lia and Sarah acknowledged her point with a shrug.

Kie sighed. "Fine, alright."

Rafe glanced between the girls. "Speaking of which, is everything ready for tomorrow?"

Sarah grinned. "Yep, it's all in the text I sent you."

"Okay, goodnight," Rafe said, and Kaylee noticed he only said it to her as she was about to step off the front porch, meeting her gaze with a slight smirk as their eyes locked.

Kaylee broke the gaze and turned to the stairs, walking down from the porch and started to head home.

Rafe watched her leave, chuckling to himself.

Lia, Kie, and Sarah shared a glance before Kie and Sarah began heading inside and upstairs to bed.

Lia faced Rafe, exhaling deeply. "Please tell me you're not playing a game with her."

Rafe gave Lia a casual shrug. "I'm not playing games."

Lia's eyes narrowed, sensing that Rafe might be deceiving her, yet his demeanor appeared genuine. "I just don't want her to end up hurt."

With a sigh of slight frustration, Rafe wished Lia would just leave it alone, even though she had Kaylee's best interests at heart. "She seems capable of handling herself. But as I said..."

Lia cast a doubtful glance over her shoulder, then turned and walked away, heading inside and upstairs to bed.

During this period, Rafe was becoming increasingly distant from Lia. They lost the closeness they once shared, leaving Lia bewildered and hurt, mistakenly blaming herself, unaware that Rafe's unaddressed mental health issues were escalating.

Meanwhile, Lia found solace in Robbie, who became like an older brother to her. When not at home or practice, she was with Robbie, attempting to help him stabilize his life, just as she had tried with Rafe before he pushed her away.

Lia's absence from home meant she was oblivious to the deteriorating relationship between Rafe and Ward, with Ward's actions exacerbating Rafe's downward spiral, alienating him from Lia and Wheezie, despite their innocence. Sarah's presence during these conflicts, siding with Ward, left Rafe feeling isolated, even though he initially distanced himself from Lia, perhaps in a misguided effort to shield her from his worsening mental state, not realizing the futility of his actions as the siblings' lives would unravel in the following year.

⚓️

Now

Day - The Pogue Nest - First Floor

Isa was sitting on the couch in the yellow room looking up at the drapes over her head.

JJ and Pope were sitting in two chairs, while John B was standing and pacing.

Kaylee walked in.

Isa looked up at Kaylee. "What did she say?"

"That you're an idiot," Kaylee answered. "But she's just being a hypocrite right now like our parents."

Isa sighed heavily. "You guys just don't know the full fucking story and you won't give Lia the chance to say it."

"Come on," JJ said. "It's a no brainer. You're picking Kie."

Isa sighed. "Look, I can't make a decision, because it's not mine to make."

"So what?" Kaylee asked. "We're just dead in the water because of this little drama between you three? I admit, Isa, you and Lia aren't trying to cause drama, but Kie's pissed and won't let it go. But we can't do this without Kie and you know it."

Isa shook her head. "And I can't do it without Lia."

"I can't do it without Sarah," John B added.

Kaylee sighed, leaning against the wall. "Oh, young love. And I can admit it, Kie's being a total hypocrite since she did the exact thing to us last year, but she's not letting it go for whatever reason."

"Okay, Kaylee, you know that you and Sarah, you were fighting earlier because both of you were defending your sisters," John B pointed out. "Because Kie snapped on Lia for literally no reason, and Sarah snapped on Kie for snapping on Lia, and you snapped on Sarah for snapping on Kie."

"Lia hasn't been a bitch or rude to any of us unlike literally every other Kook," Isa pointed out. "She told me what really happened with Kie, and she said that she was gonna try and explain to her, but she won't give her the chance."

"Isa's right," John B agreed. "Look, Kaylee, you and Sarah, just defending Kie and Lia, if you realize that you two are more alike than you admit, then your issues are settled because you're literally just defending your sisters. But we're gonna have Kie, Lia and Sarah all in on this."

"Well, good luck with that," Pope remarked.

"You know what?" Isa asked. "I'm just trying to fix things between Lia and Kie, because they were so close last year, and that doesn't need to be ruined because of something that you guys don't even understand, all right? It might be their issue, but it's our problem that I'm gonna fix. I've got a plan. And you shitheads are gonna help me out."

⚓️

Deserted Island

Peterkin was walking along the deserted island that she and Shoupe had gotten to just before. She saw a makeshift fort made of branches, walking closer, kneeling down, finding a pair of glasses which belonged to Big John, picking them up.

⚓️

Ocean

Peterkin and Shoupe were on their way back to their island.

Peterkin had Big John's glasses in an evidence baggie, showing them to Shoupe. "Unusual style, isn't it? Now check this out."

Peterkin handed the missing flyer for Big John to Shoupe.

Shoupe compared the glasses in the evidence bag to the glasses on Big John in the missing photo. "Holy shit! It's Big John's glasses."

"One of the four biggest cases we had in the last year," Peterkin stated. Big John Routledge, missin' person."

Shoupe nodded. "Scooter Grubbs drowns."

"And two mainlanders dead by homicide," Peterkin added. "Four things. What I'm thinkin' is that these four things... are all the same thing."

⚓️

Night - The Pogue Nest - Outside

Isa was about to leave, when Kie came to the Pogue Nest.

"Kie," Isa said.

Kie tried to walk past to the Pogue Nest. "I'm not talking to you. I just want to talk to Kaylee."

"Well, we're gonna have this talk, because you haven't listened to a word I've said, or Lia's said," Isa replied.

"I don't need to," Kie told her. "Lia ditched me, okay? I can't just--"

Isa looked away, scoffing softly. "Ditched you. Right. Ironic that you keep bringing that up. That that is what is making you so fucking hateful and angry."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kie asked.

"You know, I didn't want to bring this up before because I didn't want to hurt you," Isa told her honestly. "The last thing I wanted to do is hurt your feelings."

"Great job with that," Kie replied sarcastically.

Isa was fed up, tears in her eyes. "Damn it, Kie, just listen to me." A few tears fell. "You were so hurt and hateful and angry that Lia bailed on you, so caught up in that, that you don't even realize how much you hurt the Pogues when you bailed on us in our time of need. My father went missing, and you weren't there for me, or John B, or any of us. Instead, Kaylee, JJ and Pope took turns staying with us at the Chateau and letting me and JB sulk and stay at their houses and in the Pogue Nest while we grieved. And the Pogue Nest is in your fucking backyard, right in the woods behind your house, me and JB were there, and you never came to check to see how we were doing. The only thing I got from you was an 'I'm sorry' text, and that wasn't enough. All I wanted was for you to come over, for you to give me a hug or something, I don't know. You're so pissed at Lia for bailing out on you, but you never even stopped for a second to think what happened to me when you bailed on us. When you went Kook. What happened to Kaylee, or JJ, or Pope, or John B. Kie, you weren't there when I needed you the most. When we all needed you the most."

Kie had heard this before from Kaylee just that afternoon, but hearing Isa say it and seeing how it really hurt Isa in actuality while Isa had been hiding how much it hurt her before, she was even more stunned and guilty, not knowing what to say. "Isa... I am so so sorry. I didn't know..."

"Of course you didn't," Isa told her. "Because when you did come back, all you talked about was how Lia turned on you. I mean, I'm sorry that you and Lia went through all that, but me and JB lost our dad, and we all lost a best friend. You."

Kie had tears in her eyes, looking away. "Isa..."

Isa took a deep breath as she continued. "Lia had a reason to do what she did. One that is a lot more worthy than you just trying to appease your parents and making sure you didn't end up like Kaylee. And there's nothing wrong with Kay. So enough of the hypocritical bullshit, Kie. I gave you the chance to explain yourself and make things up to me and for us to be friends again. We all did. The least you could do is give Lia the same chance. Because when she needed friends, someone, anyone there as a friend to save her from her messed up family besides Sarah and Wheezie... she had no one. And I needed you, but you weren't there either. So instead of getting angry at everybody around you, why can't you just give us all a chance to make things right?" Kie didn't answer. Isa scoffed. "Nothing. Right."

Kie looked away. "You said that you weren't with Lia, Isa. I thought you liked me, but--"

"I do like you," Isa answered. "I never stopped liking you. But you shut me down after I kissed you and made me feel so weird and embarrassed about it because you were telling me I was crazy concocting and freaking out and I needed to get a grip. And then you were dancing with me and laughing with me and flirting with me, and then you just shut me down again, and I just had so many mixed signals from you that I didn't know what the hell to do. And maybe I like Lia, yeah. But we're not together. And it doesn't mean I ever stopped liking you."

Kie looked at Isa with tears in her eyes, finally starting to understand the pain she had caused. "Isa, I... I'm so sorry. I had no idea how much I hurt you by not being there when your dad went missing. I was so caught up in my own drama with Lia and trying to fit in with the Kooks that I didn't even think about what you were going through. You're right, I was being a hypocrite."

Isa wiped away a tear. "Thank you for apologizing. It means a lot to hear you say that."

"I want to make things right," Kie said softly. "With you, with the Pogues... and maybe even with Lia. You're right that I should at least hear her out. But i don't know how to do that."

Isa gave a small smile. "I've got that covered."

Kie frowned. "What do you mean?"

Isa shrugged. "Well, if I told you, you'd back out if you had time to doubt yourself. I'll let you know soon."

Kie looked warily amused. "You have your mischief mastermind look. I don't like that look, especially when it's directed at me."

Isa smiled reassuringly at Kie. "Trust me, okay? I know what I'm doing."

Kie sighed but nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I'll trust you. But whatever you're planning better not blow up in our faces."

"It won't," Isa promised. "Just be ready tomorrow morning. I'll text you the details."

As Kie walked away, still looking uncertain, Isa pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Lia: "It's on for tomorrow. You in?"

A moment later, Lia replied: "I'm in. Whatever it takes to make things right."

Isa grinned, feeling a spark of hope that her plan might actually work. 

Inside, Kaylee, JJ, John B and Pope had heard some of the arguing.

Kaylee and John B had known how Isa felt and were sympathetic about how it was affecting all parties of the matter; Isa, Kie and Lia.

While JJ and Pope were stunned by Isa's point of view and knowing she was right about the way Kie was acting, more understanding of why she wanted Lia and Kie to make up and not have to choose one friend over the other like Kie had done the year before, and more determined to help out with Isa's plan now.

⚓️

Barry's Trailer - Outside

Ward drove his car up to Barry's trailer, parking outside.

Rafe was in the passenger seat. "I swear, I learned my lesson, okay?"

Ward took out a lot of money, getting out of the car, looking back at Rafe. "Stay in the car." Rafe paused in the middle of opening his car door, and stayed in the car. Ward walked over to Barry who was sitting by a fire outside his trailer. "You Barry?"

"Yeah," Barry answered. "Who the hell are you?"

"My son owes you money," Ward told him.

"Who's your son?" Barry asked.

"Rafe," Ward answered. "My son Rafe owes you money."

Barry chuckled. "So, uh, you must be the babysitter, huh?" Ward held up the money, throwing it onto the ground. "Oh! Why'd you do that, huh? 'Cause if that's my money right there, then... wanna put it in my hand?"

Ward shook his head. "That's not gonna happen. I paid it, you pick it up."

Barry smirked. "All right." He stood, walking closer. "Shit, though, man. That boy 19 years old, and you out here takin' care of him like he just some little baby-ass bitch, huh? That's a damn shame." He knelt down to pick up the money. "But I'll take your money."

Ward nodded coldly. "You knew a boy named Robbie Ramirez, didn't you, Barry? That's rhetorical, I know you did. You know a girl named Lia?  She said a drug dealer named Barry threatened them both with a gun a few nights before she found him dead." Barry looked up guardedly. "Yeah. That's my daughter." Ward kicked Barry in the face viciously, making him fall to the ground, before kicking him in the side and back repeatedly, viciously. Barry could barely move or breathe, in pain on the ground. "I don't care that you threatened a druggie from the Cut. I don't even care if you're the one that killed him. But what my daughter went through after that is on you."

Ward turned to leave, seeing Rafe behind him.

Rafe was shocked by what he had seen what Ward did to Barry, and the words that he said about Lia, Robbie and Barry. "What..."

Ward gave him a deathly serious, cold look. "I told you to stay in the goddamn car. Get your bike."

Rafe went to get his bike. "I'll pay you back."

Ward stopped walking on the way to his car. "No, Rafe." He turned to face his son, shaking his head. "You won't." He walked closer to Rafe, who backed away. "You know why you won't? Because you're a liar. And you're a thief. And you cannot be trusted. And I can't have you in my house, son. Don't come home."

Ward turned around to walk for his car.

Rafe was hurt, shocked. "Where do you want me to go? Dad!"

Ward didn't respond to him and just walked away and left him there.

⚓️

Day Two

Morning - Docks

(Song:) Lust For Hearts - Modern Pantheist

Pope was in a boat on the dock, calling out to Kie. "Code red!"

"What the hell is going on?" Kie asked.

"Isa's out in the marsh with Kaylee, JJ and John B," Pope explained. 

"Is this part of her plan?" Kie asked skeptically.

Pope chuckled. "Just get in and find out. Let's go."

Kie sighed, walking closer, getting into the boat.

⚓️

The Marsh

Pope drove the boat up to a larger boat in the middle of the Alp of the marsh.

Kie climbed onto the larger boat, walking toward Isa, Kaylee, JJ and John B, who were kneeling on the floor of the boat, where Isa and Kaylee were in bathing suits and JJ and John B were in swim trunks.

"What's going on?" Kie asked.

"We are leaving you and Lia the boat," Isa answered. "You two need some time to talk things out on you own, away from everyone. This is just about you two."

Kie sighed heavily. "All right, fine. Where is she?"

"She's here," Kaylee answered. "Waiting in the helm, in case you tried to make a turnaround at the sight of her."

Kie shrugged, sighing. "That's still an option."

JJ smirked. "Yeah, that's why we took some extra precautions."

Kie frowned. "What kind of precautions?"

John B held up spark plugs in his hands. "The kind that leaves the boat in the middle of the marsh."

Kie's eyes widened at the implication. "What?!"

Hearing this from inside, Lia walked outside in confusion. "What's going on?"

Isa, Kaylee, JJ and John B ran out to the edge of the boat.

"Come on, come on, come on," John B whispered.

"Go, go, go, go," JJ whispered.

Isa, Kaylee, JJ and John B dove off the front of the boat.

"Sayonara!" JJ called.

Lia and Kie rushed to the side of the boat, seeing that Kaylee, Isa, John B and JJ had made it to a boat with Pope quite a ways away, leaving Lia and Kie stranded.

"Are you serious?" Lia asked in disbelief.

"Get your asses back here!" Kie yelled.

Isa shook her head. "I can't. Not till you two figure it out."

"I will kill every single one of you!" Kie threatened.

Lia frowned in defeat. "Y--you can't just leave!"

"There's food in the cabin, and JJ rolled a blunt," Pope assured them, giving them two thumbs up.

JJ smiled, giving them an 'Okay' sign over his head. "Hydroponic!"

"Love you guys!" Isa called. "Bye!"

"Don't kill each other!" Kaylee told them.

The boat sped off, leaving Lia and Kie alone.

(Song Ends)

Lia and Kie stood in stunned silence for a moment, watching their friends speed away and leave them stranded together on the boat.

Kie let out a frustrated groan. "I can't believe they actually did this."

Lia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Well, I guess we're stuck here until we 'figure it out' as Isa put it."

"Or until I figure out how to hotwire this boat," Kie muttered.

"You know how to do that?" Lia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kie shrugged. "JJ taught me a thing or two. Though I'm guessing they disabled more than just removing the spark plugs."

An awkward silence fell between them. Kie paced back and forth on the deck, while Lia leaned against the railing, gazing out at the marsh.

Finally, Lia spoke softly. "Hey, Kie, I know you don't want to be here with me. But since we're stuck, maybe we should try to talk?"

Kie stopped pacing and crossed her arms with a sigh. "Fine, but I'm not doing this sober. Where's the weed JJ promised?"

Lia chuckled lightly, looking for the blunt, finding it. "JJ, bless."

Kie sighed. "I'm gonna need it to get through this." She rolled the blunt, taking a hit, about to hand it over to Lia, but pulled it back. "Actually..."

Lia rolled her eyes, taking the blunt. "Really?"

"Go easy," Kie warned. "It's JJ's cousin's Cripple." Lia took a hit, bursting out into a fit of coughs. Kie looked away like she knew that was gonna happen, nodding slightly. "Yeah."

Kie took the blunt, taking a hit.

⚓️

The Pogue Nest - Outside

Isa, Kaylee, JJ and John B were now fully dressed in clothes, as they and Pope caught Sarah up to speed about what they did with Lia and Kie.

Sarah looked at them skeptically. "You stranded them on a boat together? You'll be lucky if they don't kill you in the morning when we go pick them up."

Isa shrugged, tilting her head. "Well, risk I'm willing to take. Just gotta let them work it out."

Kaylee nodded. "Yep. God. Everyone get comfortable. It's gonna take until dawn."

JJ laughed. "Probably."

"Definitely," Pope agreed.

John B nodded in agreement. "Yep." He looked at Kaylee, nodding to Sarah. "So, uh... Kaylee..." Kaylee tilted her head at John B. John B gave her a look. "Kay."

Kaylee growled softly, causing JJ to smirk, sighing, giving in. "Okay, fine. Sarah, can we talk?"

Sarah looked at John B. John B nodded, giving Sarah a look.

Sarah gave in. "Yeah. Sure."

Sarah and Kaylee walked away.

JJ, Pope, Isa and John B watched them go.

"This should be good," JJ remarked. "If another fight breaks out, even if hurt, Kaylee would beat Sarah's ass. I think it would be kinda a draw for Kie and Lia though."

Isa nudged JJ with her shoulder. "Shh. It's not gonna lead to a fight."

Pope nodded in amusement. "If you say so."

⚓️

Inside - First Floor

Sarah and Kaylee walked in.

"John B wanted you to talk to me like he wanted me to talk to you about how we only fight when our loved ones fight and we step in to defend them, right?" Sarah asked.

"Yep," Kaylee answered.

Sarah nodded knowingly. "John B said the same thing to me."

"Figured as much," Kaylee told her. "And... things used to be good for all four of us, so..." Sarah nodded in agreement. "Okay, look. I don't know what really went down with Kie and Lia. I just know that they both have something complicated going on with Isa, who is trapped in the middle, and she just wants them to make up because of how close they used to be."

"Yep," Sarah agreed.

"And I know that Isa would never choose between the two," Kaylee admitted. "No matter how long of a time or short of a time Isa's been friends with somebody, if there's a substantial bond there, that's it. She's not gonna turn her back on them, and she won't choose anyone over anyone because that's not fair friend wise. And I don't know what Lia could've lost to make her bond with Isa like that, but even I can admit that Kie was blowing things way out of proportion especially when she did the same things to us last year."

Sarah nodded. "Glad we can agree on that then."

"But I'm not gonna apologize for being a bitch to you when you be a bitch to my sister," Kaylee admitted bluntly.

Sarah couldn't help but smile. "Well, that's okay, because I'm not gonna apologize for being a bitch to your sister when she's been a bitch to my sister."

Kaylee shrugged. "Fair enough."

Sarah shook her head, her smile fading as she turned serious. "No, it's not fair. None of you know what Lia's gone through this year alone. She lost a friend under questionable circumstances. She tried to figure out what happened, but our dad took control of her life, of her so called recovery. Put her on all these types of medications so that she could 'recover' but in reality all it did was made her so tired and distant that she was like a zombie. And Rafe, Topper, Kelce, all of them? They treat her like she's insane because of what she's gone through. And you Pogues have seen the way that Rafe hurt Lia when she stood up for you guys."

Kaylee nodded slightly. "Yeah."

"Lia will stand up to anybody and everybody and put them in their place," Sarah admitted. "Rafe and his friends especially. And our dad, even though she's trying to be good in order to get out this prison-like life she's in right now because of all the things that happened. I can't explain it, and I shouldn't because that's her choice to make to tell you guys. But it's the reason I'm so protective over her. Like I said, she stands up to anyone. Except for Kie. Because she feels guilty about whatever happened between them. Lia never told me what happened, but I know the guilt of whatever happened eats away at her. So that's why she never says anything when Kie snaps on her like that. But if Lia won't stand up for herself against your sister..."

"You will," Kaylee finished.

"Yeah," Sarah answered.

Kaylee nodded barely. "I get it. I get you more now. But, uh... let's just hope that Kie and Lia do make up on that boat. And they talk about everything they need to say. So that Kie can let go of her anger and whatever is holding her back. And Lia gets her chance to explain everything. So that there's no more fighting and tension between the two. And then you and I won't have to step in and fight each other too."

Sarah managed a small smile. "Yeah, let's hope." She bit her lip curiously. "So like John B said. Our only issue is that we're both too protective of our sisters. And pushing those issues aside, we do have some things in common. But we already knew that from last year. We just didn't think that we could get back to this place, but he did, apparently."

Kaylee returned the small smile. "Fucking John B. He was right, that bastard."

Sarah and Kaylee started to laugh lightly.

They could hear John B outside the main entry way for the treehouse. "Damn right I was."

"John B, you asshole!" Sarah teased. "You weren't supposed to be listening!"

⚓️

Outside

Isa, John B, JJ and Pope laughed and cheered at their success of getting Sarah and Kaylee to talk things out.

Sarah and Kaylee laughed more so now than before, joining in the laughter and cheering as they walked outside to join the other four.

Isa wrapped her arm around Kaylee in a hug, as Kaylee smiled. "Okay, so we got Kaylee and Sarah squared away. Let's hope Kie and Lia will work it out too."

⚓️

Night - The Marsh - Boat

Lia and Kie had spent the entire time smoking, extremely high at this point, but Kie was used to being high so it wasn't affecting her that much.

Lia was the most stoned, giggling. "Wow. Hey, guess what? Would you rather have... I was just imagining you like this just now. It was pretty funny. Would you ima--would you rather... have nipples for eyes or eyes for nipples? Imagine if you get really old and your nipples--" Kie was too stoned to follow what she was saying completely. "Your boobs get saggy, and your nipples, if they were your eyes, you could see if your shoes were untied." Lia gave a weak chuckle, shaking her head, looking away sheepishly. "No?"

Kie gave Lia a weird look. "Is this like your first time smoking or something?"

Lia frowned, looking down. "No." Kie raised an eyebrow skeptically; even though Lia was a great liar/actress, the way she was giggling and rambling made it obvious that it was the first time she got stoned. Lia hesitated. "Hey, Kiara..."

Kie sighed in exasperation. "Oh, my God. Enough of the 'Hey, Kiara' bullshit. Why'd you do it?"

"Why did I do what?" Lia asked.

"We were best friends," Kie told her. "We stole beers from your dad's fridge. We watched movies together, cried about boys."

"You cried about boys," Lia corrected. "I didn't."

Kie nodded, rolling her eyes. "You didn't cry about anyone from what I remember. And the next thing I know, I'm watching your birthday party from Instagram."

Lia looked down. "It was one party."

"You invited everybody but me," Kie told her.

Lia shook her head. "I didn't do the invite list. Sarah always does that. I told you that before."

"But you had to have told her to keep me off of it," Kie pointed out. "And then you told everyone that I was the reason it got busted."

"I didn't tell anyone that," Lia corrected. "The rumor started and it wouldn't stop. But who else would've called the cops?"

"You never asked," Kie told her. "You just let the rumor go that I was a rat. You were my best friend and then you ghosted me, and I don't even know why. I mean, really, what did I do?"

Lia was relieved but nervous that Kie was finally giving her the chance to explain herself, but she knew that it would be hard and upsetting. "You... you didn't do anything, Kie. I..." She took a deep breath, biting her lip. "I liked you."

Kie frowned, confused, not yet processing what she said. "What?"

"I liked you," Lia repeated. "I never..." She swallowed nervously. "I never cried about boys or even talked to them, because I was never interested in them. And I was scared about why that was... one day, I was confronting Rafe about whatever happened between him, Kaylee and Tod last year, because I told him that I didn't want your sister to get hurt in one of his games before, and he didn't listen, so I was angry, since both of you were pulling away, and I wanted to know what happened."

Kie frowned, nodding slightly. "Did he tell you?"

"No," Lia answered. "Instead, he... lashed out. He said that he knew that I liked a girl, my best friend, and he said that he would tell our dad if I didn't drop it." She had tears in her eyes, shaking her head. "And you don't know my dad. I don't even know how he would react to something like this. Ward might send me away to some church camp or something and I didn't want to risk that or worse. I was just so... so scared. And I didn't want Rafe to tell Ward, and... so I asked Sarah not to put your name on the list, but she invited everybody else, even people I didn't even like, and it was the worst birthday party ever. Because you weren't there, but I was scared about what would happen if you were. Especially because Rafe hates Pogues, and even though he was starting to get along with Kaylee and you, even though he thought you two were still pretending and that you were still one of us. I knew something happened to Kay at the last party, and I knew that was why you two were pulling away, and I didn't want anything like whatever happened to happen again, even if I didn't know what it was. And I didn't want you to be put in that position again, on top of everything else. And I didn't want Ward to find out, or Sarah, or anyone. I wasn't..."

Kie was utterly shocked. "You were trying to protect us. And you weren't ready to... come out."

Lia shook her head, crying. "No. And I don't know if you ever felt the same way, and I didn't want to ask because it would've been humiliating. Like this is, and..."

Kie's anger was starting to fade, as she realized the position that Lia had really been in because of all of this, hiding, lying, in denial about herself, and trying to protect Kaylee and Kie at the same time, even if it meant hurting Kie and their friendship ending. "Oh, my God. Lia..."

Lia shook her head. "Don't. Please."

Kie hesitated. "No. It's just... I was so hurt and so angry... because I liked you too. I never knew..."

Lia looked at Kie in shock, her tears coming to a stop, as they started to dry on her cheeks. Kie nodded in confirmation that she in fact had used to like Lia.

Lia swallowed. "That's really why you were so mad. Why you couldn't forgive me even though the Pogues forgave you for abandoning them like you did." Kie looked down. "I never wanted you to abandon the Pogues. I never asked you to."

"I know," Kie agreed. "That was my fault. I was too scared of what my parents would think of me if I ended up being fully, completely like Kaylee. I even told Kaylee that our parents were right, that she was the problem child. A disappointment. I was just angry, and I didn't want to be on thin ice with our parents like she was. And I felt so guilty about everything that I... I just had to try and make it up to Kay, and to everyone else. Kaylee and Isa were right. I was being such a hypocrite. And I'm sorry, Lia."

"I'm really sorry too, Kie," Lia told her. "And I miss you." There was a long moment of silence as they both processed everything that they had said. "Do you think there's a chance we could ever be okay again?"

Kie took a deep breath, considering Lia's question. The hurt and anger she had been holding onto for so long was starting to fade, replaced by understanding and a hint of regret for how she had treated Lia.

"I think... maybe we could try," Kie said softly. "It's not going to be easy or instant, but I want to try to be okay again. I missed you too."

Lia gave a small, hopeful smile. "Really?"

Kie nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance to explain before. And I'm sorry for how I treated you, especially lately."

"I'm sorry too," Lia replied. "For everything. I never wanted to hurt you."

They sat in silence for a moment, the tension between them finally starting to ease.

"So..." Lia said hesitantly. "Where do we go from here?"

Kie managed a light chuckle. "I don't know. I think we should sleep on it and talk about it more in the morning."

Lia nodded in agreement, both of them exhausted.

Lia and Kie both laid down to go to sleep, laying close to each other on two pallets with pillows and thin blankets. Lia was trying hard not to cry again, still reeling from coming clean like that.

Kie looked at Lia sadly, sympathetically now that she knew more about what happened. "Hey, Lia?"

Lia sighed tiredly. "Hey, Kie."

"I'm sorry," Kie apologized. "I never knew. And if you like Isa... I know that she would be good for you. Even if she denies it. I know she likes you too. And if something has already happened between you two... I think I can be okay with it. I just..."

Lia felt relieved about that but frowned because of the situation both she and Isa were in with Kie. "But... what about you? I mean... you kissed Isa, and if you liked me... and I liked you and I like Isa... And I know Isa still likes you even if she likes me too..."

"I have no idea," Kie admitted.

"Kie..." Lia trailed off.

"We'll figure it out," Kie assured. "Okay?"

Lia nodded, swallowing. "Okay."

Kie sniffed. "Thank you... for trying to protect us, though. Even if I didn't know you were trying to protect us."

"What happened back then?" Lia asked. "What did Rafe and Tod do?"

Kie looked down. "That's not my place to tell. Okay?"

Lia nodded in understanding, knowing that it was Kaylee's place to tell if she wanted, but she wouldn't push Kaylee at all, not even planning on bringing it up to her if she didn't have to. "Okay."

Kie was trying to cheer Lia up and make her laugh after such an emotional conversation and confession. "And I'm sorry I called the cops."

Lia couldn't help but start to smile. "I knew it." They both smiled, starting to giggle. "I knew it! I knew you did it!"

They started to laugh.

"It was payback for not inviting me," Kie replied. "Before I knew what I know now."

"So you called the cops?" Lia asked in amusement.

"Yes!" Kie answered.

They laughed harder, giggling hysterically.

Lia smiled. "Thank you for that, by the way. You saved me from the birthday party from hell."

They continued to laugh happily.

Kie yawned, stretching. "Well, that was... intense."

Lia nodded, running a hand through her messy hair. "Yeah, but I'm glad we finally talked."

"Me too," Kie agreed. She paused, looking out at the marsh. "So... what now?"

Lia shrugged. "I guess we sleep it out and wait for our friends to come back and rescue us in the morning."

Kie nodded as she turned to face Lia while they both remained laying down, the two gazing at each other for a long moment.

"Good night, Lia," Kie murmured.

Lia smiled, content and filled with joy that they got past the rough part, and the easy part seemed to be coming faster than they thought. "Good night, Kie."

As they settled in for sleep, Lia and Kie both felt a sense of relief wash over them. The tension and hurt that had built up between them for so long was finally starting to ease. Though they knew things wouldn't be perfect overnight, they had taken an important first step in repairing their friendship.

Lia closed her eyes, feeling more at peace than she had in a long time. For once, she didn't have to hide who she was or how she felt. She had finally been honest with Kie, and while it had been terrifying, it had also been freeing.

Kie found herself stealing glances at Lia as they drifted off to sleep. She was still processing everything she had learned, but she felt a warmth in her chest at the thought that maybe, just maybe, they could find their way back to each other. As friends, or maybe even something more.

⚓️

Flashback 4 - Kook Year

Morning - Tannyhill Estate - Outside

Rafe nearly had his truck ready to join the others for the trip to Church Hill for the concert that Saturday night.

Kelce, Topper, and Timothee were more than happy to ride in the truck's bed, while Sarah, Lia, and Kie had taken their places in the backseat.

Kaylee approached the truck, puzzled, as she was accustomed to sitting in the back with Lia and Kie, while Sarah usually took the front seat.

Rafe leaned over and swung the passenger door open. "Kaylee."

The two shared a charged look after their kiss the night before.

With a slight tilt of her head, Kaylee walked over, reached for the truck's handle, and hoisted herself into the passenger seat, Rafe's hand guiding her back. She stiffened for a moment but relaxed upon realizing he was merely helping her. After she was seated, Rafe shut the door and moved to the driver's side, climbing in. Once everyone was settled, he connected his phone to the aux and reversed out of the driveway.

Kie looked up at Kaylee. "Did you see them again?"

"Yeah, hung out a bit last night," Kaylee replied, alluding to the Pogues' visit and overnight stay at the Pogue Nest.

"You're going to land in hot water if you keep hanging out with them," Kie warned.

"Sorry if I don't wanna abandon our friends," Kaylee replied.

Lia, Sarah and Rafe exchanged a look through the rearview mirror.

Lia looked at Kie. "You know, it's okay for you to still hang out with them. I wouldn't mind especially if I got to meet your old friends."

Kie shook her head slightly, looking guilty. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Kaylee rolled her eyes.

Rafe tensed at the mention of the Pogues. He dismissed the Carrera sisters' association with the Pogues, knowing they were Kooks by birth and upbringing, convinced they were merely rebelling against their parents. He disliked the thought of Kaylee associating with the Pogues, seeing it as a step down, and how it led to conflicts with her parents. His jealousy flared, particularly recalling Kaylee's interactions with JJ. Despite knowing his jealousy was over something minor, he couldn't suppress it. The idea of Kaylee abandoning the Kook life for the Pogues, and the potential of feeling abandoned himself, troubled him deeply.

Glancing at Kaylee, Rafe noticed her awareness but also her ignorance of his turmoil. Seeking a diversion, he handed her his unlocked phone with Spotify ready. "Play whatever you want."

This prompted raised eyebrows from Lia and Sarah.

Sarah feigned shock. "You never let me choose the music when you drive."

"Shut up," Rafe retorted.

(Song:) Dance in the Dark - Au/Ra

Kaylee picked some upbeat albeit dark music that the group could listen to while on the way, and the girls, along with Topper, Kelce and Timothee in the bed of the truck, had no problem jamming to the music, dancing around a little bit, just having fun. Even Rafe couldn't help but chuckle and go along with it.

⚓️

Concert

The group of teens enjoyed themselves before the concert, playing games like Foosball and air hockey in the building. As they navigated a narrow space, Rafe gently placed his hand on Kaylee's back, guiding her. She looked back, but upon seeing Rafe, she relaxed.

They grabbed non-alcoholic drinks and moved to the floor's center, where everyone was dancing and singing along with the music.

Kie took Lia's hand and twirled her, both laughing and enjoying the moment.

The crowd was alive, moving rhythmically to the music, filled with laughter and joy.

Topper gazed at Sarah with intense affection as they danced, smiles on their faces.

Kelce and Timothee playfully danced around, teasing Kie and Lia, the boys' interactions purely friendly.

Kaylee caught Rafe's eye; he was emotionless yet observant, prompting her to distance herself within the throng, eventually losing sight of her friends as she merged with the dancing crowd.

As she danced, hands unexpectedly found her hips. Startled, Kaylee spun around to see a stranger smiling at her, inviting her closer with a "Dance with me."

The scent of alcohol and cigarettes was overpowering. Kaylee tried to pull away in the crowded space, attempting to leave, but the man held her firmly, turning her to face him, his face inching closer to hers for a kiss.

Abruptly, another set of arms intervened, pushing against the man's chest, halting his advance towards Kaylee. It was Rafe.

Rafe's expression was lethal as he stared down the man, his demeanor of an arrogant, wealthy youth on full display. "You're not hitting on my girl, are you?"

At this, Kaylee's eyebrow arched in surprise.

The man shot a glare back at Rafe. "If she's really yours, why is she here dancing with me and not you?"

Kaylee scoffed. "I was not dancing with you, you dumbass prick."

Rafe couldn't suppress a laugh at Kaylee's words, though it was a hollow, mocking sound aimed at the other guy. Turning to Kaylee, he said, "We're leaving."

Before she could reply, Rafe grabbed Kaylee, effortlessly lifting her by her midriff and hoisting her up so he was carrying her with one arm across the back of her thighs. Startled, Kaylee nonetheless managed to flip the guy off as Rafe carried her away. Despite the abruptness, she enjoyed the elevated view over the crowd, which offered her an unobstructed view of the artist.

Upon reaching their group, Rafe gently set Kaylee down.

Brushing her hair back and raising an eyebrow, Kaylee looked at Rafe. "Thanks."

Rafe gave a nod, the look between him and Kaylee charged with something more.

Topper hoisted Sarah onto his shoulders, allowing her to see the artist beyond the crowd.

Sarah, thrilled, had a spark of inspiration. "Hey, Rafe, Kelce, Tim?" They turned to her. "Let's lift Kaylee, Kie, and Lia onto your shoulders for a photo!"

Kie and Lia shared a glance, then looked at Kelce and Timothee. With mutual shrugs, Kelce and Timothee effortlessly raised Kie and Lia onto their shoulders.

Kaylee caught Rafe's eye.

Rafe gave a casual shrug. "Already did it, right?"

Kaylee chuckled lightly, biting her lip, both nervous and excited. Rafe lifted Kaylee up to his shoulders, and to hold her steady, Rafe placed both hands on her thighs, looking up at Kaylee above his head.

Sarah had the girls take several group pictures. They danced and listened to music as if it were vital, then the girls were placed back on the floor to dance together.

Timothee caused much laughter with his comical dance moves.

⚓️

Street

As they prepared to leave for the ferry, the group made their way down the street.

Kaylee shivered slightly, and Rafe noticed. He took off his leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Kaylee looked up at Rafe, surprised, unsure if he was trying to seduce her as part of some game following Lia and Sarah's warning, or if he was genuine. She was wary, not wanting to be fooled by his act. Rafe, however, appeared completely innocent and nonchalant, as if it wasn't part of any game. The kiss the night before definitely made Kaylee second guess herself, guarded, but Rafe's demeanor with her slowly brought down her walls.

Topper and Kelce observed this change, and unlike before, they didn't exchange knowing smirks with Rafe. They recognized that this behavior was different from Rafe's usual games, which also left Lia and Sarah uncertain about his intentions. This made them question themselves too, as they both hoped for the best in Rafe but remained vigilant for Kaylee's sake, not wanting her to be hurt.

Kie watched cautiously, unsure of what to make of the situation, while Timothee seemed blissfully unaware of the dynamics at play.

Sarah leaped onto Topper's back, exclaiming, "Piggyback races! Whoever's last to the ferry loses!"

Lia and Kie simply shrugged, joining in as Kelce and Timothee willingly hoisted them onto their backs, embracing the spontaneous challenge.

Rafe gave a slight scoff but bent down so Kaylee could do the same. Hesitating briefly, Kaylee didn't want to feel left out and followed suit. She let out a yell as he sped off, trying to hold on tightly.

At the race's end, Rafe and Kaylee emerged victorious, reaching the ferry. The girls dismounted from the boys' backs as they boarded the ferry to return home.

Kaylee felt guilty for enjoying the night, as if she were betraying the Pogues by having fun with the Kooks. She despised feeling this way but couldn't help it. This was amplified by her conflicted and growing feelings for Rafe, which he seemed to notice, as Rafe walked Kayle home that night, so she wasn't alone like the night before.

Rafe walked Kaylee home after the concert, both of them quiet as they processed the events of the night. There was a charged tension between them after their kiss the previous evening and their interactions at the concert.

As they reached Kaylee's house, Rafe gently touched her arm to stop her. "Hey, about last night..."

Kaylee turned to face him, her expression guarded. "What about it?"

Rafe stepped closer, his eyes searching hers. "I can't stop thinking about it. About you."

Kaylee's breath caught as Rafe leaned in, his lips hovering just inches from hers. She knew she should push him away, remind herself of all the reasons this was a bad idea. But in that moment, all she could focus on was the intensity in his gaze and the warmth of his breath on her skin.

"Rafe..." Kaylee trailed off.

Rafe ran a hand through his hair, seeming uncharacteristically nervous. "I just wanted to say that it wasn't a game to me. I know my reputation, but with you, it's different."

Kaylee studied his face, trying to gauge his sincerity. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because I've never felt this way before," Rafe admitted softly. "You challenge me, you see through my bullshit. You make me want to be better."

Kaylee searched Rafe's eyes, looking for any sign of deception. But all she saw was vulnerability and sincerity - expressions she'd never seen on Rafe Cameron before.

"I don't know what to say," Kaylee admitted softly. "This is all so..."

"Unexpected?" Rafe finished with a wry smile.

Kaylee nodded. "To say the least."

Rafe took a step closer, reaching out to gently tuck a strand of hair behind Kaylee's ear. His touch sent a shiver down her spine.

"I know I don't have the best track record," Rafe said. "And I know you have every reason not to trust me. But I'm asking you to give me a chance. To give us a chance."

Kaylee could see the vulnerability in Rafe's eyes, so different from his usual cocky demeanor. Part of her wanted to believe him, to give in to the undeniable pull between them. But another part held back, wary of getting hurt.

"I don't know, Rafe," Kaylee said, taking a small step back. "This is all happening so fast. And there's so much complicated history between our families, our friends..."

Rafe nodded, understanding in his eyes. "I know. But maybe that's all the more reason to give this a chance."

Kaylee hesitated, unsure how to respond to Rafe's plea. Part of her wanted to give in to her growing feelings, but she was still wary of his reputation and their complicated history.

"I need some time to think," Kaylee said finally. "This is a lot to process."

Rafe nodded, looking disappointed but understanding. "Of course. Take all the time you need. I'll be here when you're ready to talk." He leaned in and softly kissed her cheek before stepping back. "Goodnight, Kaylee."

"Goodnight, Rafe," Kaylee replied softly, watching him walk away.

Kaylee stood there for a long moment after he left, her mind racing. Despite her reservations, she couldn't deny the way her heart raced when Rafe was near.

Part of her wanted to call him back, to throw caution to the wind and see where this unexpected connection might lead. But the more cautious side held her back, reminding her of all the reasons to be wary.

Rafe had seen how conflicted she was about giving in but her cautious side holding her back. It was enough for him to know that a large part of her had wanted to be with him tonight. He was sure that she just needed some time and she would come around.

He just hoped that he could keep his sanity spiral in control so he didn't lose her because of his darker impulses and mental illness, believing he was fine.

(Song Ends)

⚓️

Now

Day Three

Morning - The Marsh

Lia and Kie were sitting on the edge of the boat, smiling and laughing lightly, chuckling. After a moment, they fell silent, returning more serious.

"Back then, I thought that... that you were just quick to drop me," Kie admitted. "I was devastated because we were best friends. Closer. I had a crush on you. And I didn't know what really happened. I just thought that you left me like I didn't mean anything to you."

Lia was hurt that Kie thought that, shaking her head reassuringly, sincerely. "You mean so much more to me, Kie. I just... I wasn't ready. And I wasn't just trying to protect myself, but I was trying to protect you too."

Kie nodded knowingly. "I know that now. I do. I used to hate that I still liked you. Hate that you could leave me and I would still like you like that."

Lia chuckled lightly. "I used to hate that I still liked you, after everything. That I couldn't let the thought of you go, even when you hated me. Even when I was going through so much hell this past year. It hurt. It hurt so much, because this past year, I needed someone now more than ever, and I kept thinking about you, but... that couldn't happen."

Kie frowned in concern. "What happened?"

Lia shook her head. "We can talk about that later, okay?" Kie nodded in understanding. "But after everything, I don't know how to fix things between us now."

Kie gave Lia a reassuring smile. "After the way you protected Kaylee and me at the movie from Tod, and you were there for Isa even when I wasn't... and defended all of us against the Kooks time and time again... I think you're already well on your way to fixing it."

Kie and Lia smiled with bittersweet happiness, knowing that they both had hope and joy in their friendship once again.

The HMS rode closer, with the other Pogues and Sarah in the boat.

"Uh-oh!" JJ called tauntingly.

"You forget your keys or something?" John B teased.

"You guys need a tow?" Pope joked.

Lia smiled sarcastically, raising both hands to flip off John B, JJ and Pope, and the boys made looks of faux offense and hurt, causing all the girls to laugh.

Kie looked at Lia. "Don't give them the satisfaction of thinking this worked."

Lia shook her head. "Absolutely not."

Lia and Kie smirked at each other.

The HMS pulled up next to them.

"You gotta admit, it was funny," Kaylee told them.

"Shut up, Kaylee," Kie replied, before turning her gaze to Isa in warning. "Isa."

Isa smiled. "Yeah, what's that?"

Kie raised her eyebrows. "Mastermind, huh?"

Isa shrugged, smirking. "I'm always planning."

Kie stood to hop onto the other boat. "Some patriarchal bullshit."

Lia stood to hop onto the HMS. "Yeah, that sucked."

JJ showed his lopsided grin. "Still love us, though, right?"

Kie rolled her eyes, taking the rope from JJ.

"Yeah, whatever," Lia replied.

Isa walked over to Lia and Kie. "Hey. So, you two hate me?"

Lia and Kie exchanged a look, looking at Isa, as Isa looked between both Lia and Kie.

John B, Kaylee, JJ, Pope and Sarah all watched, intrigued by this.

"A little," Lia bluffed. "But we're gonna get you back when you least expect it, Isa."

Kie looked at the others. "And all of you."

Lia crossed her arms, smirking. "I'd watch your back, guys."

"Mm-hmm," Kie agreed.

Pope smiled. "Well, I, for one, welcome that challenge."

"Me too," JJ agreed, putting one foot up on the side of the boat.

Kaylee smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, should be fun."

"So, did you guys, you know..." Pope trailed off, gesturing his hands together.

"Reconcile our differences?" Kie clarified.

Sarah nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Lia shook her head. "Mm-mm."

Kie put her hands on her hips. "Not even close."

Kaylee knew her sister was lying, nodding sarcastically. "Oh, okay."

Lia put her hands on her hips. "But we are willing to work together."

Sarah smiled in amusement. "Oh, I'm sure."

Isa knew that Lia and Kie were bluffing, exchanging an amused look with Kaylee and Sarah as the three smiled at each other, and at Lia and Kie.

"You know what?" John B asked. "That's a victory."

Lia looked at Kie, winking. Kie hid a smile.

"Hell yeah it is," Isa agreed. She leaned closer to Lia and Kie to whisper teasingly. "Besides, I know you two are bluffing, and Kaylee and Sarah do too."

They all smiled.

JJ threw his arms up in victory. "So, yeah, we won!"

Pope did the Pogue handshake with JJ and John B with either hand, as JJ and John B used their free hands to do the handshake. "Woogity-woogity-woogity!"

Pope also did the handshake with Kaylee and Isa as Kaylee and Isa used their free hands to do the handshake.

Isa, Kaylee, John B and JJ did the handshake four way together.

"You know what it was?" JJ asked. "Hydroponic."

Kaylee smiled, shaking her head. "Don't say that."

"I don't know, but Lia did have some interesting thoughts about nipple eyes," Kie admitted.

Lia blushed, smiling, laughing. "Oh, my God."

Isa looked at Lia in amusement. "How much did you smoke?"

Lia shook her head with a small blush, causing others to laugh, smile or smirk.

John B smiled. "All right, you guys ready to jack some loot?"

"Oh, hell yeah!" Isa answered in a cheer, arms over her head.

Kaylee raised her arms in the air to cheer. "Let's do this!"

The others cheered with them.

⚓️

The Pogue Nest - Second Floor

Kie and Lia had gotten their change of clothes for the day so they could help with the mission that night with more suitable clothes, all wearing dark clothes.

Isa had a black beanie with small sparkle studs, a black bandana and sunglasses, though her black shorts had yellow sunflowers on them, wearing a hoodie.

Kaylee had a black beanie with semi large spiky studs on them, wearing a hoodie.

Lia had a small, cute hat and a hoodie that went with her outfit.

They were all were getting things ready for the mission, about to head out.

"So, Lia, Kie, you guys gonna say why the fighting was going on and why it stopped so easily?" Sarah asked.

"Easily?" Lia repeated skeptically. "You dickheads trapped me and Kie on a boat together."

"Well, you and Kie had some communicating to do, Lia," Isa replied.

Kaylee shrugged. "Sorry it came to that."

Kie winced. "Yeah, me too, Lia."

Lia gave a small smile. "It's okay, Kie."

JJ thought for a moment, pointing at Lia. "Did she just call us dickheads?"

"I think she did," Pope answered.

John B smirked. "Yep."

"I think I'm starting to like you, Lia," JJ told her.

Lia smirked. "Thanks, boys."

They all chuckled.

"Kie?" Kaylee asked. "Lia? It's okay if you don't wanna tell us."

"Good, because like Isa was telling us the whole time, it's not up to us to tell any of you," Kie told them. "It's up to Lia."

"Told you, Kie," Isa told her.

Kie nodded in acknowledgement, tilting her head.

"Must be serious then," John B remarked.

"Lia, come on," Sarah softly urged.

Kie gave Sarah a look. "What did I just say?"

Lia shook her head. "No, it... it's okay, Kie."

Isa raised her eyebrows, concerned. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Lia answered.

"You don't have to," Kie assured.

"I know," Lia agreed. "I want to." Kaylee and Sarah exchanged a look. JJ, John B and Pope looked between the girls before exchanging a look. Lia took a deep breath. "Okay, so, um..." She swallowed. "Back when I was best friends with Kie, we were really close. Like, for real close. And Rafe could tell."

"Tell what?" Kaylee asked.

"That I liked Kie," Lia answered. "Like... actually liked her."

The boys reacted in their usual shocked and comical fashion.

"Oh!" Pope gasped.

"Oh, okay," John B said.

JJ raised his eyebrows. "Did not see that one coming."

Kie gave the boys a look. "Would you dumbasses shut up?"

Sarah looked at Lia in surprise and concern, taking her hand reassuringly.

Lia gave Sarah a thankful smile, taking a deep breath, glancing at Kaylee. "One day, I was trying to figure out what happened to you, with Rafe and Tod."

Kaylee glanced down. Kie and JJ looked at Kaylee.

"I knew something went down, and I was mad because I told him not to hurt you before," Lia explained. "You don't have to tell us anything." Sarah shook her head in agreement as Lia continued. "But Rafe found a good way to make me drop it, because he knew my secret. How I felt about my best friend, so he basically blackmailed me with that, and said that he would tell Dad if I didn't drop it, and... I couldn't risk that happening again, because..."

"Knowing Rafe, he would use it to blackmail you again," Isa finished. 

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Like he does with everything. Rafe uses everything to blackmail Lia, and I mean everything. I mean, he didn't use to, because they used to be close, but something happened last year that made him snap, and he was just pushing us away, and everything... seemed to explode, I guess."

"Yeah," Lia agreed in a whisper. "And I couldn't let him keep doing that. So..."

"That's why you asked me not to put Kie on the guest list for your birthday party?" Sarah asked. "Because Rafe was blackmailing you with your own sexuality?"

"Yeah," Lia answered.

"Sounds like Rafe," JJ remarked.

"And I didn't want him to tell Dad, because I have no idea how Dad would react to something like this," Lia admitted. "But I know that it wouldn't be good."

Kaylee was processing, in shock, concerned, especially knowing that Rafe blackmailed Lia with this so that she would be forced to drop finding out what Tod did to Kaylee, and how Rafe was involved in stopping Tod.

Kaylee felt guilty with the thought that she was the reason why Lia had been forced to end her friendship with Kie the year before, to protect both of them. "Oh, my God."

"And I was trying to protect Kie, because Sarah was inviting all her Kook friends, even though I didn't want them to be there," Lia added. Sarah looked down, nodding in acknowledgement. "And I knew that if Kie was there, they'd try to start something after whatever happened with you two last time, and I didn't want her getting hurt or pushed around like that. And when Kie called the cops to break up the party, I was literally so relieved."

"She literally was so relieved when the cops showed up," Sarah agreed.

The others chuckled lightly.

"I can imagine," Isa stated.

"After that, you know how it turned out," Lia told them. "With me and Kie not talking. And then all this with helping Isa and John B with the maps and Denmark Tanny and..."

"Yeah," Kaylee agreed.

Lia noticed none of the Pogues looked that surprised, frowning. "None of you look too surprised."

"Well, we kinda thought you had a thing going on with Isa, and that's why she brought you into it, and that's why we're not surprised about the sexuality thing," Pope admitted.

"Even though Isa denied it," JJ agreed.

"Because Lia wasn't ready to come out," Isa replied.

"And that's fine," John B assured. "What's surprising is the Kie thing."

The others smiled.

"The sexuality thing is a shock to me," Sarah admitted.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Sarah," Lia apologized.

Sarah gave Lia a hug. "Lia, you literally have nothing to be sorry for. I'm so proud of you."

Isa took one of Lia's hands. "Me too."

Kie paused for a moment before taking Lia's other hand. "Me three."

Isa, Lia and Kie looked at each other and shared a smile. The others all smiled in reaction.

"It takes guts to come out like that, Lia," Kaylee pointed out. "Especially to people that you aren't relatively close to." Lia smiled emotionally, tears in her eyes. "And clearly we're not gonna judge you. I mean, we don't judge Kie or Isa."

JJ snapped his fingers before pointing at the three girls. "Exactamundo. Isa's bi and Kie's pan, so we don't care if you're into girls, Lia."

John B shrugged. "Love is love."

"It's not like we're gonna treat you any differently," Pope agreed. "We're cool with it. With you."

Lia wiped away a stray tear in relief, laughing lightly, as the others smiled.

Sarah wrapped her arms around Lia. "Thank you for telling me and these guys. I love you."

Lia returned the embrace. "I love you too."

Kaylee looked down. "I'm sorry." Lia and Kie looked at her. "This wouldn't have happened if Rafe wasn't trying to blackmail you into dropping what he and Tod did to me, so..."

Kie shook her head. "Don't you dare apologize for that. This isn't your fault, no way, shape or form."

JJ gave Kaylee a look for even thinking about apologizing about something like this.

Lia shook her head. "It's definitely not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

Kaylee sighed slightly, nodding in agreement.

Isa, John B, Sarah and Pope frowned in concern.

"We know that whatever happened was serious, but you didn't tell us exactly what happened," Isa pointed out. "And you don't have to because I know it's serious and..."

Kaylee shook her head. "Another story for another time, yeah?"

The others nodded in agreement, knowing that this was already heavy enough as it was, not wanting to push Kaylee into telling them if she didn't want to.

Trying to change the subject and cheer everybody up, JJ was processing it all in his mind, holding out his hands. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait."

"What, what, what, what, what?" Kaylee asked.

JJ pointed back and forth between Isa, Lia and Kie with each time he said their name. "Okay, let me get this straight. Lia and Kie had a thing for each other. Isa kissed Kie. And now Isa and Lia have a thing for each other, but did you two kiss?"

Isa and Lia exchanged a look, looking at Kie.

Kie nodded reassuringly but was kind of awkward given the circumstances. "It's okay."

"Yeah, we kinda did," Lia answered. "Me and Isa, I mean."

The others reacted in surprise. "Oh."

"Well, shit," JJ commented. "Are you three gonna just throw together? That'd be kinda hot."

Kie frowned, her demand coming out in a highly comical high pitched voice. "What?!"

"JJ!" Kaylee chided.

Isa was not surprised by his question in the least, shaking her head, rolling her eyes. "Asshole."

Lia smirked slightly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Everyone else was surprised but extremely impressed with Lia's response.

"Oh!" Pope said.

John B did a whiplash motion. "Zing."

JJ smiled, nodding. "Okay, I see how it is, new girl." Everybody laughed. "So what about the other thing that Sarah was talking about? Being so protective over you because of the way other Kooks treated you after something that happened earlier this year?"

Isa shook her head. "JJ, no."

Lia looked at Sarah. "You told them about Robbie?"

"No," Sarah answered. "I just... I was trying to explain why I would always snap at Kie if I saw her snap at you which caused me and Kaylee to argue. And... I talked about someone you lost and the meds and the way they affected you and how Rafe and his bonehead friends were so bad to you and how you stood up to everyone but Kie and why I felt like I had to after what you went through. But I didn't explain everything."

Lia nodded. "Okay. Yeah. That's gonna have to wait for another time, guys. We're kinda on a clock, right?"

"Right," Kaylee agreed. "Let's go."

⚓️

Night - The Crain House - Outside

The Pogues, Lia and Sarah were outside the Crain house, in the van.

"All right, you guys got rope?" John B asked.

"Got it," Kaylee answered, holding it up.

"Grappling hook?" Isa asked.

"We don't have a grappling hook," Pope answered. "We're not Batman."

John B continued down the list that he and Isa were looking at. "Pulley?"

"Check," Kie replied.

"Dark clothes?" Isa asked.

Sarah smiled. "Got it."

"Flashlights?" John B asked.

Lia held up a couple flashlights. "Yep."

"All right, good," Isa told them. "We're ready."

JJ smiled. "Let's go get rich, guys."

"Yeah," Kie agreed. "Hell yeah."

"Go, boys," Sarah encouraged.

"And girls," Lia added.

"Let's go," Pope said.

JJ nodded. "Let's roll."

Kaylee smiled. "Right on."

Isa slid open the back door of the van. "Wait, wait. I wanna say thank you, guys. Seriously." They all smiled. "It means a lot to us that you're here tonight."

John B nodded. "Seriously, guys. Thank you."

Kie nodded, giving her a smile. "Always."

"Of course, guys," Pope whispered.

John B smiled softly. "Our people."

"Forever and always," Kaylee agreed.

The Pogues all did their handshake, looking at each other and Lia and Sarah, as everyone smiled.

"All right, we done with the circle jerk?" JJ asked. "Can we go do this?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah."

They all got out of the van.

"Let's go get that wheat in the water," Pope suggested.

"Weed?" JJ asked. "I'm up for weed."

"Who said weed?" Kaylee asked.

"He said wheat, guys," Lia corrected in amusement.

Pope pointed to Lia in agreement, nodding for emphasis. "Wheat. Thank you, Lia."

Lia smiled. "Sure thing, Pope."

Kie turned to Isa, Kaylee, Lia and Sarah. "After you."

"Ladies first," Sarah insisted.

Lia shrugged. "Alley-oop."

Isa, Kaylee, Kie, Lia and Sarah climbed over the wall first. Kaylee was having a much easier time this time as she was a little more healed, though Isa and Kie still made sure that Kaylee landed fine and was okay on the other side when they jumped down. Lia and Sarah checked with Kaylee, and all the girls were satisfied and relieved to see that she was fine with very little pain.

John B, JJ and Pope climbed the wall, jumping down, looking at the girls, checking on them, pleased to see that everyone was fine.

JJ placed a hand on Kaylee's side. "You good?"

"Yeah," Kaylee answered. "I'm fine."

They all walked through the tall plants with their flashlights this time as it was pitch black, stopping directly in front of the house, taking a look at the house. All of a sudden, the light at the front of the house turned on.

"Shit!" Sarah gasped.

They all frantically hid behind the tall plants and bushes.

"Oh, shit!" John B exclaimed.

Isa directed them all to get down as they crouched together, trying to avoid the light. "Go, go, go, go."

"Flashlights!" Kie whispered.

Everyone but JJ could turn off their flashlights with ease.

JJ struggled with his, putting his flashlight on strobe accidentally. "It's on strobe!"

"Flashlights," Lia whispered.

JJ finally turned his off.

"Okay, so she has motion sensor lights," Pope stated.

Lia looked at Pope with an amused sarcastic look. "You noticed that too, huh?"

Pope nodded sarcastically, and Lia smiled. JJ and John B smirked in amusement.

"We could, uh... move really slowly, maybe?" JJ suggested.

"What?" Sarah asked.

Kaylee gave JJ a look, sarcastic. "Yeah, that's not how it works."

"Oh, shit," John B whispered. "Let's throw a rock at it."

Kaylee gave John B the same look she had just given JJ, but this time, Isa, Kie, Lia and Sarah were giving him the look too.

"What?" Lia asked.

"Any ideas that aren't stupid?" Isa asked.

"That's a really good idea, actually," Kie deadpanned sarcastically. "Let the axe murderer know that we're here."

"Throw a rock at it?" Isa asked skeptically. "Come on."

"Okay, any of you guys have a better idea?" John B asked.

"Literally anything but that," Kaylee replied.

"What about the breaker?" Lia suggested. "In the circuit box on the porch."

Sarah pointed to Lia. "That's a good idea." The Pogues all looked at Lia and Sarah in confusion, so Sarah explained. "Lia and I used to play hide and seek here as kids. And if we were brave enough, we'd go all the way up to the porch. We've seen it."

"Two Kooks played hide and seek here as kids?" Pope asked. "Wow."

Lia and Sarah shrugged.

John B shook his head. "No, no. You're not going in the house alone."

"Watch us," Lia replied challengingly with a small smirk.

"I'll go," Kaylee volunteered.

JJ gave Kaylee a look. "Absolutely not. You're still healing."

"Kaylee will be fine, JJ, she's got me and Lia," Sarah assured.

"And me," Kie piped up. "I'll go with." Kaylee looked at her. "What? I'm gonna make sure you don't do something stupid and get yourself more hurt, Kay."

Kaylee rolled her eyes sarcastically, but knowing that Kie was just worried about her and looking out for her, smirking slightly. "Thanks for that, Kie."

"Crain chops people into pieces," JJ warned.

"If you believe that," Isa replied. "But she's like what, 85?"

Lia nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

"She's probably barely still kicking," Sarah stated.

Kie looked at Kaylee, Lia and Sarah. "The four of us against one axe murderer seems fair."

Kaylee smirked. "I like those odds."

Isa, John B and JJ knew that they wouldn't be able to talk them out of it, while Isa was more okay with them going to do what they wanted to help. Pope looked at Isa, John B and JJ in amusement, and then Kie/Lia, Sarah and Kaylee since the romantic ties between them all.

"Okay, fine, but be careful," Isa told them.

Kie and Lia nodded in agreement. "Okay."

Kaylee smirked, standing, tilting her head. "We're always careful."

JJ reached up to catch Kaylee's arm. "Don't die, Kay. Or hurt yourself."

"I won't," Kaylee replied. "And if I do die, I'll come back and haunt your ass."

Kaylee smirked, winking.

"Okay, we'll wait for your signal," Pope told them.

"Okay, cool," Sarah said.

Kaylee led the way through the yard. Isa and Kie followed Kaylee.

John B called after them. "Hey, be safe."

"We will," Sarah assured, following Kaylee, Isa and Kie.

Teasing John B and Isa for telling the girls to be safe, JJ put a hand on Pope's cheek, turning his head so Pope looked at him. "Be safe."

Pope played along. "I'll be so safe. I'll be safe for you."

John B was annoyed. "Can you guys stop?"

Isa gave them a look. "Stop. I'm gonna kill you."

Pope looked from JJ to Isa and John B with a grin. "But how would that keep us safe?"

Isa flipped Pope and JJ off.

JJ leaned in close to Isa, a mischievous glint in his eye. "So, about you and Lia... and Kie. I mean, come on. The sexual tension between you three could power the whole island."

Isa rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "Oh, my God, JJ. Do you ever stop?"

"Nope," JJ grinned. "Just hear me out. You've got history with Kie, sparks flying with Lia, and they've got their own history going on that might turn into future in the making. So what's the big deal? You three can skip past the confusion and get together in some epic threesome romance. Because that would be legendary."

John B snorted, trying to hide his amusement. Pope just shook his head, but he was clearly fighting back a smile.

"JJ!" Isa hissed, glancing toward the house to make sure the other girls couldn't overhear. "Keep your voice down, clown."

JJ smiled innocently with a shrug. "What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. You can't tell me you haven't thought about all three of you getting together."

Isa looked at John B and Pope for help to stop JJ.

John B shook his head in amusement. "Don't look at me. I'm on JJ's side for this one."

Isa nodded sarcastically at her big brother. "Nice, John B. Just nice."

John B chuckled. "I'm just saying, Isa. You're miserable without Kie, and you've grown closer to Lia in record time, and she gets you like you get her. And those two were absolutely miserable without each other the past year. The solution's simple, like JJ said."

JJ grinned as he patted John B on the shoulder. "That's what I'm talking about, man."

Isa sighed in frustration, a blush coloring her cheeks from sheepish embarrassment. "Pope? Please help me out here."

Pope looked between Isa, JJ, and John B, clearly torn. "Well... I mean, they do have a point, Isa. The chemistry between you three is pretty obvious. And if you all have feelings for each other, why not explore that?"

Isa groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Not you too, Pope. I thought you were supposed to be the sensible one."

"Hey, I can be sensible and still see what's right in front of me," Pope replied with a shrug. "Besides, after everything we've been through, don't we all deserve a shot at happiness? Even if it's not exactly... conventional."

JJ grinned triumphantly. "See? Even Pope agrees. It's settled then. Operation Get Isa, Kie, and Lia Together is a go."

John B grinned. "You and Kaylee come up with that operation together?"

"Oh, yeah," JJ answered.

Isa was not surprised that her best friend Kaylee was in on this, shaking her head. "There will be no operation anything."

"Oh, there will be if Kaylee, John B, Sarah and I have anything to say about it," JJ replied. "Pope, you in, buddy?

Pope held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, don't drag me into this. I'm just here to observe and provide occasional commentary."

Isa groaned, throwing her head back. "You're all impossible."

JJ grinned, slinging an arm around Isa's shoulders. "Come on, admit it. You've thought about it."

Isa shrugged off JJ's arm, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Even if I had, which I'm not saying I have, it's not that simple. There's a lot of history and complicated feelings involved."

"That's what makes it exciting!" JJ exclaimed.

"Shh!" John B hissed, glancing towards the house. "Keep it down, man."

JJ lowered his voice, but his enthusiasm didn't dim. "Isa, you and Kie and Lia have your brother and sisters and me and Pope to help you figure out this mess. We've got your back. You guys deserve to be happy, so think about it."

Isa couldn't deny the appeal of JJ's point. She had already admitted to being unable to choose between Lia and Kie, because she couldn't imagine her life without either of them. The boys made it sound so simple, and she wished it could be. She longed for a world where she, Lia and Kie could be happy together without complications or obstacles, but they knew there would be countless for them to overcome.

Up ahead, Lia and Sarah navigated through the yard up to the house, with Kie and Kaylee right behind them. The only sound was the chirping from the cicadas. The four girls made sure to step softly without rustling the plants.

Much like JJ, Kaylee couldn't contain her excitement at the prospect of Kie, her sister, and Isa, her best friend, and Lia, her friend from the previous year, finding happiness together.

As the four girls approached the house, Kaylee whispered excitedly to Kie. "So, about you, Isa and Lia..."

Kie rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her small smile. "Not you too. JJ's been insufferable about this."

"I'm just saying, the chemistry between you three is undeniable," Kaylee replied with a grin.

"It's complicated," Kie muttered.

"Doesn't have to be," Kaylee countered. "You all clearly care about each other. Why not explore that?"

"It's too new right now," Kie replied.

Kaylee tilted her head skeptically. "You've crushed on Isa and Lia both for more than a year, okay? It's not new at all."

Kie couldn't deny that, sighing.

"Look, I've seen how you look at both of them," Kaylee murmured. "And how they look at you. Life's too short for what ifs, sis."

Kie was clearly tempted, but she was worried about the ramifications of potentially destroying this fragile balance that the three girls had finally achieved.

Kie sighed. "Can we focus on the task at hand? We're kind of in the middle of breaking and entering here and trying to not get murdered by the creepy old lady."

"Fine, fine," Kaylee relented, but her smile suggested this conversation was far from over.

Up ahead, Sarah and Lia exchanged knowing looks, having overheard the whispers.

Lia blushed, though she tried to focus on the task at hand. "She must have a generator plugged into the main power supply."

They reached the steps to climb up the porch of the house,

"Shh," Kie whispered.

Lia walked up the steps first, illuminating the way with her flashlight. Sarah, Kie and Kaylee followed.

Once they reached the porch, Kaylee stepped forward, opening the power box to reveal nothing but clipped wires. "Where are the breakers?"

"What is this?" Kie asked, looking up toward where the box connected to the house.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," Sarah whispered.

Kaylee realized that this meant the power was controlled from the inside of the house. "Shit. It goes inside."

Kaylee lifted her flashlight up to follow the post connected to the power box that disappears into the house. Kie opened the gate in front of the door, making a creaking noise, looking back at Kaylee, Lia and Sarah before grabbing the doorknob and turning it, opening the door and wandering into the house, followed by the three other girls.

Back behind the bushes, Isa, John B, Pope and JJ were still in hiding.

"They said when Hollis disappeared--" JJ started.

Pope's head snapped toward JJ. "That you should shut the eff up."

Isa, John B and JJ exchanged an amused look at Pope's unusual response, as John B whistled.

Isa smirked. "Wow, Pope. Where was that when I needed it earlier?"

JJ smiled sarcastically at Isa in return.

⚓️

Inside

Lia continued to illuminate the space with her flashlight as the four girls looked around inside the house.

A cat yowled, causing the girls to jump, startled by the sound.

Kie pointed up to where the post connected to the power box continued inside of the house. "Hey."

Lia nodded. "Yeah, yeah."

They followed it all the way to the power box.

Kaylee was the first one to reach it, turning to give Kie, Lia and Sarah a triumphant smile as she adjusted the black spiky-studded beanie on her head.

Sarah chuckled softly. "Oh. All right. Okay."

There were switches on the outside of the box. Kaylee grabbed the switch, turning it, wincing as it made a large 'click' sound. She continued with the switch below it and the switch below that, looking around to notice that the generators had powered down. The girls sighed in relief at the realization that they did it.

⚓️

Outside

Isa was the first to notice the house's lights went out. "They did it. Go time."

They pulled bandanas over their faces up to their noses to help conceal their identities.

"Let's do it," JJ whispered.

John B counted down with his fingers. "Three, two..." Isa stood, walking away. JJ and Pope stood to follow. John B gave up. "Just--just--just go."

John B stood to follow them.

⚓️

Basement

Isa led the boys inside up to the well.

"Holy crap," JJ said. "You know what this is? It just hit me. Yo, look." He held out his hand with rope in it, using his other hand to pull down his bandana from over his face, leaving it around his neck. "This is C.H.U.D. Full C.H.U.D."

"What is he talking about?" John B asked.

"Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers," JJ answered like it was obvious. "Have you guys not seen that film?"

"No," John B answered.

"Can't say I have, no," Pope answered.

"How the hell has?" Isa asked. "Besides you, obviously."

"It's actually a good film," JJ stated. "It's about, like, cannibals that live in the sewers and under New York City, and it's like--"

"Shut up," John B urged. "Shut up. All right. How deep do you think this is, Pope?"

"I don't know," Pope admitted.

Isa shrugged. "It's anybody's guess, really."

⚓️

Upstairs

When Kaylee, Kie, Isa and Sarah heard something, they gasped and turned toward the staircase. Lia quickly turned her flashlight off as the four of them tried to blend into the darkness, putting their backs to the wall, looking worriedly in the direction where the noise came from.

Kaylee shook her head. "Shit."

⚓️

Basement

John B was being lowered down on the pulley and rope by Isa, Pope and JJ.

"Hey, guys," John B said. "I have one request."

Isa, Pope and JJ spoke together. "Yeah?"

"Don't drop me," John B requested.

JJ acted like he was going to lose his grip and drop John B to tease him. "Whoa!"

John B yelled out slightly. "Whoa."

Isa nudged JJ with her arm, giving him a look. "Dumbass."

John B looked at JJ. "Okay. You're gonna die first, for sure."

JJ spoke with a slight accent. "Got ya."

Isa rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Imbecile."

"You just now figuring that out?" Pope asked.

JJ gave them both a sarcastic look. "Ha ha."

"All right, just keep payin' it out nice and slow like that," Pope said.

John B made his way down the well with their help. "Here we go. Keep goin'. Keep goin'."

"Wait, hold on one second," JJ told them. "I'm gonna get situated."

"You good?" Isa asked.

JJ seemed to be struggling with the rope, holding it around his waist. He suddenly dropped, losing hold of the rope around him. "Oh, my--"

"No!" Isa said worriedly, as Isa and Pope tried to keep hold of the rope as it was slipping through their hands quickly at lightning speed.

John B plummeted down the well. "Whoa!"

Pope tried to hold on. "Oh, shit! John B, shit!" On the ground, JJ managed to grab hold of the rope and helped Isa and Pope keep the rope from dropping John B further down, and John B halted in the middle of the well. "Jesus!"

The three groaned as they pulled at the rope to make sure that John B was higher up away from the bottom of the well.

"John B!" JJ called worriedly.

"I told you not to drop me!" John B called up.

Isa looked down the well in worry and concern. "You good, John B?"

"What the hell was that?" John B called.

"Little technical difficulties," Pope answered.

John B looked up to the top of the well. "Okay, keep goin', slow."

"Okay, we're gonna start paying you out again, all right?" Pope asked.

They continued to lower John B further into the well very slowly and carefully.

⚓️

Upstairs

Mrs. Crain was awake, walking to the stairs, using a fire poker as a walking cane, wheezing and coughing, the fire poker thumping across the floor as she started walking down the stairs.

Kaylee, Kie, Isa and Sarah were still in hiding, hearing the wheezing, coughing and the fire poker thumping on the floor.

"Shit," Sarah whispered.

Kaylee, Kie, Lia and Sarah exchanged a look.

⚓️

Basement

Isa, Pope and JJ continued to lower John B into the well, slowly and carefully.

John B steadied himself with a foot on the well wall. "Okay. Okay, all right, keep goin'. All right, keep it comin'."

Pope called to John B down the well. "Hey. Hey, we got 15 feet left. Are you getting close to the bottom?"

"I can't tell," John B called up. "Just--just keep goin'."

Isa looked at JJ. "Give me more."

JJ eased the rope around his body to give them more rope to lower John B down the well. "Yeah."

John B saw the bottom of the well. "Whoa! Stop. I'm hangin' over some sewage water looking shit."

"You want back up?" Isa called.

John B closed his eyes with a wince. "Keep goin', I guess."

JJ provided more rope from around his torso. "Nice and slow."

John B's foot touched the water. "Here we go." He winced as he got to waist deep in the water. "Okay, okay. I'm at the bottom."

"How is it down there?" Pope asked.

John B nodded. "It's worse than I thought."

⚓️

Upstairs

Kaylee, Kie, Lia and Sarah were still in hiding. Kie clasped a hand over her mouth.

Mrs. Crain reached the bottom of the steps and was now just a few feet away from them. "It--it's late, Leon. Too late."

⚓️

Basement

Pope, Isa and JJ looked down into the well but couldn't see John B.

"You find any gold?" JJ asked.

"Uh, nothing yet," John B answered. He felt something in the water. "Wait. I think I felt something with my foot." He placed his flashlight on the surface of the water as it shone around the well. "Here goes nothing." He  took a deep breath, going under the water, before coming back up, gasping, coughing. What he had in his hand was a human jaw bone with teeth still attached, looking horrified. "Mr. Crain." He yelled up the well to his sister, freaking out after finding the bones of the murdered. "Isa! Hey, pull me up! Pull me up! Come on, guys! Go!"

Isa started to pull the rope. "JJ, Pope, help me pull him up! Come on, pull him up!"

John B threw the jaw bone into the water again. "Go! Come on! Pull me up!" They were pulling him up, slow and careful. "Come on! Pull me up, pull me up! Come on!" As John B was climbing up the wall to try and help him get up to the top faster, the bricks of the well wall come out of the wall too easily, revealing a secret hole in the wall behind the bricks. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Wait!" He shone his flashlight into the secret small passageway in the well wall. "Hey, I think I found something."

Isa looked down the well worriedly. "Hey, John B!"

"What'd you say?" Pope asked.

"Just give me a minute," John B told them. "Hold on." He shone his flashlight around the hole again to make sure there weren't snakes or big spiders that could hurt him, breathing deeply to calm down after finding the remains of the dead. "Okay, okay."

John B started to crawl through the muddy hole leading out of the well into an underground hidden hiding place.

⚓️

Upstairs

Kaylee, Kie, Lia and Sarah huddled together, backs to the wall, exchanging a look as Mrs. Crain appeared right next to them, seeing that she was using the fire power as a cane. Kie still had her hand over her mouth to keep herself from crying out.

Crain was eerily creepy. "I can hear you, Leon. I've been waiting all night!"

Crain turned to look straight at the girls. Lia shone her light in Mrs. Crain's face, highlighting the rotten yellow teeth and white, blind eyes.

Kie and Sarah screamed, but Kaylee and Lia just gasped, though all four girls ran off in the opposite direction.

"Go!" Kie urged. "Go, go!"

Crain yelled out in a screeching voice. "Leon!"

Somehow, Sarah got split up from Kaylee, Lia and Kie as she ran through a different doorway. They reached a door that was boarded up, unable to get out that way.

"Shit!" Lia complained.

They were at a dead end, nowhere to go. They turned around, looking back nervously.

Crain called out. "Where are you, Leon? Huh?"

⚓️

Underground

John B was crawling underground through the hiding place, getting mud all over him.

He heard JJ's voice echoing from the basement through the well and into the small cavern that John B was currently crawling through. "John B, you okay? Any dead bodies?"

John B reached the other side of the tiny, tunnel he was crawling through and into a small cavern like underground room, shining his light around, seeing shiny objects covered in mud, wiping the mud off the objects, and was absolutely stunned speechless with victory and happiness to find that the shiny objects reflecting the light were bars of gold, and a lot of them, emotional. "We did it, Dad."

John B wiped the mud off all the bars of gold.

⚓️

Upstairs

Kaylee and Kie were pulling at the boards on the door, trying to get them out. Lia and Sarah kept an eye on the door.

"Come on," Kaylee muttered, fiddling with the lock on the door, but it wasn't budging.

"Incoming!" Lia warned.

Crain walked into the room, toward the girls, swinging the fire poker down at Lia and Sarah. Lia and Sarah managed to dodge the weapon as it landed in the floorboards next to them. Crain smashed the fire poker into some plates, making them clatter to the floor.

"Okay..." Sarah trailed off.

"That bitch is definitely still kicking," Kaylee stated, giving Sarah a look, referencing when Sarah said that she thought Crain was barely still kicking before coming inside. "This is not a fun way to die, okay?"

"Kaylee," Kie chided.

"There's a fun way to die?" Lia asked skeptically.

Crain yelled, holding up the fire poker, ready to slam it down on them. Lia grabbed the weapon, yanking it out of Crain's hand, throwing it to the floor, pushing Crain back. Kaylee, Kie and Sarah were impressed.

"Not bad," Kaylee complimented. "Come on, this way!"

"Okay," the other girls agreed.

They ran toward the direction where Kaylee had ran in, running out of the room, slamming the door closed behind them, holding it so that Crain couldn't get out.

The fire poker suddenly splintered the wood as she smashed it through the door, making all four girls gasp and back away from the door.

"Shit!" Sarah exclaimed.

"I swear to God, if I hear 'Here's Johnny'..." Lia trailed off. The girls ran off. Lia led them down some wooden stairs. "This way! It goes underneath the house."

"Go, go, go, go!" Kie urged.

"We're trying,' Sarah replied.

"Okay," Kaylee breathed. "God."

⚓️

Basement

Lia, Sarah, Kaylee and Kie reached the bottom of the steps, running toward the well. "Guys!"

Isa, Pope and JJ were still standing at the well, controlling the pulley system.

Isa looked at the girls in concern. "Whoa, whoa. What's going on?"

Pope and JJ also looked at the girls in concern.

"Mrs. Crain!" Kie answered. "She's up there."

"She tried to kill us with a fire poker," Kaylee explained.

"Guys, we gotta get the fuck outta here," Sarah warned, putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"We locked her in the parlor," Lia explained. "But we gotta go."

JJ nodded, looking down into the well. "Okay, that's code red."

Isa called down into the well. "JB, we have to go!"

"Let's go, John B!" JJ yelled. "Get back up, man!"

"Hey!" Kaylee called. "John B! We have to go!"

John B called back. "Isa! JJ! Kaylee! Hold on, guys! I'm coming!"

Lia motioned them over to the rope as they all held on, ready to pull John B up. "Come on!"

"Three, two, one, pull!" Pope directed.

They all fell backwards when they pulled, as the rope was lighter than expected, John B not on the end of it.

"Jeez!" Kaylee complained.

"Shit!" Isa exclaimed.

"Where the hell is he?" Kie asked.

Pope crawled over to the well. "John B!"

Isa looked down the well, worried for her brother. "John B!"

"John B!" Kaylee called.

Lia was trying to listen. "Shh, shh! Guys, shh."

John B was crawling out of the cavern, yelling up to them. "I found the gold!"

They couldn't hear John B, given he wasn't in the well yet.

"What's he saying?" JJ asked.

John B called up to them. "Isa! JJ! Kaylee! Pope! Kie!"

Kie stood, moving back toward the rope. "Yo, he's drowning! We gotta pull him up." She yelled down the well. "John B!"

"Hey, John B, get back on the rope," Pope called. "We're gonna pull you back up, okay, buddy?"

"Come on," Sarah told him. "John B!"

Once the rope was thrown back down for John B, and they were sure that he was tied to it, they all started to pull on the rope.

"Come on!" Isa yelled.

"Come on, pull!" Kaylee encouraged.

"Okay, I'm on!" John B called up.

Behind the teens, they didn't notice Crain slowly walking down the stairs because they were too busy trying to pull John B up from the well, and Crain had a shotgun.

"Guys!" Lia whisper-yelled.

"Yeah, yeah," Sarah responded.

"Okay," JJ said.

"Let's go, guys," Lia groaned.

"Come on, pull!" Pope encouraged.

"We're trying," Kie replied.

They all tugged with all their strength on the rope. 

Crain aimed her shotgun, pulling the trigger, and they all yelled, falling to the ground to duck for cover, but none of them were shot.

"Shit!" Isa exclaimed.

"Jesus!" Sarah yelled.

Lia realized that the pulley was moving downwards again. "Shit! Hang on!"

John B, unaware of what was going on, yelled up to them. "Guys! What the hell?"

Kaylee climbed up on the edge of the well to catch the pulley rope. "Climb up! Hang on, John B!"

"Tie it up now, Kay," Pope urged. "Kaylee..."

Kaylee was tying the rope as fast as she could so that John B didn't slip any further down. "I got it."

"Guys, hide," Pope told them.

JJ grabbed Kaylee from the edge of the well to help her down, and so they could both duck when another shot gun round went off, both ducking before they could be hit.

"Go, go, go!" Kie urged. They all took cover. "She can't aim for shit."

"She can't see," Sarah realized.

Lia looked up in surprise. "She's blind."

Crain shot her gun again.

"Go, go, go!" Isa told them.

"Go, guys!" Pope said at the same time.

John B managed to climb the rest of the way up, looking over the edge of the well to see what was going on.

"I don't care if she is, that's buckshot," JJ stated.

John B made it out of the well. "Whoo! Guys! Yeah!"

(Song:) Police On My Back - The Clash

Isa, JJ and Pope untied John B from the rope and helped him down.

Isa laughed, looking at John B to notice him caked in mud. "Glad one of us is having fun, JB."

Kaylee snuck her way around the basement to come up behind Crain, and pushed her down into the stairs so she would stop shooting the gun. "Stay down, bitch."

"Yeah!" Kie cheered.

"Can we go now?" Lia asked.

"Yes!" Isa answered. "Go!"

They all ran out of the basement.

⚓️

Outside

The Pogues, Lia and Sarah ran out to the front yard, through the field, climbing over the stone wall, landing on the road where they jumped down, where the van was still parked.

"Get into the car!" Sarah instructed.

Isa, Lia, Kie, Sarah, John B and Pope climbed the wall and ran for the van across the street, one by one.

JJ was helping Kaylee, as she was behind everybody since she had to more jog than run, her torso hurting a bit more given all the activity, but the jogging and everything was actually good for the recovery, though now it was more sore given the overdone part of it. "Come on!"

"Go, go!" Isa instructed. "Get in the car!"

"Let's go!" John B agreed, opening the back door of the van.

Isa, Lia, Kie, Sarah, John B and Pope got into the back of the van one by one, but hurriedly.

JJ climbed the wall and jumped down to the other side quickly with ease.

Kie looked out to JJ. "Where is Kaylee?"

Kaylee climbed over the wall, barely wincing at the soreness. When she heard a gunshot go off, she ducked to the wall. "Fucking bitch! I told you to stay the fuck down!"

JJ reached up for her. "Kaylee!"

"Isa, come on, start the car," John B told her.

Isa used the keys to start the car so they could drive off as soon as JJ and Kaylee got into the car.

Kaylee slipped down off the wall into JJ's arms, landing carefully, ducking as another gunshot went off behind them, just hitting the wall over their heads. "Shit!"

"Kay!" John B called worriedly. "JJ!"

"Why are we always getting shot at?" Pope asked in disbelief. "Kay, JJ, come on, get in!"

"Come on, Kaylee, JJ, run!" Lia encouraged.

"Come on!" Sarah called. "Come on!"

JJ ran around the van to get to the driver's side of the car, getting into the driver's seat.

Kaylee ran to the back door of the van, which was still open. Kie reached out for Kaylee's hand, as Kaylee ran closer and took Kie's hand, pulling her into the van, and the two sisters shared an embrace.

Isa gave Kaylee a relieved hug. "Oh, my God, Kay."

Kaylee smiled as she returned the embrace. "I'm good, Isa."

John B laid on the ground of the van, breathless and covered head to toe in mud, sliding the door closed as everyone was now inside. "Whoo!"

JJ threw the car into drive, driving off, looking back at Kaylee. "Knew you shouldn't have done that."

"I'm fine, JJ," Kaylee replied. "And we didn't know all of that was gonna happen. I'm good."

Lia sighed in relief, closing her eyes. "Oh, my God!"

"Oh, shit," Kie muttered.

Isa smiled at the fact that they all made it. "Son of a bitch."

"JJ, drive!" Sarah told him.

"Go, man!" Pope added.

JJ laughed, looking back at them as he started to drive them faster down the road. "Oh, my God!"

Kaylee held her torso in pain, but she was more exhilarated than anything, the adrenaline giving her a rush. "God!"

"Is everybody good?" JJ asked. "Did anyone get shot?"

They all shook their heads. "No."

"We all good?" JJ asked.

"All good," Isa answered.

"I think I'd know if I was shot, right?" Kaylee asked, putting her hands to her body.

"Not necessarily," Lia answered.

Kaylee moved out of the crowded back to the passenger side seat next to JJ, sitting down to relax, breathing heavily.

JJ took Kaylee's hand. 

Pope looked at John B. "You look disgusting."

Kie made a face. "God, you smell like ass."

Lia tilted her head back, catching her breath. "What the hell just happened?"

JJ laughed. "All time Pogue Hall of Fame, baby."

Isa smiled, patting JJ and Kaylee on the shoulders. "Hell yeah." She was breathing heavily to catch her breath, shaking her head. "That bitch is deranged."

"That bitch is possessed," Kie stated.

"That bitch can't aim," Sarah added.

"That bitch can't even see!" Lia exclaimed hilariously.

"That bitch was this close to catching these hands," Kaylee finished off, mimicking when she pushed Crain down. "Knocked that bitch on her ass."

"How did she move that fast?" Pope asked in disbelief.

"She's possessed," Lia repeated, before adding teasingly. "Get with the program, Pope."

The others were smiling and laughing because of adrenaline highs and all their comments.

"I don't get it," JJ admitted.

"She's blind," Sarah stated.

"She's like Master Yoda," Pope stated.

Kaylee shrugged. "Dunno."

"It doesn't make any sense, scientifically," Pope pointed out.

Kie shrugged. "She does yoga, Pilates."

JJ was catching his breath. "Oh, God."

Sarah looked down at John B. "Oh, my God."

Lia noticed the mud-covered object in John B's hand. "What is that?"

John B wiped the mug off of it to show them the shimmering gold in his hand.

Isa smiled in shock and disbelief, emotional because they fulfilled their father's dream and wishes he left for them. "No, you didn't."

John B started to yell with excitement. "We did it, baby!"

"No, you didn't!" Sarah repeated, louder.

"I did it!" John B cheered, throwing his head back with a smile.

JJ and Kaylee glanced back to see what the fuss was about, seeing the gold.

Kaylee smiled excitedly, hitting her seat. "Oh, my God!"

JJ yelled in excitement. "Holy shit!"

"I did it!" John B cheered with laughter.

Isa threw her arms up, cheering, laughing happily. "We did it!"

Lia was laughing happily, not for herself but for them. "Oh, my God!"

Kaylee leaned closer to cup JJ's cheek, kissing his cheek with excitement. JJ turned his face to kiss Kaylee on the lips quickly before turning back to the road.

Kie started to freak out with excitement as did everyone else. "Holy shit! Holy shit!"

Everyone started to scream and cheer.

"Whoo-hoo-hoo!" John B howled.

"Whoo!" Pope screamed.

JJ pounded on the roof of the van. "That's gold!"

Kaylee held out her hands to calm them all down. "Wait, wait!"

John B was catching his breath. "Holy shit!"

"Guys, we're gonna be rich!" Isa cheered.

"Full Kook," John B agreed.

Kie, Kaylee, Lia and Sarah smiled at the others since they deserved to be Kook rich. "Like Kook rich."

They all started to chant. "Full Kook! Full Kook! Full Kook! Full Kook! Full Kook! Full Kook! Ay-ay-ay-ay!"

They all threw their hands up, laughing and screaming and cheering as they drove off.