Outfits Link:

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Opening Montage

Flashback 1 - 13 Years Ago

Day - Chateau - Living Room

Toddlers John B and Isa were babbling, playing with toys.

Toddler John B slid a toy over to Toddler Isa.

Toddler Isa squealed with laughter.

John B: (voice over) "My mother left when I was three. Isa was two."

Big John was watching from a table where he was working, smiling at them. "Hey, John B. Hey, buddy." Toddler Isa stood, running over to Big John as fast as her two little legs could carry her. Big John chuckled. "Hey, Isa."

Toddler Isa plopped back down, looking around in curiosity. "Uh-oh."

Isa: (voice over) "For the whole time growing up, it was just me, John B and our pops."

Even back then, Big John was looking into the Merchant gold as he had been for all his life, therefore all his children's lives.

⚓️

Flashback 2

Day - The Marsh

Young Isa and Young John B (the same age as the 3.01 & 3.02 flashbacks) went fishing with Big John in their own little boat.

John B: (voice over) "In some ways, he was the best father you could imagine."

⚓️

Flashback 3

Day - Marina

Out at the marina, Isa, John B and Big John were working, laughing together, before taking their hard-earned prizes from the ocean in baskets and walked down the pathway.

Isa: (voice over) "Taught us how to work."

⚓️

Flashback 4

Day - Beach

Isa, Kaylee, John B and JJ had just gotten done surfing, all four of the original Pogues smiling purely, beers in hand.

Big John was with them, also a beer in his hand.

Isa: (voice over) "And what to do after work."

"If I get a B, will you let me smoke pot?" John B asked.

Big John tilted his head in amusement.

John B: (voice over) "More of a friend than a father."

Kaylee did the Pogue handshake with Isa, John B and JJ. "All right, bet!"

The four of them laughed.

Big John shook his head at the four of them with a smile on his face.

⚓️

Flashback 5

Day - Chateau - Outside

The Routledges had guests over, as they all were drinking beer and playing poker.

A man spoke up. "The name of the game is to beat Isa and John B. You going all in?"

Isa was easily wiping the floor with them, laughing victoriously, winking mischievously, playfully pulling up her hair and fanning herself off with the cards due to the heat.

Isa: (voice over) "He wasn't overprotective at all."

Big John pointed to Isa. "Guess who's paying rent this month."

⚓️

Flashback 6

Day - Chateau - Outside

John B and Isa stormed out of the Chateau, fighting with their father.

John B: (voice over) "Like any family, we had our moments."

Isa shook her head. "No, no."

Big John stormed out after them. "You're not being reasonable."

"Us not wanting to sell everything we own for your crusade is not unreasonable," Isa replied. "We're not selling the HMS Pogue or the Twinkie or the entire fucking house."

"Yes, we are," Big John snapped.

Isa turned to face him, giving him an incredulous look as she pointed down. "This is our home, and we're not giving it up because of--"

"Stop talking, both of you," Big John warned angrily.

John B turned to point at Big John angrily. "No, you are the worst dad ever!"

"We'll just sell it now," Big John told them.

"Isa, get in the Twinkie," John B told her, running to the Twinkie.

Isa didn't need to be told twice as both of them wanted to get away from their father's antics and trying to force them to sell what was extremely important to them.

Isa gave Big John a look, turning around, walking around the van to the passenger seat of the Twinkie.

Big John ran after them. "I'll buy you a brand-new boat and van the second I get the Merchant gold."

"Stop," Isa told him.

"Don't get in that van, kids!" Big John snapped. It was too late, as John B and Isa were already getting in. Big John grabbed John B's door, struggling with it so that he couldn't close it. "You get in that van, you don't come back!"

"Stop it!" Isa told him.

"You hear me?" Big John demanded.

John B put the van in drive, starting to go, but Big John followed the van, causing John B to give him an annoyed look. "Move!"

Big John had to move and watch the van go. "Isa! John B! You hear me? Don't you come back!"

John B continued to drive them away from the Chateau, both of the siblings upset.

Isa: (voice over) "That was the last time we saw him."

⚓️

Now

Day - Church - Outside

Isa and John B were still outside the church.

Isa: (voice over) "It's one thing to lose a father."

The siblings exchanged a worried, concerned but hopeful look, hoping this was what they had been praying for since the day Big John had disappeared.

John B: (voice over) "It's another thing to never get to say goodbye."

The bell was still being rung by Big John inside, who was giving up right when they were about to walk inside.

Isa and John B climbed up over the brick wall below the church, looking up at the church, both absentmindedly running a hand through their hair to pull their hair back out of their faces as they did, exchanging a look.

"What if the Pogues are right and it's just in our heads?" John B asked. "And we just walk in and find some random stranger? If it's not him, then we'd have to deal with the disappointment and grief all over again because we let our hopes get up."

"We came this far, John B," Isa pointed out. "I'm worried about that too. But if we don't go through, then we'll both lose our minds. More than we already have."

John B knew she was right, nodding, taking Isa by the hand. "Still us in it together."

Isa gave her big brother a smile, nodding. "Always."

John B returned the smile.

Both taking a deep breath, Isa and John B walked into the church.

⚓️

Inside

Isa and John B walked into the church, looking around, hearing the birds from outside.

Isa looked at John B, placing a finger over her lips to signal silence, as they didn't know who was really here.

John B nodded in agreement, both remaining as quiet as possible.

They started to walk upstairs.

On the second floor, Big John was walking down from the bell tower, stopping when he heard the floor creak as he heard footsteps walk up them slowly, having no idea if it was his children or not. He wandered closer to the door to the hallway, which Isa and John B were just now walking into, slowly opening it.

John B, panicking as they didn't know if it was a stranger or someone that could get them caught and taken to Singh, pulled Isa with him back into hiding behind the wall, out of sight of, who to them was a mystery, both doubting the truth of what they believed after Sarah and Kie tried to talk 'sense' into them earlier, even though Lia was more than supportive in them finding out one way or another and didn't dismiss their belief.

Big John slowly walked into the hallway, not seeing anyone, and continued on his way.

Isa looked around the corner, only seeing the last second of Big John heading around the corner and down the stairs, stepping out of hiding, waving to John B to follow, as the two walked down the hallway, and around the corner, looking down the stairs.

Their breaths caught as shock, hope and relief played out over the siblings' faces; what they believed all along had been true, their father was right here in front of them, alive and well.

⚓️

Flashback 7

Day - The Marsh

Big John, on another day, took Young Isa and Young John B out to go fishing, the three of them sharing a smile.

Big John: (voice over from 1.03 The Forbidden Zone, on tape) "Dove, Bird, I love you both, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side."

⚓️

Chateau - Outside

Young Isa and Young John B were out in the yard, playing around, as Young John B was spraying a water hose at Young Isa, making her squeal and laugh as she ran away from him.

Big John rang the bell to call them home. "John B! Isa! Bring it on in! Bring it on home!"

Young Isa and Young John B laughed, running up to their home.

⚓️

Flashback - 1.08 "The Runway"

Day - Lana Grubbs' House - Living Room

After being told how their father 'died', Isa walked away, falling to her knees as a sob wracked her body. John B knelt on the floor next to her, pulling Isa to his chest, his tears mixing with hers, his own sobs shaking his body.

Isa looked up at John B. "We were... we were supposed to find him. We were supposed to be a family together again. Like we should be. Like you said. He's... he's supposed to be here with us."

Isa couldn't breathe, coughing.

John B held her tighter, trying to calm her down. "Breathe, Isa. Breathe."

⚓️

Flashback - 1.08 "The Runway"

Night - Chateau - Dock

Isa and John B sat down the dock, making a small makeshift boat out of small pieces of drift wood, sitting a single tea candle in the center. Isa took one last look at their father's photo before leaning it against the candle. John B used the blow torch to light it before placing the boat in the water.

The two siblings watched as it floated away, crying. "Goodbye, Dad."

⚓️

Now

Day - Church

After everything that they had gone through, it took seeing Big John to really believe that he was alive, that Isa and John B weren't going crazy like they thought, both finally breaking the silence. "Dad?"

Isa already had tears in her eyes at seeing the sight of their father, breathing unevenly.

Big John had just about left through the backdoor of the church when he froze at the sounds of their voices, turning around, looking up at his children staring at him with wide, emotional eyes.

John B's breath was shaky, tears in his eyes. "Is that really you?"

Big John chuckled. "What took you so long, kids? I've been ringing for hours."

Tentatively at first, Isa stepped down the stairs toward Big John, before starting to cry. Big John opened his arms and pulled Isa into a crushing embrace. Isa's arms remained rigid at her sides for a moment, then excitement and relief won her over, and she returned the embrace wholeheartedly. John B ran down the few steps toward them so that he could wrap his arms around both his father and sister, as they both pulled him into their embrace, in tears at the emotional, long-awaited reunion.

Isa took a deep breath, sniffling. Her words sounded slightly bitter, breathless though they were; no matter what joy she felt right now, she knew that she was a hair away from snapping like a twig. "We thought you were dead."

Big John sighed. "I'm sorry for the Houdini act. It's a long story, kids." They pulled away so the family could just look at each other and process the fact that they were together again.  Before they could say another word, their reunion was interrupted by the sounds of cars pulling up outside. "For another time."

"What?" Isa asked.

"We gotta vanish," Big John told them.

"Pops, talk to us," John B told him.

Big John led them to the backdoor.

⚓️

Outside

Big John led Isa and John B out through the back of the church, staying close to the wall. "Come on, keep your heads down. Head down." They did as told, hiding behind the church wall. Big John looked around the corner to see an ATV pull up to the church. "Shit, ain't going that way."

John B grabbed Isa and Big John's arms. "Um, the Pogues, the marina, they've got a boat."

"That's if they're still there, after we told them to leave if they almost got caught," Isa pointed out.

"Well, we gotta make sure either way," John B pointed out. "Come on, follow us."

Instantly, Isa and John B ran in the direction of the marina.

Big John followed. "Good kids. It's good to see you guys."

"Yeah, you too, Pop," John B replied.

Isa was clearly not going to let go of the answers she and her brother deserved, but knew that that had to wait until they were no longer in danger. "Come on, hurry up."

They ran down the steps of the church, making their getaway.

⚓️ Worlds Colliding (Outer Banks) ⚓️

Fields

Isa and John B led Big John to the fields that led up to the church, all of them having to catch their breath.

"I think we're good," Big John remarked. "That was a close one."

"Okay, Dad, start talking," Isa told him.

"So you've been alive this whole time and didn't think to call?" John B asked.

"What, you think I didn't want to?" Big John asked. "It killed me. It would've put you two in danger."

"Yeah, well, we were in danger the entire time you were gone," John B told him.

Isa tore a trembling hand through her hair, a lot more betrayed and angry than John B let himself feel or show. "Yeah. I mean, what the hell, Dad?"

Big John blinked. "What?"

John B knew that Isa would go defensive and angry quickly after everything, but didn't want a fight to start already, shaking his head. "Isa..."

"We deserve to know, John B," Isa told him, which he didn't argue with because he wanted to know too. She looked at Big John. "I mean, you disappear, let us think you were dead. How could you do that?"

Big John sighed heavily, dragging a hand down his ragged face. "Hey, look, we're here now, okay? And I'm not going anywhere. I just had to vanish for my safety. And for yours." Isa scoffed. John B looked away. "Look, it wasn't my first choice. You got to know that. But you have to understand, it was the safest option, for both of you and me."

The sound that choked past Isa's lips was halfway between a laugh and a sob. "Do you have any idea what we've been through? What John B's gone through? What our friends have been through? It was safer? Dad, we've almost died! We all have! Repeatedly!"

Big John nodded gravely. "I'd heard from the news articles I read about--"

John B frowned.

Isa laughed bitterly. "The news. Of course. You knew that John B was accused of murder, and I was framed for attempted murder and accomplice to the murder of Sheriff Peterkin, and Ward tried to kill us before and after he threw us in jail? You knew us and our friends were missing for a whole month? And what did you do, huh? Nothing."

John B placed a hand on Isa's shoulder to calm her down. "Okay, okay. We'll get answers, but not like this."

Big John's mask slipped, and it wasn't sadness that filled his eyes, but anger, the kind that had never been directed at his children. "You think you have a right to mouth me like that? You're alive, aren't you?"

Isa recoiled as if she had been slapped.

John B looked at their father in disbelief. "Dad."

"Yeah, physically," Isa answered, absolutely emotionally drained. "Mentally and emotionally? It feels like we've all died a thousand times. We've been shot, threatened, stuck in prison, stranded on a deserted island, drowned, stabbed, nearly run over by a plane, falling from great heights, abusive psycho stalkers and family members, suffocated. Do you want me to go on? 'Cause I can, for like two hours. Our days are consumed with fucking fear that eventually, one of those might actually fucking stick. And yet here you are, after we went through all of that, basically telling me to shut up and that we don't have a right to be pissed because you were 'trying to protect us', when you didn't protect us when we needed you the most. Some family reunion, Dad."

Dizzy and winded and not feeling well at all because of her fever and sickness from her infected wound, Isa had to sit down, holding her head in her hands, nails digging into her scalp as she clawed at her skull, feeling as if her head was going to explode. It was as if all the panic and terror of everything that they had been through was slamming into her all at once, assaulting her, numbing her senses, but it didn't get better.

John B knelt next to Isa. "Hey, hey, it's okay."

Big John wasn't deterred. "You think I haven't been through just as much as you have? Huh?! You think it was easy to leave?! You think it's been a walk in the park for me?"

Isa wanted to cover her ears, but her hands were locked in place, trembling against her scalp. In that moment, she had no idea what she wanted the most, but her father shutting up and not yelling at his traumatized and rightfully angry kids was certainly close to the top of the list.

John B gave their father a look. "That's enough. All right? She's right. And we gotta get out of here and get back to Kildare where a doctor's waiting, or to a real fucking hospital."

Big John frowned at the sight of Isa's wound. "What the hell happened?"

Isa looked up in annoyance. "I just told you, one of the many things. Got fucking stabbed. Abandoned on an island for a month and then facing down with Singh and his men didn't exactly help with trying to avoid infection and getting sick because of it. And I'm not the only one of our friends that have something like this either."

"Which is why we need to find them and make sure that they're safe, if they had to leave," John B pointed out. "Come on, let's get you up."

John B helped Isa up to her feet, as she was stumbling slightly, sighing heavily. Isa groaned in pain.

Big John looked slightly shamed, watching John B and Isa go as they led the way across the field and toward the marina.

⚓️

Out at Sea

Rafe's Boat

The rest of the Pogues were sailing through the middle of the ocean in the middle of nowhere.

Kaylee, JJ, Lia and Wheezie were still pissed and upset with having to leave Isa and John B.

"So this is what we're doing, huh?" Wheezie asked. "We're just sailing out. We're just gonna forget about Isa and John B?"

Kaylee, Lia and Wheezie did not look well at all, sick and dehydrated, just like Isa.

Lia stood, pacing. "We should never have left them. We're turning back."

JJ walked toward the helm at the wheel.

Cleo stood in his way. "No. We're all gonna get caught. What type of plan is that?"

"It's a plan to stick together, Cleo," Kaylee answered.

"Then we are dead together," Cleo replied.

"She's right," Kie agreed. "We had to leave, or we'd all be zip-tied in the back of a pickup. We did the right thing. The thing that Isa and John B told us to do."

"Fuck what they told us to do," Kaylee replied.

JJ gestured to Kaylee. "Exactly."

Lia held her head in her hands, completely overwhelmed, pacing back and forth. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"Kaylee, look at yourself," Kie told her. "We had to get you out of there. And Lia and Wheezie. We have to get you guys to the doctor that Rafe has waiting for us in Kildare before you guys get really sick again."

"Yeah, and we left Isa back there, Kie," Lia replied. "Who is going through the same thing."

Wheezie gave the others a look. "After all this shit, how long do you think it's going to take Singh to find Isa and John B when she's getting weaker until she can get treated like me, Lia and Kaylee? What if we never see them again because of it?"

Sarah and Pope couldn't bring themselves to say a word, both conflicted.

Kie was terrified that Lia and Wheezie were right, but shook her head, having to convince them and herself. "No. Isa's gonna be okay like she always is, Wheezie. And we're all gonna be together again."

Lia shook her head. "You don't know that."

Lia walked away to the other side of the boat.

Kie sighed, worried. "Lia..."

"Let her go," Sarah advised. "Let her calm down."

Lia leaned against the cabin of the boat, not noticing the boat cam stationed above her head on the awning, mumbling to herself. "How can you calm down when you've never come up from being drowned?"

"What?" Pope asked.

Lia realized that she said that out loud, shaking her head. "Nothing."

The others were concerned by this, knowing that what Lia said made no sense even to herself, and it worried the others.

"Tell us that we don't have to worry about you anymore than you smashing a bottle to use glass to threaten Portis, or jumping down an elevator shaft and almost falling to what could've been your death," Sarah told her.

Lia rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. And it was the only way to get out of there, wounded shoulder or not."

"Or using the gun against Singh's men?" Sarah asked.

Lia sighed, tilting her head back. "I'm not gonna apologize for that after what they did."

Sarah sighed, looking away.

"John B and Isa don't even have a boat to get off the island," Kaylee told them exhaustedly.

Pope finally spoke up, trying to reassure the four spiraling Pogues as he looked from Kaylee and Wheezie to JJ and Lia. "It's John B and Isa. They'll figure it out. They always do."

None of them were reassured, all still reeling and traumatized.

Kaylee tried to push herself up, stumbling slightly as she tried to take a step.

JJ walked closer, easing Kaylee over. "Whoa, what are you doing? You're not going anywhere unless it's to lay down and get rest."

"Trying to," Kaylee agreed.

JJ nodded, leading Kaylee over to a place nearby where she could lay back and try to relax. The others watched them in concern.

"How you feeling?" JJ asked.

Kaylee groaned weakly. "Like I got run over by my dad's truck and Pope was the one driving it."

Pope looked over to her. "I heard that!"

JJ couldn't help but laugh.

Kaylee was only able to crack a tiny smile at their reactions. Her expression dropped immediately, and she clutched at her stomach.

JJ could read the signs from a mile off, and within a matter of seconds, JJ had pulled Kaylee upright, handing her a nearby bowl, holding her hair back as she puked into it.

Kaylee sagged after the spell, wiping at her watering eyes, breathing heavily. "God, I feel like shit."

JJ placed the bowl aside, uncaring of the smell. "You definitely look it."

Kaylee managed to give him an exhausted look. "Thanks for building my self-confidence, Jayj."

JJ nodded, trying to lighten the mood and cheer her up a little, worried far more than before, but both of them could feel the distance between them even if they were right next to each other, as JJ knew that Kaylee was going to try to do whatever it took to protect him from something like what happened before. "No problem."

JJ observed Kaylee as she fell back to lay down, exhaling shakily.

Kaylee's gaze was bleary but she was alert enough, putting a hand to her head. "Fuck, I'm hot."

JJ was unable to help a flirt like they always did before. "You just realized?"

Kaylee managed a small, barely noticeable smile, but it quickly faded as she cringed painfully when she swallowed.

JJ looked around, finding a cooler on the boat, walking over to open it, grabbing a water bottle, walking back over to Kaylee, kneeling down next to her, helping her into a seated position. "Drink."

Kaylee shook her head, stubborn and defiant as always, aside from the fact that trying to drink anything right now made her want to get sick again.

JJ knew this, but didn't back down, voice stern and hard, warning. "Kaylee. Drink the water."

Kaylee didn't look him in the eye, looking out the side of the boat, watching the ocean waves instead.

Not having that, JJ gripped her chin softly but with enough pressure to show that he was serious, making her meet his unshakeable gaze. Kaylee met it with a challenge spark in her eyes, and JJ was glad to see some fight had come back to her.

JJ still gave her no room to argue. "You're sick, weak, pale and shit. Dehydrated after what those assholes did to you. You need to drink."

Kaylee deflated, the fiery challenge extinguishing, sighing. "Thanks, JJ."

"Now, are you going to drink it or will I have to force you?" JJ asked, his playful demeanor dropping into mild seriousness.

Kaylee rolled her eyes, signaling for the water, and sat up as much as she could without her body protesting in pain. With a groan, she managed to sit up. JJ supported her, placing a hand on the back of her head, as she took the water bottle with trembling hands. JJ helped steady it, tilting the bottle slightly so Kaylee could take a slow, cautious sip, wary of provoking another bout of nausea.

The cool liquid soothed Kaylee's burning throat, easing the heat of her skin and the ache in her stomach. As Kaylee stopped drinking, JJ noticed her fatigue creeping back, her eyelids growing heavy once more.

Despite still sweating profusely, Kaylee seemed marginally better. JJ set the bottle down and helped her to lie back, watching as she settled into a more comfortable position. He fiddled with his friendship bracelet, his gaze fixed on her as her expression softened into one of less tension, reassuring himself that she was going to be alright.

Kaylee looked at JJ and the way he couldn't take his eyes off of her from concern and worry, and fear knowing what they still had to talk about. "Hey, Jayj?"

"Yeah, Kay?" JJ asked.

"Thank you," Kaylee told him. JJ nodded. "We need to... to talk... about..."

"I know," JJ whispered. "Not yet, okay? Get some rest."

Kaylee's eyes brimmed with tears, overwhelmed by all that had transpired, and though she knew he understood, he continued to care for her tenderly in her time of need.

JJ gently wiped away a tear from Kaylee's cheek, determined not to let her feel bad after everything they endured. "Hey. It's okay."

Kaylee held JJ's hand in hers, kissing it lightly, unable to keep her eyes open fully, just needing to know he was here, and needing to know that the others all were okay.

⚓️

Barbados

Marina

Isa, John B and Big John went down to the marina to see if the Pogues were gone, seeing that they were, and that Singh and his men were here, staying in hiding.

"Shit," Isa whispered.

"They're gone," Big John stated the obvious. "Singh must've run them off. Okay, plan B. We take my boat. It's back at my place. We gotta pick something up there anyway."

Isa turned to John B. "You still got Portis' phone?"

"Yeah," John B answered, taking out the phone. "I'm gonna call them."

John B called the others on the boat.

The other Pogues all looked over in suspicion at the ringing phone.

"Who's that?" Lia asked.

Kie picked up the phone. "'Portis'."

JJ stood, instantly walking over. "Portis? That's Isa and John B. That's definitely JB and Isa. Hold on."

JJ took the phone from Kie, pacing, answering.

Lia, Kie, Wheezie and Sarah instantly walked closer.

Kaylee tried to sit up to get closer, but she couldn't, having to lay back down.

JJ took the phone. "Yo, dudes! Is this you?"

"Yeah, it's us," John B answered.

"Speaker," Wheezie said excitedly in relief. "Speaker."

"What, do you need us to turn around?" JJ asked.

"No, don't worry about it," Isa told him.

JJ couldn't hear them. "Yo, say it again. Say it again."

JJ put the phone on speaker.

"I said don't worry about us, okay?" Isa asked.

"Look, it's way too hot here," John B told them. "You guys gotta get out of here. Go back to OBX."

"We do not copy," JJ told them. "Can you--"

Sarah reached for the phone. "Let me talk to them. John B?"

John B's voice was distorted. "Sarah..."

Sarah stepped away from the wheel, closer to Kie and Lia, knowing they were both freaking out and wanting to do anything to calm them, mostly Lia, down and reassure them.

JJ took over the wheel as he, Kaylee, Wheezie, Pope and Cleo watched Sarah, Lia and Kie with the phone worriedly.

"Are you guys okay?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Isa answered. "Everything's good."

Lia sighed heavily in relief. "They're fine. Thank God. Isa?"

"Lia?" Isa asked. "Kie?"

"Yeah, we're both here," Kie answered. "What happened?"

They could still barely hear the siblings due to the bad phone connection from being out on the ocean, their voices distorted.

"We found our dad," John B tried to communicate. "He's alive."

"Wait, what'd you say?" Sarah asked. Likewise, Isa and John B could barely hear the others as the call was breaking up badly. "John B?"

They heard Kie's broken voice. "Isa?"

"Kie?" Isa asked. "Lia?"

"Sarah?" John B asked.

"Guys, we can't hear you," Sarah told them. "Guys?"

"Look, just get out of there," Isa told them. "We'll meet you on Kildare, okay?"

Lia frowned. "Kildare, when?"

"Hello?" John B asked.

"Kildare--" Kie started.

The line cut off, terminating the call.

John B put his phone down. "Goddamn it."

Lia was worried when they didn't hear anything else, still talking like she was talking to them. "Guys? No, no, no. Guys!"

Kie put a hand over her mouth in worry, taking Lia's hand in hopes of calming her and reassuring her fragile state.

Back on Barbados, the Routledges exchanged a look.

"Hope they heard that," Isa remarked.

"Me too," Big John agreed. "We better go." He led them along in hiding. "Come on, let's go. Let's go. Come on, kids. To the right. Go, go."

⚓️

Out on Sea

Rafe's Boat

The rest of the Pogues were talking.

Sarah frowned. "What the hell?"

"You guys think they found their father?" Cleo asked.

"He's been missing for almost a year," Pope explained.

JJ shrugged. "And I don't know. I hope so. Isa and John B have been beating themselves up about their last fight for ages. At least this would give them some closure."

"But?" Lia prompted.

Kaylee sighed. "But, if he is alive, then what? He had to have heard about everything that's happened. Did he just not care enough to show?"

JJ tilted his head. "I see your point."

Pope frowned slightly. "Yeah, if he really is alive, there's a lot to unpack there."

"Understatement of the century," Kaylee remarked.

"You think Isa and John B will forgive him?" Wheezie asked doubtfully. "Just like that?"

Kaylee tore a hand through her hair. "Isa, no. John B, I don't know."

"Guys?" Kie asked. "Guys, what if it's true and we've been telling them that they're crazy this entire time?"

"Well, I haven't been, and neither has Kaylee," Lia pointed out.

Kaylee pointed to Lia in agreement.

Pope gave Lia and Kaylee a look, nodding sarcastically. "Very helpful, thank you."

Lia smiled sarcastically.

Kaylee gave a weak thumbs up in response.

"We'll figure it out when we get there," Wheezie answered.

"Sarah, what do you think?" Kie asked. "Should we go back?"

Lia looked at Kie, frowning.

"Sarah, we're sitting ducks right now," JJ told her. "So we need to make a decision. Are we turning back around, or are we gonna keep going?" Sarah closed her eyes, conflicted. "Sarah, come on. Sarah, we need to make a decision."

Sarah opened her eyes, frustrated. "They said go."

"Hold on, listen," Kaylee told her.

Sarah shook her head. "Go."

"They could still need help," Lia told her.

"Right now, we can't help them, Lia," Sarah pointed out. "But we can help you, Wheezie and Kaylee and get you guys into the doctor that Rafe set us up with. That's what they would want, and you know it."

"Well, what we want is to make sure that they're okay too," Kaylee replied.

"Sarah--" JJ, Wheezie and Lia all started.

"Go!" Sarah repeated, turning around to walk away.

Lia was frustrated to no end, crippled with the fear of what could happen while they were separated, walking toward the edge of the boat, looking out over the water with tears in her eyes, hair blown back by the wind, speaking to herself again. "Sometimes the one thing you are looking for is the one thing you can't see."

Lia suddenly felt sick, leaning over the edge of the boat just slightly, not sure if she would get sick or not.

Kie saw this, walking closer, holding Lia's hair back just in case, and luckily she did, as Lia did get sick a little. "Hey, you're okay. We're gonna get you three to the doctor and fix this, all right? Everything's gonna be okay."

Lia looked at Kie, swallowing, nodding just barely.

Wheezie walked to the edge of the boat, trying not to get sick herself.

Cleo walked over to Wheezie. "Hey, girl. It's gonna be okay."

Wheezie closed her eyes, forcing herself to nod. "I hope so."

⚓️

Big John's Safehouse - Outside

Big John led his kids up to his safehouse. "This is it right here. Come on." They closed the gate behind them. "Follow me."

They ran inside.

⚓️

Inside

Big John turned on the light, leading the kids inside. "Here it is. The spider hole. It ain't much, but it ain't a bad place to lay low."

John B ran a hand through his hair, looking around, nodding. "Okay, spider hole, good name." Isa and John B took in the sight of the safehouse, while Big John was off bustling elsewhere gathering things, as the kids noticed Big John's work on the gold laying out over the table. "Still hunting, huh, Pop?"

Big John walked closer. "I'm breathing, I'm hunting, man, what can I say?" Isa picked up a book for El Dorado. "This time, I'm putting it all together, John B. Getting close, I can feel it. Onto something big, Isa."

Isa sighed. "Yeah. I, uh... we heard you died at the Shoals, Dad?"

Big John glanced over briefly before continuing to gather his stuff. "Yeah, well, somebody died out there. It wasn't me." He walked toward a cupboard, taking a gun out of hiding, making sure it was loaded. Isa and John B exchanged a look. "Look, just gotta go on a little retrieval mission." Isa and John B frowned. "Then we can split."

"Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa," John B told him. "Dad, Dad, wait."

Big John grabbed some Fiocchi ammo for the road.

"Retrieval mission?" Isa asked. "A gun? What--No! What are we doing?"

Big John turned to face them, grabbing their shoulders. "The game is afoot, okay, kids? Right now. And this time, it's for the mother lode, the big kahuna, all the marbles." Isa rolled her eyes, sighing. "All right?"

Isa nodded sarcastically. "Right. Dad, we're Barbados' most wanted right now. We don't have time for pit stops."

"And Isa needs medical attention that she can't get while we're--" John B started.

Big John tried to assure them. "It will only take a few hours."

"A few hours?" John B repeated in disbelief, gesturing to how unwell Isa was in the moment. "Dad, we don't have that kind of time."

"It's my boat," Big John retorted. "We leave when I say." Isa and John B were absolutely floored, having no idea how to react to this, while Isa looked hurt that he cared more about this than getting her to the hospital as fast as they could. "Okay, come here. You and me, kids." Big John gave them both a hug. "It is good to see you. It is." He let them go. "But if we don't move out, like, now, the game is gonna end early. All right? It ain't just Singh that's after us. I got mixed up with Limbrey and a whole lot of things."

Big John pulled on his backpack, heading for the door.

Isa frowned, turning after him. "Wait, wait, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Dad. Did you just say Limbrey?"

John B stepped closer. "Like--like Carla Limbrey?"

Big John cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. "Yeah. How do you think we got a boat?"

John B groaned, turning away. "Come on, man. No, no, no."

Isa shook her head. "You gotta be kidding me."

"She--she helped me out a little bit," Big John explained. "It's logistics, etcetera. But now that I found you two, I'm gonna owe her something. Better to pay later than now." They both hesitantly looked at him. "I can explain it all. Focus. We gotta go." Big John patted their cheeks, running off. "We gotta go!"

Isa and John B exchanged a look, unhappy, sighing in frustration, before following their father, knowing they didn't have much other choice.

As they left, John B was muttering to himself. "Shit all over the place."

⚓️

Outside

(Song:) Gringo Che - The Nude Party

Big John smiled at his kids. "All right. This way." He led Isa and John B down to the water below the safehouse, taking a dinghy out to the boat they would be using. They got onto the boat and started to set sail. Big John found the boat's first aid kit, handing it over to his kids. "Here, until we can get to the doctor."

Isa took the first aid kit. "Not much good this will do until getting there, but thanks."

John B gave Isa a reassuring, one-armed hug. "It'll help buy us some time. You're all right?"

"Yeah," Isa sighed, opening up the first aid kit.

John B sat across from Isa to help her with the wound on her arm, knowing that it was hard for her to do it one-handedly.

Big John gave them both a one-armed hug. "Well done, kids!"

John B let out a cheer to lighten the mood, which actually did get Isa to smile a bit. John B smiled at getting his sister to smile while taking care of her wound, nodding reassuringly. Isa nodded in appreciation.

(Song Ends)

⚓️

Out on Sea

Rafe's Boat

Kaylee had dozed off on the pallet among her companions.

JJ gently lifted the sleeping Kaylee, carrying her to the bedroom of the boat so she could rest comfortably on the real bed. He did so without rousing her, aware that she needed rest. He tenderly placed her down, cast a sorrowful glance, and then stepped away to let her sleep undisturbed.

Lia was sitting alone at the edge of the boat, looking off in the distance, sweating, her fever taking hold as she struggled to stay awake.

Kie walked closer. "Lia, we're gonna have to talk sometime."

Lia sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I know you and Sarah were just keeping your promises to Isa and John B. But I wouldn't be able to do something like that, Kie."

"I know," Kie agreed. "That's why Isa and John B made me and Sarah promise and not you. After all you've been through, and Kaylee, Wheezie and JJ too."

"And none of you wanted me, Kaylee, Wheezie and JJ to freak out, but look how that ended," Lia stated.

Kie sat down next to her. "That's not your fault. And you had every right to act like that. But we had to do what we had to do to make sure that we all survived, especially given your guys' wounds."

Lia sighed. "Yeah. Doesn't make it easier."

Kie shook her head in agreement. "No, it doesn't. I hated leaving them behind. You've got to know that. And I wouldn't do it if there was any other choice."

"I know," Lia answered, looking down, swallowing. "I'm just... so scared because Isa's in the same position as me, Wheezie and Kaylee, but worse off right now because she and John B are still out there, where Singh can get to them and their dad. And I can't lose them, Kie. None of us can."

Kie wrapped her arms around Lia comfortingly. "I know. But they're gonna be okay. We're gonna see Isa and John B again, real soon."

"I'm sorry, Kie," Lia whispered.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Lia," Kie assured.

Lia tilted her head on Kie's shoulder as they embraced.

Sarah and Wheezie walked closer.

"Is it safe to talk now?" Sarah asked.

Lia and Kie nodded.

Lia reached for her sister's hands. "I'm sorry, Sarah."

"I'm sorry too, Sarah," Wheezie agreed.

"Like Kie said," Sarah told them. "You two don't need to apologize."

Sarah and Wheezie sat on the other side of Lia, as the three sisters embraced.

"I love both of you," Lia told them.

"I love you, too," Sarah agreed.

Wheezie poked Lia and Sarah on the cheeks on either side of her. "I love you."

They all chuckled.

Kie smiled at them like this, all four of them a bit more reassured, even if Sarah, Lia and Kie were still deathly worried for their lovers while Isa and John B were away.

Wheezie looked at Kie curiously. "I never really knew Isa and John B's dad all that well. What was Big John like?"

Sarah and Lia looked at Kie, just as curious.

Kie considered her words. "He was never really a dad. More like a best friend. Their mom split when they were pretty young, so it was just them for most of their lives. Them and their dad. Big John was always really obsessed with treasure. More than anything else in the world, he wanted to find gold and be rich. We all thought he was crazy a lot of the time. They had a big fight before Big John disappeared. He wanted to sell everything they had and go off on a treasure hunt, but they refused, saying it was the ugliest fight they'd ever had, and trust me, they had their moments. They've been beating themselves up about it ever since."

Sarah frowned. "I... why would he want to sell everything? You mean--"

"The house, the Twinkie, the Pogue, the land," Kie listed. "All of it."

Sarah, Wheezie and Lia were stunned by this.

Lia swallowed. "Before Kaylee fell asleep, she told me what Singh wanted with the diary. To find a city of gold where the Merchant gold and the cross came from. It's called El Dorado."

"I'm guessing you know all about it like you did about the cross when you found out?" Wheezie asked.

"Not this time," Lia answered. "I saw a few mentions of El Dorado in the diary, but everything in it listed under the name was Denmark's language and in dialect, or code, I think. I couldn't translate it."

Sarah, Wheezie and Kie nodded in understanding. 

"That's okay," Sarah assured. "You knew almost everything about the gold and the cross the first two times around. You don't have to know everything about this time, too."

"No, but I want to," Lia agreed. "It's all just too... surreal and like a dream, or a nightmare, a bit of both most of the time for us. Because we love the adventure and the thrill, but the pain... Our dream come true is also our greatest nightmare."

Sarah, Wheezie and Kie nodded in agreement, knowing exactly what she was saying because they all knew that they felt the same way.

"Yeah," Kie agreed. "It is. You know, whatever happens, we're gonna handle it together, like we always do."

Lia nodded in agreement, wrapping her arm around Kie, who still had an arm around her.

Wheezie smiled sadly at them, knowing that Isa should be here with them.

Sarah smiled at the two, feeling guilty because of knowing that Isa and John B should be here with them having this conversation and just to be safe with them.

Further away on the boat, Cleo and Pope stood with JJ now, as JJ was learning a knife trick with Cleo's knife as she showed him how it was done.

"Oh, like this?" JJ asked.

"Almost there, rude boy," Cleo answered.

JJ ended up fucking up the knife trick and cutting his hand. "Shit!"

Pope patted JJ's shoulder. "Yeah, work on that a bit, man."

"I almost had it," JJ replied stubbornly.

Cleo smirked. "Next time then."

"Next time, damn straight," JJ answered.

Pope glanced around. "And just wanted to let you guys know that we should probably stop for gas."

Sarah, Wheezie, Kie, and Lia were near the boat's bedroom, which was open, revealing Kaylee still asleep on the bed where JJ had placed her.

Kaylee began to toss and turn, her nightmares overwhelming her, as she cried out. "JJ?!"

The sound of Kaylee's nightmares startled everyone.

Sarah, Wheezie, Kie, and Lia immediately stood up and walked toward the bedroom cabin to help.

JJ, Pope, and Cleo hurried to join them.

In her sleep, Kaylee was crying. "JJ!"

Kie rushed into the room to sit by Kaylee on the bed, deeply concerned for her sister. "No, no, no, hey."

JJ hurried closer as quickly as possible. "Kaylee. Hey."

Sarah, Wheezie, Kie, and Lia attempted to gently awaken Kaylee without physical contact, aware of her sensitivity to touch during her nightmares, all feeling heartbroken and concerned.

"Kaylee, hey, wake up," Kie told her.

JJ paused for a moment, his heart unable to bear witnessing Kaylee's distress again, feeling powerless to help.

As Kaylee began to convulse, Kie attempted to grasp her to rouse her, but Kaylee violently pulled away, trembling.

Pope and Cleo halted behind JJ, uncertain of their next move.

Lia stepped back from Kaylee to afford her room. "Hey, back up."

Sarah, Wheezie and Kie simply gazed at Lia, confused, while JJ and Lia understood the potential harm of someone being too close to Kaylee at that moment.

Kaylee was gradually coming to, her face etched with sheer panic, gasping for air.

This jolted JJ into action, and he rushed forward. "Move, move."

Sarah and Kie retreated beside Lia.

JJ stopped in front of Kaylee, ensuring he was close enough for her to feel the warmth emanating from him, yet without making contact.

With her arms wrapped around her knees and her head bowed in a mix of embarrassment and shame, Kaylee was acutely aware of being encircled by the Pogues, who regarded her with expressions of profound sorrow.

Trembling, her shoulders quivering, Kaylee dared to look up, only to notice JJ's hand was cut, blood seeping out. "Jayj?"

At first puzzled by her gaze, JJ understood she was staring at his wound, and he grasped the reason for her distress; he remembered her nightmare vividly. 2.10: JJ drowning, his blood mingling with the water, while Kaylee, bleeding herself, struggled to keep his unconscious form above the surface, pleading with him not to leave her.

Noticing her growing panic, JJ met Kaylee's eyes and shook his head reassuringly. "Hey, no, no, it's okay. It's just a scratch."

JJ pulled Kaylee close as she began to display that distant gaze that signaled it was nearly too late to coax her back without the aid of weed or beer, both of which they were sorely missing. He held her tightly, his hand entwined in her hair, indifferent to his rings snagging in her curls, knowing she required that additional jolt to anchor her to reality, the present.

"JJ, what's going on?" Wheezie asked, looking at his cut.

"What happened?" Lia asked in concern.

"Yeah, you're bleeding pretty fucking bad right now," Sarah added unhelpfully.

"Cleo's knife trick mishap," JJ answered. "My bad. It's nothing."

Kaylee's tension increased. JJ carefully moved his hand from her hair down to her arms, tucking them between their bodies before tightening his hold. Her body remained agitated, but her sobs had ceased, subsiding to ragged breaths and whimpers against his neck. Her breathing was rapid, signaling a need for immediate soothing. JJ lowered himself to the ground, still embracing her, stretching out his legs and drawing hers around him to maintain contact, enveloping her in his arms. Kaylee, caught in a haze of half-sleep and fever-induced delirium, began to struggle slightly within his embrace.

"Fuck," Pope whispered.

"It's never been this bad before," Kie fretted.

"It's because the fever, the hysteria," Pope explained. "Same for Lia's..."

"Talking to myself episodes?" Lia finished. "Yeah, I noticed that too, Pope."

Wheezie looked at their friend in concern. "Kaylee..."

JJ ignored the comments as Kaylee needed help. He used the hand in her hair to pull her head back with a start; while it wasn't gentle, it didn't hurt. It was enough of a shock to pull her back to reality, halting her struggles as he steadied her, though her eyes remained closed.

"Eyes, Kay," JJ urged. He guided one of her hands to his neck, allowing her to feel his steady pulse. "Look at me, Kaylee."

Kaylee's eyes fluttered open, gaze lowered, unable to meet anyone's stare, her breathing still erratic, fixated on the movement of JJ's throat as he spoke.

Cleo signaled the others to leave, confident JJ had the situation under control and their presence was unnecessary. "Guys."

With reluctance, Cleo, Pope, Sarah, Wheezie, Lia, and particularly Kie, withdrew, giving Kaylee space, understanding it was the best way to help her relax and not feel overwhelmed.

JJ spoke gently, pressing his forehead to Kaylee's to soothe her. "We're heading home, Kay. Things might not return to normal, but we'll reclaim parts of our old life, right? Like surfing, or our endless hot tub. Remember when I used all the cash I took from Barry's to buy the hot tub and generator? So you'd have power and could stay at the Pogue Nest after your folks refused to get you a new one."

Kaylee nodded softly against his head.

JJ whispered. "After my dad beat me, you held me until I stopped crying. I'll do the same for you until your tears stop. And if they never do, I'm here for that too. Though, it'd be tough to surf while you're crying and I'm holding you, but we'd manage. Fuck, I wish we had a board to ride on. Can't forget the boards for our surf trip, okay? I always forget something that I, like, literally need for whatever I'm about to do."

Kaylee's breathing became less erratic and her body stopped trembling as much as JJ's words sank in.

JJ withdrew slightly, whispering. "You're gonna give me those pretty eyes, Kay."

Kaylee mustered the strength to meet his gaze, her tone soft and slow. "You'd lose your head if it wasn't on."

JJ's smile broke through, not just because she was speaking, but because his resilient girl was making jokes. "You got that right."

"A bit of a dumbass," Kaylee murmured.

JJ grinned. "Just a bit. That was our little secret, Kay."

"Everyone knows," Kaylee retorted softly.

JJ tried to get her to laugh. "Goddamn, baby. Be cool. I've gotta save my street cred for the mean streets of OBX." While Kaylee didn't laugh, she did manage a barely visible smile, swallowing. JJ sighed. "I know I scared you pretty bad with the blood, all right? But I promise I'm okay. Just a cut, and it's already stopped bleeding as much."

Their gaze remained locked. He wouldn't allow her to break it, his hand shifting from her hair to her chin.

Kaylee exhaled unsteadily; even if she averted her eyes, JJ would recapture them. "The words 'JJ' and 'blood' seem inseparable. I can't believe I was so weak that I couldn't handle seeing you bleed."

Her voice faltered on 'bleed', her expression revealing the depth of her concern for the consequences of her actions.

JJ immediately shook his head. "Kaylee Carrera, you are not fucking weak. You're the most formidable and resilient person I've ever met. Understand, it's the fever and hysteria talking, okay? It's not you, and it's not just what happened." Kaylee found solace in those words, swallowing hard, her eyes closing. "I know you're scared about what could happen, but whatever does, it's not on you." Kaylee's disbelief was apparent, which JJ recognized. "It's not. I won't let anything hurt you again."

"I think we both learned by now that we can't control it, for either of us getting hurt," Kaylee said painfully. JJ bit his lip, knowing she was right, taking a deep, shaky breath. "And it's not your job to protect me."

"Kinda is," JJ replied. "And it's not a job, Kaylee. Trust me."

"Yeah, well, you know who really makes it a lot of work," Kaylee said, looking away, trying not to go into a state again. JJ closed his eyes, looking down, sighing. "And I'm not the one that I'm worried about, JJ."

"I know what you're worried about, and it's not gonna happen again," JJ told her.

"You don't know that," Kaylee stressed.

"Yeah, well, I'll tell you the same thing you told me," JJ replied. "It's not your job to protect me."

Kaylee gazed off in numbness, a haunted look in her eye. "I don't want you to die because of me."

"It's not gonna happen," JJ repeated.

Kaylee still wasn't convinced, swallowing. "If you die on me, JJ Maybank, I'll find a way to die too, just so I can drag you back from the pit of whatever hell you've landed in and kill you myself."

JJ managed to chuckle weakly at that. "You got it, Kay. You got it."

⚓️

Guadeloupe

Cameron House - Ward's Room

Rose was sitting by Ward's bedside.

Ward was waking up, groaning in pain, taking a deep breath before releasing it.

Rose didn't have a smile, but tilted her head as if relieved. "Oh, honey. Are you okay?"

Ward met Rose's concerned gaze. "Of course I'm okay. Where are we?"

"We're in Guadeloupe," Rose answered. "We're safe."

Ward took a look around, realizing the missing member of their family that still considered himself part of the family. "Where's Rafe?"

Rose glanced down.

⚓️

Barbados

Street Market

(Song:) Welcome to Jamrock - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley

Rafe walked through the streets of the market calmly, having an idea on how to get out of there, and soon.

Rafe saw a couple shopping at a market store, noticing that the guy looked decently like Rafe himself, enough for Rafe to pass for him, as part of his plan. He walked up to them, but kept his distance for a moment as he watched the woman buy something, speaking up to the man, easily conning him with charm and style. "Hey, man. Sorry. Sorry to bother you. Um, I have the perfect..." He pointed to the woman. "I have the perfect gift for your wife. It's like a great price, too." He gestured around. "So, this, all through here, is where all the tourists shop." He pointed toward an alley across the street. "But the real deal is right back there. It's like a great local spot."

"I don't know," the man admitted.

Rafe smiled. "Just trying to help you out, man." He let the smile fade. "Just real quick. You wanna?"

The man glanced over to his wife. "Okay."

Rafe led the man to the alley. "Yeah, yeah. It's got, like, some of the best, like custom jewelry on the island. It's incredible."

The man nodded. "Sounds good."

Rafe walked into the alley with the man following behind. "Uh, just right back here."

The wife looked around to notice that her husband had seemingly vanished.

A few moments later, after having knocked the man out, Rafe walked out of the alley wearing his clothing and his hat to stay hidden from Singh's men, having the man's wallet and ID and everything he needed, walking away down the street.

(Song Ends)

⚓️

Ferry

Rafe was boarding the ferry.

"All right, come on, folks, all aboard to Guadeloupe," a man called.

Rafe walked up, taking off his hat, giving a smile. "How you doing, boss?"

"Good, how are you?" the man asked.

"Living the dream," Rafe replied, handing the man's ID the man along with some ferry fee.

"You got some sun since you took this photo, man," the man remarked. "There you go, Mr. Tompkins."

Rafe gave a a grin, walking aboard. "Appreciate it."

⚓️

Dock

The Routledges came to a stop, docking their boat.

"All right, what's the plan, Dad?" Isa asked.

"Just like I said, Dove, just a little pit stop to get that thing I was telling you two about," Big John told her. "Then goodbye, Bridgetown. Come on, partners. Back me up."

"All right, let's make this quick," John B agreed.

They followed Big John.

⚓️

Venice, Italy

Art Museum Auction

Elyna Maverick was the teenage daughter of a professional thief born in the Outer Banks, a man named Gael Carrera. However, once he embraced the life of criminal profiteering, he adapted to the name Gael Maverick to protect both himself and his daughter.

Elyna's mother was French-born Interpol Agent Esme Veilleux.

Esme, despite her strong moral compass and need for justice, fell for Gael during an undercover operation that took place over a week, as she was sent on a case to discover an art thief that "rescued" underappreciated art from people who didn't deserve it and sold it to someone who would truly care for it. She had no idea that it was Gael who was the thief, yet when she realized it was, she didn't turn him in. She thought that he was, in his own way, an artistry version of Robin Hood, and she admired him for it.

Gael and Esme would continue their relationship in secret over the next few decades, maintaining their professions of thievery and intelligence work both.

And when their daughter Elyna came along, she was raised as Gael's apprentice. She helped her father in lifts for rare and underrated art and made it into the next best thing to pay tribute to both the piece of art and the artist when possible, while making a profit for her family as well. Even at 15 years old, Elyna was truly good at what she did, cultivating skills she learned from both her criminal father and her agent mother.

All the while, Esme continued to work for Interpol, keeping Elyna and Gael safe from discovery and incarceration... even if she had to pretend that she was hunting her daughter and husband down all the while making sure they got away in the end.

This job was no different.

When Elyna heard that Gael's next lift was set in Venice during an art festival and auction, she was absolutely thrilled to be involved. As she walked through the Venice art festival, she took in the sights of everyone in costume finery clothing.

In her own costume, Elyna walked through the festival toward the location for the art auction. She wore a beautiful dress and a masquerade mask as she stepped onto the red carpet leading up to the museum. Her dress was a deep red gown embroidered with gold detailing, with a matching gold and red mask fitted with jewels and feathers.

Her father Gael was already checking them in at the entrance.

Gael turned to see Elyna walking closer, smiling, offering his arm. "Ah, there she is."

Elyna smiled, her voice tinted with a subtle French accent as she walked closer. "Dad."

Gael led the way into the museum. "How are we doing?"

Elyna took in the sight of the museum around them, absolutely stunned by its beauty as she reached for a glass of champagne, picking it up, drinking. "Champagne's on ice. So let's wrap this up."

Gael smirked, leading the way to their seats.

A worker nearby turned offer a tray that held two gold face masks that symbolized the digital artist this crowd was about to see, who was known for wearing a full face gold mask.

Gael shook his head. "Ah, no grazie."

Elyna removed her masquerade mask gently as she reached for a gold mask, picking it up. "Oh, why not, Dad? Live the moment. Be spontaneous."

Gael smiled, shaking his head in fond amusement. "No, thank you. You have spontaneity covered for the both of us, Elyna. I'll stick to planning every detail."

Elyna placed the gold mask on her face, pressing a button that would mask her voice with a robotic overlay. "And what does your eye for details make you feel today about this lift?"

"Rich," Gael replied.

Underneath her mask, Elyna grinned, enjoying the robotic voice overlay. "My favorite feeling."

As they went to take their seats, Gael grabbed an auction paddle.

The auctioneer, like everyone else in the room, was dressed impeccably as he continued with the event. "Please, let's now turn our attention to the next item."

Elyna took off her gold mask, setting it aside as she placed her masquerade mask back on, giving her father a wink. "All right, then. Let's show them what true artistry looks like."

Gael smirked. "The EMP?"

"Five minutes," Elyna answered.

Gael nodded, proud of how far Elyna's skills had come already.

Meanwhile, in a clocktower across from the museum, a team of Interpol agents were prepared for the upcoming lift, hoping to stop it.

However, Esme was leading it. She played the part of a perfect agent to perfection as she spoke in Italian into her comms. "Police. Cultural Heritage Unit." She turned to the agent next to her, Agent Ross, speaking in English, though her French accent was evident. "Local police are in position. If Gael and Elyna try to swipe anything, they're in for a surprise."

On the computer screens before them, they saw a live video feed of the auctioneer that was broadcast worldwide for other countries during the auction. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to introduce you to N8."

In the museum, the digital artist rose from his seat as everyone started to cheer. He was stocky and short, his large form covered with a black hoodie that had the gold mask's design on the back, while the gold mask covered his face. He made his way to the podium, turning to face the audience.

Gael and Elyna joined in for the applause.

Elyna raised her gold mask designed after N8's mask, smiling and waving it appreciatively.

The auctioneer began again. "As you know, the digital artist has remained anonymous throughout his career. But today, he's here to auction off a single-edition NFT..."

In the clocktower, Esme pointed to the screen as the camera turned toward the audience. "There they are, among the bidders."

Agent Ross zoomed up on Gael and Elyna. "That masquerade's not doing anything to cover Elyna's identity."

Esme shook her head, rolling her eyes. "It's not for concealment. It's to make a statement. She's always one for theatrics."

"And Gael's not bothered with hiding," Ross mused. "He's like, 'Here I am'."

Esme narrowed her eyes in thought as she tried to predict what they would take. "What's it going to be? The Wiley's too hard to transport, the Warhols are a little tired."

Ross nodded to N8 on the screen. "At least we know they won't lift the NFT. Nothing to lift."

Esme's eyes didn't leave the screen as two men in the museum placed down a projector dressed up with a black artistic mask resembling N8's gold mask, where the projectors came from the eyes of the sculpture. The mask itself was implanted with hundreds of cameras, which gave the appearance of small, round and reflective disks that almost looked like studs.

The auctioneer had a small, rare smile. "And now, it's my honor to present Self Importrait by N8. Comprised of 482 cameras, this mask will create the NFT. Inspired by Vincent van Gogh, the digital art will be generated from a live 30-second feed."

As N8 waved his hand in front of the mask, a video of the digital artwork appeared on the screens behind them, streaming from the eyes of the mask while the other cameras took in the environment of the museum around them.

In the video, an avatar version of N8 - in all white - seemed to appear from clay. The surroundings of the museum, including a an Gogh painting on the nearby wall, appeared in front of the avatar. The white avatar ran straight for the van Gogh painting and leaped through it, seeming to pass on through like ripples and waves. Once the avatar was through the painting, he was covered in the paint colors from the painting and continued to run, leaving streams of paint flying through the air behind him.

Everyone watched the live video in awe, including Elyna, who was amazed by NFT artwork.

Gael raised his eyebrows, impressed.

The auctioneer seemed pleased by the awed looks on the audience's faces. "Once complete, NFT will have captured the moment of its sale, which will include the buyer. Do we have an opening bid?"

Gael raised his bidding paddle. "Twelve million."

The crowd murmured in surprise.

In the clocktower, Esme reacted in shock as she continued to watch the live feed of the auction. "What?" She looked at Agent Ross. "Quick. Look up paddle 1305."

A nearby agent handed Ross a clipboard.

Ross quickly went through the guest list until he found it. "Uh, registered to John Bratby."

Unsurprised and unfazed, Esme shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "Shit. They know we're here."

"How'd you know?" Ross asked.

Esme let out an exasperated sigh as she gave him a quick art history lesson. "John Bratby, British, mid-century, painted scenes of domestic life."

Ross frowned. "And that gives us away, uh, how?"

Esme tilted her head, a tight, sarcastic smile on her lips. "I'm living in his old studio."

Just as Esme looked at the computer screens to keep her eye on Gael and Elyna, they both looked right at the camera as if they were looking right at her.

Esme turned away, crossing her arms over her chest.

In the museum, the auctioneer continued. "Thirteen million in London." Gael raised his paddle, causing the auctioneer to smile. "Fifteen. We have 15 here in Venice."

Another man in the back raised his paddle. "16.5."

Gael glanced back before raising his paddle again. "Seventeen million."

The other man raised his paddle again. "17.5."

As Elyna glanced back at the man, he sent a wink her way. Elyna, only 15 yet appearing older than she was, rolled her eyes, looking away.

"Eighteen million," Gael replied.

"Nineteen," the other man retorted.

Elyna, tired of the back and forth, raised her own paddle, dropping a number she knew would end it all. "25 million."

The crowd gasped awe.

Even behind his mask, N8 seemed utterly floored that anyone would pay that much for his art.

The auctioneer even seemed shocked. "25 million dollars in Venice."

Elyna looked her shoulder toward the other man, smirking mockingly as she blew him a sarcastic kiss, waving him goodbye.

Gael smirked at Elyna's antics.

The other man scoffed softly in disbelief, shaking his head, accepting defeat gracefully as he looked away.

In the clocktower, Esme's eyes never strayed from the computer screens, raptured. Despite the stern, expressionless set of her face, there was a hint of pride and something not quite describable in her eyes.

The auctioneer looked back and forth between Gael, Elyna and the other man, trying to gauge if it would go further. "Going once... going twice..."

Gael turned his head toward Elyna, speaking quietly. "You ready?"

"Ready," Elyna answered, glancing around as she reached into her clutch, grasping a small device.

The auctioneer tapped his gavel, gesturing broadly to Elyna. "Sold."

As the crowd broke into a round of applause, Gael gave the order. "Lift."

Elyna pressed a button on the device in her clutch, which activated the EMP. No devices were harmed, but they were all shut down. The lights and power went off in the building, causing the emergency generator to turn on, accompanied by red flashing lights and an alarm.

Confusion set in over the crowd as evacuations began, everyone standing to leave.

Elyna separated from Gael in the crowd, making her way through the maze of people.

Meanwhile, Gael was being led out with the rest of the crowd as he headed to his next destination.

In the clocktower, Esme watched intently, unable to see exactly what Elyna was doing within the crowd surrounding her, but when she saw father and daughter separate, she knew their plan was in motion. "They're making a move. We need to go in. Go!"

In the museum, Elyna reached the digital artist's side. "N8, hi. I don't mean to push, but we do need to leave, and since I've just settled 25 million on your NFT, would you like to do the transfer at the museum's offices, or on my family's yacht?"

N8 shrugged, his voice masked with the robotic overlay. "That sounds okay."

Elyna gave a friendly smile, patting him on the shoulder. "Follow me."

Elyna turned around, leading the way to exit the museum with N8 following behind her.

They had exited by the time that Esme ran inside with her team.

Esme showed her badge to a security guard as she spoke in Italian. "Interpol. Cultural Heritage Unit. Your auction is being robbed. You need to lock everything down, now!"

⚓️

Venice Canal System

On the dock's edge just outside the museum, not far away, Gael had pulled a small boat up, waiting for Elyna and N8, who both stepped into the vehicle.

"Where's the yacht?" N8 questioned.

"This is the boat that takes us to the yacht," Gael explained.

Elyna smiled at N8. "And can I just say, I love your whole vibe? The masquerading, the robot voice. Your art speaks for itself, but the intrigue makes it all the better."

Despite not being able to see his face, Elyna had the sneaking suspicion that N8 had the biggest grin on his lips.

⚓️

Venice Art Museum

Esme had arrived to the seats that Gael and Elyna had been sitting, finding the gold mask that Elyna left behind, picking it up, turning to Agent Ross as if she just realized something. "Ross, what if Elyna and Gael are making a play for the NFT?"

Ross frowned. "I thought Elyna bought it?"

Esme scoffed. "For 25 million? No way they have that. It's a con."

Ross considered this. "But the only way to steal an NFT--"

"Is to steal the access code," Esme finished. "And the only way to do that..." Realization dawned on her face. "Is to steal the artist."

⚓️

Venice Canal System

In their boat, Gael began to captain their small vessel through the narrow passage of water directly out into the open water.

As Esme ran outside, she noticed their boat, speaking through comms. "Ross, I need a boat pier."

Esme ran for the pier, surprised but impressed that Ross had commandeered a boat just in time for her to get there. She climbed in as Ross started to follow Elyna, Gael and N8 in the boat up ahead.

"Just keep them in sight," Esme instructed.

In their boat, Gael and Elyna were fully aware they were being pursued.

Esme placed sunglasses on her eyes surreptitiously, pressing a button on the side.

Inside the lenses of her shades showed a holographic screen that displayed the access that Elyna had just been granted for the Venetian fire brigade.

As Elyna typed into her tablet and controlled a handheld button, she smiled as she activated a fire alarm. "Time to play."

Just as Gael took them past the fire brigade, the alarm went off.

A fire boat rode into the open waves, intercepting Esme's boat before she could reach Gael and Elyna, separating them.

Esme held her hand out as she shouted in Italian. "Stop, stop, stop!"

However, the fire boat continued, effectively blocking their path.

Elyna looked over her shoulder, smiling.

Esme climbed out of her boat and ran along the pier toward the boat ahead.

Gael glanced back. "It like we've got a tail."

"What?" N8 asked, confused.

"Fans of yours?" Gael smirked.

Elyna grinned.

Just behind them, Esme leaped into another boat, giving an order to the captain. "Go, go!"

As Esme's boat started to chase Elyna and Gael's through the river, both of their boats picked up the pace in an intense chase.

Gael remained completely in control of the small boat as he took a sharp turn, passing underneath a small stone bridge.

N8 held on tight. "Are you sure this is safe?"

Elyna flashed him a grin. "Oh, we're perfectly fine. Just a little joyride."

The chase continued until Elyna reached close enough distance to hack into the water bridge, starting to bring it up. Gael revved the engine of the boat as he sped up even more, crossing over the barrier just in time before it could block the pathway of the middle of the river.

Esme's eyes went wide as she realized that her boat would be barricaded and forced to stop before she could reach them.

Gael and Elyna glanced back, both with a smile on their face, just as the last barricade rose up from the water and prevented Esme's boat from chasing them any longer.

The driver had to pull the boat over before they could crash into the yellow barrier, leaving a clean getaway for Elyna and Gael.

Elyna giggled softly as she turned to Gael with a big smile on her face.

Gael smiled proudly at his daughter. "Nicely done, Ely."

As Esme watched them flee, she spoke through her comms. "Put out a yellow notice for N8."

⚓️

Maverick Family Yacht

Out on the ocean, Elyna and Gael led N8 onto their family yacht.

Elyna took a glass of champagne from a woman as she passed by. "Thank you."

N8 admired the view of the yacht. "Oh, nice."

Gael turned to face him. "You can take your mask off. You can trust us."

N8 glanced at Elyna.

Elyna gave him a reassuring smile and nod, removing her masquerade mask, placing it down on the nearby table.

Following suit, N8 took off his gold mask, revealing a young, Chinese male adult with no hair on his head.

Gael placed a hand on N8's shoulder, leading him inside. "Come on. Let's get you paid."

Once inside, Elyna used her laptop to wire the money to his account. "Nice doing business with you, N8."

N8 was still in awe. "25 mil."

Elyna smiled. "You're welcome." With a wicked grin, she stood. "Let's party!"

Gael walked toward his captain's quarters while Elyna hosted a party with N8 and several people from the museum, all dancing, drinking champagne, and having a fun time.

⚓️

Barbados

Night - Antiquity Shop

A man named Arjun was meeting with a customer, looking at a medallion. "What do we have here? God of Fire and War? Significant piece." Big John walked in, leading Isa and John B with him. Arjun noticed Big John, who nodded to him. Arjun handed the medallion to the man he was speaking to. "Sorry, I have an appointment. Maybe another time."

John B's eyes widened. "Dad, what are we doing?"

"Just got to pick something up," Big John, again, answered vaguely. "Only take a minute. RJ!"

Arjun walked closer, a delighted smile spreading across his face. "John. Please come."

Big John grinned. "Long time."

Arjun beckoned the father-kids duo onward, and they all followed, albeit Isa and John B's hesitancy.

⚓️

Back Room

Once they were in one of the back rooms, Arjun began dusting off some old artifacts as he spoke. "So, what are you doing here, John? What do you want?"

Big John drew his gun, aiming at Arjun, much to the shock and confusion of his kids. "Sorry for the strong arm, RJ, but we're pressed for time. I can't get bogged down in a protracted negotiation."

Arjun exhaled. "Really? You pull a gun on me? Your partner, who saved your life?"

"If you knew what happened with my last partner, you wouldn't hold it against me," Big John told him. "And I knew you'd buck at the finish line. Just give me the piece."

Big John gestured towards a safe resting on a table against the wall.

Arjun moved towards it with a huff. "Fine, fine."

"Armed robbery?" John B glowered. "Really, Dad?"

Big John waved the gun indifferently. "It's not robbery. The piece is mine. Ain't that right, RJ?"

Arjun snorted as he clicked open the safe. "I think an impartial judge would say the ownership is debatable."

Isa nodded sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Oh, great. That's great, Dad. Lovely. Fucking fabulous."

Arjun hummed, holding up a cloth-wrapped strange stone figure. "As you can see, I kept my part of the bargain, partner. Here it is safe and sound." He handed it to Big John. "Just like I promised. I'll miss seeing you."

Big John unwrapped the cloth from around the stone figure, handing it to John B. "Here, kids. Take a look at this. The Signpost of Orinoco."

John B blinked. "Signpost of what?"

"This way lies the treasure, that sort of thing," Big John explained. "At least we think that's what it says. Next stop, El Dorado."

"El Dorado?" Isa repeated, both she and John B confused since Kaylee and Lia hadn't had the time to explain to them.

"Yeah, if you can find the other half," Arjun stated dryly. "And if you can decipher it, maybe. I'm going to want my cut. Don't think I won't come after you if I don't get it."

Big John was staring at the artifact like it was his firstborn child. "If this thing works out, you'll never have to sell a knockoff God of Fire and War again."

Arjun chuckled. "From your lips to--"

He was cut off by the voice of a man in the main room of the antiquity store. "Arjun! You here?"

Big John tensed.

Isa and John B exchanged a look.

"Wait, don't move," Arjun warned, stepping out into the main room of the store, surprised to see Carlos Singh there, speaking loud enough for the Routledges to be warned that he was here, but casual enough that Singh didn't automatically suspect anything by his tone. "Mr. Singh. What a surprise. How can I help you?"

Isa and John B's gazes snapped to each other as they realized that the guy that kidnapped Kaylee and locked her in with Rafe just to torment her into trying to make her tell him where the diary and had tried to kill the rest of the Pogues was just a wall away, both of them barely refraining from doing something.

"Shit," Big John cursed.

Singh approached Arjun. "It's always a pleasure to come into your shop, Arjun. You have such fine pieces, you know?"

Arjun chuckled nervously. "Ah, I--I would love to show you around, but unfortunately, we're closed."

Singh and Ryan, who stood by his side, exchanged a knowing look.

Singh clicked his tongue. "Oh, come on now, Arjun. Just a quick look around for your best customer, now."

Arjun sighed. "O--Of course."

In the back room, Isa and John B quickly turned toward their father.

"You need to talk to us right now, Pop," John B told him.

Big John pushed past them. "Isa, John B, we gotta get out of here now." He reached into his pocket and handed Isa a lock pick, while handing John B the Signpost. "Here, here, take this. Take this over to that window. Go, go!"

John B and Isa did as their father asked, ears still picking up on the all-too-close conversation.

"We have some fine new pieces," Arjun was saying.

Singh hummed. "I see that."

Isa moved a table underneath the window so that she could step up onto it and reach the lock on the window, using the lock pick on the window as quickly and quietly as she could.

"Easy, easy, easy!" Big John hissed.

"I'm trying, I'm trying," Isa whispered desperately. The lock on the window clicked, and Isa attempted to lift it open. "Shit! It's stuck."

John B placed down the Signpost so that he could look for something that could help aid Isa in opening the window.

They heard Singh's voice in the main room questioning Arjun. "I've always said you have a good eye, Arjun. And I know when someone else has a good eye because I have a good eye too. It takes one to know one, you know?" Arjun chuckled nervously. In the back room, Isa and John B managed to pry the grate off the window so that Isa could push the window open quietly. "I know the young man John B Routledge and his sister Isa Routledge were seen with an older man close to here, and I thought to myself; 'Why would those two risk coming so close to downtown?' A place with so many eyes..."

Isa opened the window and peered outside. "All right, coast is clear."

Big John patted his kids on the back. "All right, we gotta go. Go!"

Isa took John B's hand so that he could climb up onto the table and climb through the window first. It was a long drop from the window to the ground, but luckily there was a pile of garbage there to catch his fall, so it wasn't overly painful.

Singh continued. "And then I realize, you know, I realize that they were very close to your shop, and I thought to myself, I thought, you know..." He scoffed, taking out a knife, snapping it open, using it to tap against Arjun's chest in threat. "'They have to come and see my old friend Arjun, who has such a good eye for fine pieces.'"

Arjun's voice cracked. "Huh? I've not seen them. I don't know what you're talking about."

Isa rolled her eyes as she climbed out of the window, sarcastic and bitter. "Five-star liar, isn't he?"

"Just go," Big John told her.

Isa slipped the rest of the way out of the window, dropping down toward the ground - when she fell, she landed on her arm, and her head hit the ground.

John B hurriedly helped Isa stand. "Isa! Are you okay?"

Isa held her head in pain, though she forced herself to nod. "I'm good. Thanks."

John B nodded, though his worried gaze never left Isa's face. He wasn't sure if she was truly okay or not.

In the main room, Singh chuckled. "You know, I can always tell when people are lying to me, you know?"

Big John was now climbing out of the window. "Help me out. Help out your old man. Help me. Come on!"

"Shh!" Isa hissed.

Big John landed heavily on the ground and dusted himself off. "Okay. Phew. Let's--" He stood up, noticing that Isa and John B were empty-handed. "Where's the piece?"

John B's eyes widened. "I thought you had it."

Big John turned to go back for it. "No!"

Isa tried to stop him, but knew it was useless. "No, no, no. Just... damn it. Hurry up."

Isa had to stop talking as she was sick to her stomach, turning away.

John B looked at her in concern.

Isa barely stopped herself from getting sick, groaning.

John B stepped closer worriedly. "Hey, it's gonna be okay."

In the main room, Singh was still threatening Arjun. "You seen them? Are you hiding them?" He slit the knife along Arjun's chest, making him yelp in pain. "Arjun? Huh?"

In the back room, Big John leaned awkwardly through the window just enough to reach for the Signpost on the table were John B left it. Isa and John B both had a hold of his legs so that he didn't go tumbling back into the room and draw attention to them.

They heard Arjun's desperate shout in the main room. "I swear, I don't know where they are!"

Big John grabbed the Signpost, but in doing so, he knocked something else off the table that clanked loudly.

Singh and Ryan heard this.

Singh nodded to Ryan. "Go now."

Ryan turned around, walking to the backroom.

Big John dropped back to the ground, Signpost in hand, just a second before Ryan walked into the backroom.

Ryan, although he hadn't seen Big John directly, saw that the window was busted open, knowing they were escaping, speaking through his radio. "They went through the alley."

Big John turned to Isa and John B. "Come on, we gotta go."

Before they could start running, gunshots started firing, making the three Routledges duck for cover.

Isa and John B spoke together in annoyance at being shot at once again. "Oh, shit!"

They saw two four-wheelers driving closer from down the street.

Big John took off running. "Gotta run, let's go!"

Isa and John B immediately took off after Big John, easily catching up and running past him, as they took off from this street and down another, hoping to lose the four-wheelers tailing them.

"Go, go, come on!" John B urged.

They made it to the water nearby.

"Get on the boat," Big John told them. They got onto the boat, untying it and starting it up, as Big John started to sail them away, laughing at the four-wheelers who stopped on the docks, unable to follow. "Yeah! Isa, John B, we got it!" He kissed the Signpost within its cloth wrap. "Let's vamonos!"

Isa and John B were breathing heavily, while Isa was exhausted and a little sicker than she had before given how far she had to push herself for this, and John B looked dismayed.

On the dock, Singh and Ryan joined the other men.

Ryan spoke into his radio. "Get the boats."

Singh shook his head. "Let them go."

"We could be in a boat in 30 minutes," Ryan told him.

"And chase them into the night?" Singh asked. "In the dark and open water, hmm? And risk going into Saint Lucia or Martinique? We can't do that. No, why bother?" He gave a crazy smile, pointing to his head. "You know, 'cause I know where they live." He dropped his hand, his crazy smile going to a deadly, stone cold expression within less than a second. "And I have friends everywhere, you know?"

⚓️

Out at Sea

Rafe's Boat

(Song:) Counting Stars - OneRepublic

Lia was sitting out by the edge of the boat, looking up at the stars in the sky, counting them in her head.

Kie walked closer, sitting next to her. "We're almost at port. Pope and Cleo are gonna get food, and JJ's gonna get gas." Lia nodded, her eyes not moving from the sky. "Counting stars to keep calm again?"

"I'm naming all the stars," Lia said, almost as if in a dream.

"You can barely see the stars because of the clouds," Kie pointed out, frowning in concern.

Lia shook her head. "Doesn't matter. I can see them. Named the all the same name."

"What name is that?" Kie asked curiously, still concerned by her mind state, but wanting to be there for her.

"Indiana," Lia answered.

Kie chuckled. "Like our movies. All three of us, I mean. Our lives."

"Yeah," Lia answered, frowning. "It's relaxing. Calming. But so much confusion. Pain. Conflict."

Kie gently brushed back some of Lia's hair. "Shh. It's okay." Lia wrapped her arms around her knees, leaning her head against her arms as she looked up into the sky. "I'm thinking of Isa all the while too, you know. I hate it every time we get separated like this."

"Me too," Lia agreed sadly. "It happens too fucking much."

"Yeah, it does," Kie agreed.

"I miss her like a heartbeat," Lia admitted. "Like my heart's stopped. It feels like it has. Long before this."

"Because of everything that happened?" Kie asked.

Lia didn't answer, looking up at the sky. "What do you think she's doing right now?"

"On her way back home to us, where we'll see her soon enough," Kie answered.

Lia swallowed. "You really think so?"

"Yeah," Kie answered. "I have to. She'll be okay. And so will you."

Lia looked at Kie. "And you."

Kie gave a small, soft smile. "Yeah. All of us. I just don't want it to be weird with us anymore, after the way we had to leave."

"It's not weird," Lia told her. "I mean, it was, but it just... hurt more than anything, you know? We just got reunited only to be torn part all over again. And that's constant."

"It is constant," Kie agreed. "But hopefully it won't have to keep being constant when we get home."

Lia sighed heavily. "I sure as hell hope not. It hurts too fucking much."

Kie nodded in agreement, wrapping her arm around Lia. Lia leaned her head on Kie's shoulder, holding her hand in her own as they watched the night sky longingly, missing the moments when Isa would've been there with them.

⚓️

Routledge Boat

Isa, John B and Big John were sitting in the boat.

Isa was watching the night sky longingly, missing the moments when Lia and Kie would've been there with her, more than anything just wanting to get back with the Pogues.

(Song Ends)

Big John poured shots for himself and his two children. They all grabbed their shots, clinking them.

"To life, living, and the pursuit of... treasure," Big John toasted.

Isa nodded. "That's a good one."

Big John chuckled, taking his shot.

Isa and John B took their shots. Once they were done, they winced.

Big John laughed. "Yeah, see, that'll put hair on your chest there."

John B picked up the Signpost. "So what's the deal with this whole big kahuna thing? I mean, how did you end up on Barbados?"

"Well, same way you did, and for the same reason, too," Big John answered. "The treasure. And Carlos Singh. Yeah, I was marooned out on the Shoals for what felt like months, living on seaweed and sweat and rainwater, and fixed myself up to be crab food. Thought I was a goner."

⚓️

Flashback 8 - About a Year Ago

Day - The Shoals

Big John woke up underneath his shelter made of twigs and leaves.

Big John: (voice over) "Singh must have tracked my boat, then his men showed up. He must have known I was onto something, because they found me."

Two men walked up to Big John.

Big John: (voice over) "At first, I thought I was being rescued."

When Man 1 tried to grab Big John, Big John stood, fighting him off as best as he could, as he grabbed a rock from the ground and used it to bash his head in, having to kill him in self-defense as it was literally the only way to defend himself.

Big John: (voice over) "Turns out, it was less of a rescue mission, more of a captivity-type deal. Yeah. I didn't go without a fight."

Man 2 walked closer, aiming his gun at Big John, ready to take him away, leaving the body behind.

Big John: (voice over) "We left one of his men behind, as I'm sure you've heard."

⚓️

Now

Night - Routledge Boat

Big John spoke with Isa and John B. "Next thing I know, I'm being shipped off to Barbados. Singh's place."

⚓️

Flashback 9

Singh's Place - Orinoco Room

Big John was locked up and unable to get out.

Big John: (voice over) "They locked me up in some audacious estate surrounded by cane fields and armed guards. I meet this particular little man, Singh."

⚓️

Living Room

Big John was holding the Signpost, acting as if he was deciphering it.

Singh watched intensely.

Big John: (voice over) "He wants to cut a deal with me. He wants me to tell him everything I know, in exchange for him keeping me alive. But it didn't take long before I caught on to the game."

Big John suddenly attacked Singh, taking him down to the floor.

Big John: (voice over) "So as soon as I got a chance, I took it. Got a little roughed up was along the way, but I made it out."

⚓️

Now

Routledge Boat

Big John looked at his kids. "And here I am, back with my kids."

Isa and John B nodded, exchanging a look, still not certain how they felt about this reunion; of course they loved their dad and they were happy that he was alive, but everything that happened after that had left things to be convicted and confusing, especially the way Big John acted like they didn't have a reason to be angry, and of course his reaction to Isa needing to go to the doctor and took them on a treasure hunt instead, where they almost got killed, and Isa hit her head.

Isa was having trouble staying awake, making John B fear that she had a concussion.

John B moved closer to Isa, desperately trying to keep his sister awake. "Isa, stay with me, okay? Stay awake. You gotta stay awake until we get back to Kildare, okay? Until we get to the doctor."

Isa nodded tiredly. "Okay."

⚓️

Basseterre, St. Kitts

Rafe's Boat

(Song:) Wait For You - Tom Walker ft. Zoe Wees

JJ was steering the boat, where they were about to dock long enough to get supplies and gas.

Kaylee was resting on the bench behind him, looking exhausted even after falling asleep earlier given her nightmare, which JJ was helpfully keeping her distracted from.

"So you sure you didn't tell him where the diary is?" JJ asked.

"I told him I'd seen it, but I didn't tell him where," Kaylee answered.

JJ turned to look at her. "Why does he want it so much?"

"Singh said that he thinks the diary has a clue to the location of some city of gold," Kaylee answered. "I mentioned it to Lia, and of course it sounds familiar to her since she's basically got the entire fucking thing memorized aside from the passages she couldn't translate."

"Right, yeah," JJ agreed. "She knew about the cross and the gold because of that damn diary."

"Yeah, and sadly other people too," Kaylee agreed. "But the gold on the Merchant and the cross was just a small part of it."

JJ considered this. "Okay, so the diary we have leads to a 500-year-old treasure that no one's ever found?"

"Pretty much," Kaylee answered.

JJ nodded. "I'm in. It's kind of like my best option at this point, so... definitely beats geometry class."

"Yeah, beats going back home," Kaylee agreed, looking down, nervous about her parents.

JJ looked at her knowingly. "Your parents?"

"They never believed me about Tod and said that whatever happened to me, I deserved because I was such a problem child to them," Kaylee said. "They turned me in after everything and almost got me killed. Why would they believe me now?"

"They have to, right?" JJ asked.

"I don't know," Kaylee admitted. "They would rather send me away and lock me up. That night outside the police station proved that. But I won't let them do the same thing to Kie like they threatened before everything happened."

JJ nodded in agreement, concerned. "Yeah. I don't even know what'll happen when we get back to the OBX. Nothing good. I can tell you that. Nothing good."

Kaylee sighed. "Shit is going to suck for a while."

JJ turned to look at Kaylee, one hand still on the boat wheel. "At least you don't got a restitution, though. No job. No parents. Yeah, arrows are going to be coming in hot."

Kaylee looked at JJ in concern.

JJ wanted to try and make them both feel better before the inevitable conversation came. "But you know what we do when arrows come flying?" Acting in his true ADHD fun self, JJ started to charade like he was blocking arrows and fighting off bad guys. "Bing. Ding, ding, ding!" JJ jumped up to grab a bar over his head, spinning around and kicking at the air, before jumping down. "Ding!"

Kaylee couldn't help a slight smile at that. "Quick."

JJ grabbed hold of the wheel again. "And you shoot right back at them. And that spear comes at you, you plant, grab, disarm, straight into the jugular, finish them off like..."

JJ enacted what he was speaking of, acting like he speared someone, until he had to dock the boat at the marina. When he stopped the boat, the boat rocked slightly, and he stumbled a bit before sitting next to Kaylee. Kaylee looked at him.

JJ returned the gaze, knowing what she was worried about, trying to reassure her. "Just one by one. We'll defeat them all. No matter what, okay?"

Kaylee took a deep, shaky breath, knowing that this was going to feel worse than almost anything else she had been through. "I know." She sniffed. "Is this the part where you get me to open up and talk about how I'm really feeling?"

"That's what Kie wants me to do," JJ answered. "Everybody actually. Because they're worried about you and we all know that you need to. I'm worried about you too. But I know you'll talk when you're ready. I'm not gonna push it."

Kaylee gave him a small, thankful smile, gazing off slightly, sighing. "What if I'm not okay?"

"After what happened, I'd say that it's totally expected, and totally okay, for you not to be okay," JJ pointed out.

Kaylee sighed heavily. "Yeah, maybe, but..."

JJ shook his head. "No maybes about it. Kaylee, after what happened with your parents, and Tod and his parents, and Singh... the mob especially."

"I'm not worried about all of that," Kaylee admitted. "I'm more worried about what will happen when we get back. And I know we have to go back. We can't keep running, not with the state that Lia, Wheezie, Isa and I are in. But the Laurents are going to want me dead even more now. Especially after what I did to Tod's dad. And I don't know how to fight against them or protect myself against them, let alone anyone else. And I already almost lost you because of Macias... almost killing you."

JJ cupped Kaylee's cheeks. "But he didn't. Okay? We're still here. We're alive. And we're free. You just need to believe that, okay?"

Kaylee had tears in her eyes, shaking her head. "We're not free, JJ. Rafe's trying to clear my name and everything, but it's not done yet. And even if it was, you really think that Tod's parents are going to stop going after me or the people I love? They could try and kill me again, or you, or anyone else I love."

JJ shook his head. "It's not gonna happen, Kaylee. I won't let that happen."

"I think we both know by now that even if we try our hardest not to let each other get hurt, we can't stop things from happening, even though we try," Kaylee pointed out. "I know you won't 'let' anything happen, JJ. But bad things are still gonna happen."

JJ sighed, knowing she was right.

Kaylee looked down, swallowing. "I was so relieved to know that you guys were on the ship to come protect me, Lia, Sarah and Wheezie from Ward and the rest of the crew on that ship. But I was worried, too. Because I didn't want any of you to get hurt. And the same thing could happen now after everything I've done, and I don't want any of you to get hurt trying to protect me again."

"You know that none of us give a damn if we get hurt if it means people we care about are in danger," JJ pointed out.

Kaylee nodded in agreement, looking down, licking her lips nervously. "That's what I'm worried about. Especially when it comes to you and what you'll do if something like that ever happens again. You followed me into a fight with Macias that we barely made it out of. He almost killed you with a machete. And that was some low-rent loser. The Laurents are so much stronger than that."

JJ stroked a piece of Kaylee's hair back as they looked each other in the eyes, both in so much pain. "I'd follow you anywhere, anytime, when you need me there. No matter what happens, I'd always run to you. And if I couldn't run, I'd crawl and I'd still find a way to get to you, no matter the odds. Us against the world, remember, Kaylee?"

Kaylee nodded with tears in her eyes. "Us against the world. I still believe that, JJ. But... I'm just so..."

JJ looked down knowingly, sadly. "You don't want to put me in danger. Not like that, not again." Kaylee shook her head, sniffling, fighting back tears. "Kaylee, I don't care what happens to me, if it means that I get to keep you safe."

"I know you don't," Kaylee agreed. "And I just don't want to take the risk of something happening like that again. I just... I can't stop thinking about what happened, and it feels like it's..."

JJ was very worried and concerned, frustrated and angry that Tod and his family caused this much damage. "Driving you crazy."

"And it's my fault," Kaylee told him. "I know you don't believe that, but... I killed Tod. I burned his dad's face off. I drove the machete through Macias's stomach. I almost shot Barry and Fenton. I almost slit Rafe's throat once. And almost set the Kooks on fire, long before I set Tod on fire. I set Singh's house on fire with Fenton inside and Rafe set off the explosion. We could have killed someone else... and that's who I am now, JJ. And you deserve someone better than that. Someone better than a monster or someone who will put you in danger because of the things I've done."

JJ knew what she was trying to do, knowing that this had been coming ever since he got her back, and he couldn't even blame her, but he didn't want it to happen like this, and neither did she, sighing, closing his eyes. "Kaylee. You don't have to do this."

Kaylee was close to crying. "I think I do, JJ. Because even when I want to be with you, all I can think about is what happened, and how much it tore me apart, and I can't move on from that if everyone is acting like I need to be taken care of. That I need to be shielded. When I'm the thing that is putting you and Kie and who knows who else in danger. I just... I need to figure out how to deal with this and move on from it myself. On my own."

"And I get that," JJ told her. "And I'm sorry. I'll back off if that's what you want, but we just want to make sure that you're okay, that you're safe."

"And I am, here with you guys," Kaylee answered. "And I just need to take a step back and breathe and just... feel like I'm safe without anyone trying to make me feel that way. I love that I feel safe with you. But I feel like I have to step back and learn how to feel safe alone. Do you get that?"

JJ nodded sadly. "Yeah. And you're breaking up with me because you want to protect me. Keep me safe."

Kaylee took a deep breath. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

"I don't need you to protect me, Kaylee," JJ told her. "And I've done a shit job at protecting you."

"That's not your fault," Kaylee told him.

"It doesn't matter who's fault it is," JJ replied. "I get needing to work through it on your own, but you'd never be alone. You'd always have me, no matter what. And Kie, and Isa, John B, Pope, Lia, Sarah, Wheezie, Cleo."

Kaylee nodded. "I know I will. Believe me, I know. And I thank all of you for that, but... I need time. I thought I could handle it on my own, push it down, bury it, pretend it didn't happen, like I always do, but I can't this time. Not after everything that happened, and I need time alone mentally to deal with it and work through it."

JJ had tears in his eyes, knowing that she did, nodding, looking down. "I get it. As much as I hate it."

Kaylee nodded tearfully, letting out a shaky, broken sob. 

JJ swallowed. "I can't imagine how it feels like from your side, but I know it's a lot worse from your end. So, take as much time as you need. I know all of this is dragging you under and keeping you down, but nothing can keep Kaylee Carrera, her fight and fire down forever."

Kaylee managed a small smile at that. "You're always there to remind me."

"Yeah," JJ agreed. "And you won't really be alone. You can't get rid of me that easily." Kaylee sniffed, nodding in relief.  "And I know you're doing this partially to protect me like we said, but it doesn't matter. Because no matter what happens, I'm still gonna do what it takes. Doesn't matter what it is, or if anything changes between us. Because you're still the girl I love."

The words relieved Kaylee more than she could comprehend. She didn't know how JJ could still love her after seeing the darkest parts of her and still love her unconditionally. She didn't feel worthy of that, which was partially why she was also breaking up with JJ.

Kaylee cried silently, barely able to breathe, nodding, looking down. "I know you'll do whatever you have to. Even when I don't want you to because I want you to be safe. I can't let you do anything that will get you hurt like you got hurt before. And after everything that has happened, the only thing that hasn't changed, and won't change, is that I love you, JJ Maybank."

JJ was hurting but knowing that she needed this because of what she went through, nodding, sighing heavily, even as two tears fell down his cheeks, placing his hand on the side of Kaylee's head, leaning his head against hers, as both were crying. "This hasn't changed, and it never will. I love you, Kaylee Carrera. Always."

Kaylee nodded emotionally, letting out a shaky breath. "I love you."

Kaylee closed the distance between them with a sweet and tender but deep and passionate kiss filled with love, longing, but pain because both knew she needed time. JJ held the back of Kaylee's head to deepen the kiss, arms around each other. They finally pulled away.

JJ took off his bracelet from around his wrist, taking Kaylee's wrist. "Here. I want you to have this."

"What for?" Kaylee asked, barely able to speak over a whisper.

"Just because you need to sort this out on your own, doesn't mean that you're alone," JJ answered. "This way, I'm giving you the time you need, but I'm still with you. So that you're not completely on your own."

Kaylee smiled tearfully and gratefully, relieved that he thought of this, nodding appreciatively. "Thank you." She kissed the bracelet chord around her wrist. "I love it."

JJ kissed Kaylee's head. "Take all the time you need, okay?"

Kaylee nodded, struggling to hold back a complete breakdown in front of him, aware that it would only make things more difficult for him. JJ gave Kaylee another kiss, his hand gliding down her arm to intertwine their fingers, lifting her hand to his lips for a kiss. Through her tears, Kaylee offered a strained smile, returning the gesture by kissing JJ's hand in return.

As JJ stepped back, their hands gradually slipped apart, his reluctance to leave palpable, yet he knew she needed him to go. Their gaze remained interlocked until JJ turned and walked away, descending from the boat, while Kaylee watched, fighting the urge to call him back but certain it was the right choice for her mental well-being and his protection.

Once he disappeared, Kaylee allowed herself to fully succumb to her emotions, collapsing onto the bench behind her, no longer pretending to be alright, confronting the reality that she was far from it.

(Song Ends)

⚓️

Docks

JJ went to get gas for the boat.

Lia, Wheezie and Sarah walked off the boat to help JJ with the gas, looking at him in concern, glancing toward Kaylee, clearly knowing what happened.

"JJ, you okay?" Sarah asked.

With his back to them, JJ wiped his face quickly, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm good. All good."

"It's not your guys' fault," Wheezie told him.

"I know that," JJ agreed.

Lia looked at him sadly, concerned for both him and Kaylee, hating that this was driving them apart, even if they were trying to do it the best way they could without it ending badly between the two of them. "Anything we can do to help you guys?"

"You three got hurt enough in this shit," JJ told them. "Let us handle this part." Lia, Wheezie and Sarah nodded sadly in agreement. "Just, uh, help me with the gas, will you?"

"Of course," Lia answered.

Before they got the gas, Lia, Wheezie and Sarah put a hand on JJ's arms, knowing that he didn't want pity or concern right now, but just enough to let him know that they weren't alone. JJ gave them a barely noticeable smile in response, clearing his throat, looking away.

Pope and Cleo walked off the boat, also concerned and aware of what happened.

"You good, man?" Pope asked.

JJ nodded, biting his lip. "Yeah."

Pope looked toward Kaylee in concern.

Cleo looked at them sympathetically. "You guys got the gas, and we got the food, yeah?"

"Yeah," Wheezie answered.

Pope and Cleo nodded, starting to walk away, as Pope patted JJ comfortingly on the arm as he walked past. JJ nodded barely in response.

Cleo looked at Pope.  "Let's go find a corner shop. Gotta be one nearby."

⚓️

Shop - Outside

(Song:) Destroy the Empire - Pachyman

Cleo led the way up to the store, Pope in tow. "All right, time to gain some provisions, yeah?"

"So you're just gonna walk in there and shoplift?" Pope asked.

"You got a pocketful of cash?" Cleo replied. Pope shook his head. "So what? No snappy comeback? Come on. Come on, Gray Pipe."

Pope was too worried about his friends to be into their banter at the moment. "Look, I ain't got nothing. Go do your thing."

Cleo raised her eyebrows, looking away. "Okay. Stay quiet, watch my back. Maybe this will cheer you up. Looks like all you guys need some cheering up."

Cleo looked at Pope, winking, walking up to the store.

Pope followed.

(Song Ends)

⚓️

Inside

(Song:) No Cup No Broke - The African Brothers

Cleo and Pope walked into the store, hearing a customer in the aisles singing an offkey tune to Drink Old England Dry.

Cleo looked at the counter clerk. "Ay, bey, what's going on?"

"Hey, sis," the clerk replied.

"I looking for the pepper sauce," Cleo told him. "The Jamaican one."

The clerk nodded. "Yeah, got a pepper sauce there. Every one you want."

Cleo turned to look through the sauces. "Hey, all right."

"Enjoy your shopping," the clerk told them.

Cleo signaled Pope to be quiet with a finger to her lips, pointing around at the things around them, heading into the aisle with the singing customer, pulling down a tray of food next to him, making it clatter loudly behind him as she snuck past smoothly, gathering the clerk's attention to the singing customer while she darted off.

The customer looked around. "That fucking--"

(Song Ends)

The clerk walked up to the customer. "What going on behind here, man? Excuse there, dude. Hey, watch your step, friend."

"It wasn't me, mate," the customer replied.

"You is the only person here," the clerk pointed out.

"A woman came through and knocked it all over," the customer explained. Cleo peaked out from behind a shelf with a smirk. "You're rushing in and you're telling me it's all my fault, blah, blah, blah." While they were distracted, Cleo was sneaking merchandise and provisions into her bag, which Pope noticed, keeping an eye out for her. The customer looked at the clerk. "Tell you what, you can refine my palate with a bit of that rum."

The clerk gave the customer an annoyed look. "You smell like a refinery, brush." He turned his head toward Cleo. "Hey, hey, hey, hey! Hold it there, girl." Cleo stopped next to Pope. The clerk walked closer. "What you got inside this bag here, sis?"

"What bag, this thing?" Cleo asked, looking to Pope for help.

Pope hurriedly came up with a distraction, picking up a mango from the customer's cart, trying out an accent like Cleo's, but a very bad one. "Yo, man, you trying to sell my man bad mangoes?

The clerk took the mango from Pope. "This mango was just picked, man."

"You know that got the blight on it," Pope told him. "I've been picking mangoes since I was a youth, and you know that'll kill my man." Cleo smirked, rolling her eyes, shaking her head. "You eat this mango, it eat you. You end up like a sick hamster on your back, dirt on your shirt."

The clerk stammered nervously.

(Song:) More Mess On My Thing - The Poets of Rhythm

Cleo and Pope took their chance to start running for the front door, leaving the clerk and customer behind them dumbfounded.

Cleo glanced at Pope as they continued to run. "Can't believe you think I sound like that!"

The clerk ran after them. "You, come back here! Hey, hey! Where do you think you're going? Hey, you, come back here! Little thieving rat!"

Cleo and Pope made a break for it, leaving the store.

⚓️

Outside

Cleo and Pope were still running, heading back for the boat.

"You know, I don't know what's worse," Cleo admitted. "The sick hamster or that accent."

The clerk was still yelling after them. "You cannot be serious!" Pope glanced back as he continued to run with Cleo. "Yeah, you! Thieving rat!"

(Song Ends)

⚓️

Rafe's Boat

Kaylee was still sitting alone, finally letting herself cry until she couldn't cry anymore.

Kie walked up to Kaylee, looking at her sadly. "Kay...."

Kaylee took a shaky breath, shaking her head. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, Kie."

"I know," Kie agreed. "I just wanted to be here with you. Is that okay?"

Kaylee nodded shakily. Kie sat down next to Kaylee, wrapping her arm around Kaylee, holding her close, protectively as much as she could. She hated feeling how sick Kaylee was, along with Isa, Wheezie and Lia, but knew that they would be able to get them help soon. She just wished that none of them had to go through so much pain. Kaylee returned the embrace, just needing her sister there for her, with her as Kie held her comfortingly.

⚓️

Routledge Boat

(Song:) Sunday Morning - Amanaz

The Routledges were on their way home as well.

"Enough about me," Big John told them. "I want to hear about you. And not the bad parts this time."

Isa sighed, holding her arm in pain, still having a tough time staying awake. "That takes out about 90% of it, for us and the Pogues."

John B nodded in acknowledgement, staying by Isa's side to make sure she stayed awake and engaged.

"Who are you two sweet on these days, huh?" Big John asked. "I know there must be someone. You two and your friends."

"Yeah, let's start with the other guys," Isa mused.

"Yeah, yeah, there's, uh, there's been some developments on that front," John B agreed. "Kaylee and JJ finally got together."

Big John chuckled. "Not shit."

"Not even kidding," Isa answered. "But things have been going really bad for them lately, not because of them, but because of a psycho stalker named Tod Laurent, so that..."

"Things are kinda up in the air for JJ and Kaylee," John B finished. "And Pope's got a new thing with our new friend Cleo. Kind of obvious to everyone but them type of thing."

"And, uh, I got two girlfriends," Isa added.

Big John nodded, impressed. "Two? Nice work, Dove."

Isa chuckled.

"And I'm married, Dad," John B added.

Big John spluttered slightly, chuckling. "You're joking, right?"

"No," John B answered.

Big John tilted his head. "What, is she pregnant?"

"No, no, God, no, no," John B answered. "Yeah, we haven't really had time for the extracurricular activities."

Big John poured them each a shot. "You're a little young, ain't ya?"

"I mean, you said it best," John B told him. "If it's right, it's right."

"And if it makes you feel better, the marriage was totally not legal or official, but it's a big Pogue marriage in a way," Isa explained. "Marriage of the heart which is the only thing that matters."

John B smiled, nodding to Isa. "Exactly, yeah."

Isa sent a teasing wink back to her brother as she picked up her shot.

Big John nodded. "Do I know them? These girlfriends and wife?"

Isa cleared her throat. "Yeah, yeah, you know them. One of mine... is Kie, Dad." She smiled. "Kiara Carrera."

Big John chuckled. "Of course it is. And the others?"

Isa bit her lip, knowing he wasn't going to like this because of Ward, taking her shot. "Lia Cameron, for me and Kie. Lia's with me and Kie."

John B took his shot. "My wife is Sarah Cameron."

Big John removed his glasses, giving the two a look. "Ward's daughters? Queens of Kildare?"

"Lia was never like that, and you know it," Isa told him. "She and her little sister Wheezie were as much of outcasts as Kaylee and Kie. But yes."

"You just can't do things the easy way, can you?" Big John asked.

"They're not like Rafe or Ward," Isa told him. "Trust me."

Big John shook his head. "Rafe and Ward are in there, kids. You may not like it, but they're still family, and they're still Camerons."

"Not anymore," John B replied. "They're Routledges, Dad. And Carreras in Lia's case. They're Pogues."

"They wouldn't ever go back to Rafe and Ward after all they did to them," Isa told him. "Lia's been locked up and isolated and driven to the edge because of them. And Sarah and Wheezie too, just not in the same way."

"They're Kooks," Big John said.

"You never had a problem with Kaylee and Kie," John B countered.

"Because they hated the Figure 8 rich kids as much as the rest of us," Big John reminded them.

"Lia, Wheezie and Sarah are the same way," John B asserted. "Trust us. After how they've all treated them... they've almost died for us. So yeah, we can trust them."

"Can you--can you not push away the best thing that's ever happened to us, please?" Isa asked. "We love them."

Big John just stared at them, processing, but clearly he couldn't bring himself to trust this.

"Are you mad?" John B asked.

Big John put his glasses on, taking his shot, putting the glass down, looking at his kids. "That you went for the big prizes? How could I be mad about that?" He poured them more shots, which they clinked together. "Congratulations."

They took their shots.

(Song Ends)

⚓️

Basseterre, St. Kitts

Marina

(Song:) You and Me - Penny & The Quarters

JJ, Lia, Wheezie and Sarah were getting the gas filled up completely and almost ready to go again.

JJ looked up onto the boat where Kaylee had fallen back asleep in Kie's hold, as her older sister didn't want to let Kaylee go. He had pain but understanding in his expression and eyes where Kaylee was concerned, but fury where Tod and himself were concerned; furious that Tod and his family did this to them, and fury at himself because he couldn't stop any of it from happening no matter how hard he tried, making himself believe that maybe that was because he never deserved Kaylee in the first place.

Lia, Wheezie and Sarah looked at JJ sadly.

"JJ?" Wheezie asked.

JJ sighed heavily. "Let's get rolling."

But JJ couldn't find it in him to move just yet, like his feet were planted in place, and he was frozen.

Lia stepped closer, wrapping her arms around JJ sadly in comfort. JJ was only slightly surprised, and returned the embrace, having no idea how much he needed it before. Wheezie stepped in to wrap her arms around Lia and JJ both.

Sarah stepped closer, wrapping her arms around Wheezie, Lia and JJ, holding them all comfortingly. "It's gonna be okay. It's gonna get all better. For Kaylee, Isa, John B... all of us Pogues. I promise."

JJ definitely needed to hear those words, even if he himself didn't believe them right now, just returning the embrace from Lia, Wheezie and Sarah for a moment longer, before pulling away, walking away quickly to the boat, climbing aboard, going to get everything ready to sail away.

Lia, Wheezie and Sarah exchanged a look, sighing sadly, going to follow.

Pope and Cleo were sitting on the dock while waiting for the signal they were ready to go.

Cleo was eating some of the food they had gotten. "Jackpot. You worried about those guys? That why your wybe so sorry, bey?"

"Yeah," Pope answered.

"I get it," Cleo told him. "It's weird, though. Seeing them all go from happy couples to tortured souls in the blink of any eye."

Pope nodded in agreement. "Love is five minutes of pleasure for a lifetime of pain."

"Sounds about right, especially after seeing all of them today," Cleo agreed. "But I can't blame them. I've been burned by love before, too. Blinded by it until it nearly killed me. There was this bad man back on my island. Taught me how to survive on the street. Best thief I ever seen. I mean, a true master. I fell for him. Turns out, he was stealing from me too, and I felt like an idiot." Pope looked at her understandingly, looking down. "Love. Better to let it go. Shut that shit down, Pipe. Cold turkey. Before it consumes everything like it did to all those guys."

"That works for you?" Pope asked.

Cleo turned her head to give Pope an amused look, tilting her head. "I mean, do you see me with my face all long, tormented by things I have no control over like them?" Pope considered this. "We should start a club." Pope glanced at her. Cleo chuckled. "Call it the No Love Club."

Pope couldn't help but smile and chuckle to that. "What?"

"The No Love Club," Cleo answered.

Pope smiled, shaking his head. "That's so corny."

Cleo tilted her head. "Oh, come on, think about it."

Pope looked down in thought. "No outside forces could use love against you if you're not together with anyone, like Kaylee and JJ. Or separation repeatedly like Isa, Kie and Lia. Or just circumstances for Sarah and John B."

"Exactly," Cleo agreed.

"And no obsessive thoughts," Pope added. "It's gonna be hard. I have a lot of obsessive thoughts."

Cleo smiled. "Well, feelings and thoughts pass like the tide."

Pope nodded. "I'm down." Cleo smiled as they looked at each other. "I'm down. Let's do it. No Love Club."

Cleo grinned, chuckling. "All right! Well, I guess we got to come up with a handshake, right?"

Cleo stood.

"A handshake?" Pope repeated.

Cleo nodded. "I'll show you." She started to teach Pope the handshake, holding their hands together as they tapped each other's hands across each other's back and forth. "Uh, uh." Cleo held up her hands in a heart shape. "Love."

Pope held up his hands in a heart shape. "Yeah."

Cleo rocked a bit as she held her arms in an X over her chest, shaking her finger back and forth. "No chance."

Pope repeated the stance. "No chance."

"Then you gotta rock away with it," Cleo went on, her arms still in an X over her chest as she rocked side from side.

Pope copied the movement. "Rock away."

Cleo smiled. "I'll teach you some rhythm."

"Okay, I like it," Pope told her.

Cleo grinned. "There you go, there you go. You got some rhythm. There's hope for you after all."

"Cleo, Pope, come on," Wheezie called.

Cleo and Pope smiled, going to go up to the boat so they could sail away with their friends and go home.

⚓️

On the Sea

Rafe's Boat

Cleo and Pope were sitting on the boat together, looking up at the sky.

Kie and Lia were almost asleep next to each other. Looking up at the entire sky and wishing Isa was here.

Kaylee had woken up just before they left port, sitting at the edge of the boat, looking out over the water with sadness in her eyes.

JJ was practicing Cleo's knife trick again on his own, looking over toward Kaylee over his shoulder, swallowing nervously, sadly, but with anger still directed at himself and Tod.

Feeling his gaze, Kaylee turned her head toward JJ, as their eyes locked sadly.

JJ nodded barely before looking away.

Kaylee let out a shaky breath, looking down, her eyes glassy and distant.

Wheezie was laying in the cabin of the boat to get some sleep.

Sarah was at the helm, sailing the boat, looking up at the North Star above, thinking of John B.

(Song Ends)

⚓️

Routledge Boat

Isa, John B and Big John were sailing.

John B was looking up at the North Star, thinking of Sarah.

Isa was looking over the entire sky, wishing she was with Kie and Lia.

Isa and John B exchanged a look, worried about all of their friends.

"Dove, Bird, come here," Big John told them. Isa and John B walked over to him, sitting down. "See, most people think the Golden City is here up above the Orinoco Basin. That Spanish ship, the one with the cross and the gold."

"Yeah, the San Jose," John B recalled.

Big John nodded. "They were rumored to have found El Dorado. That's where all the gold game from." He picked up the Signpost. "And this stone piece is supposedly what led them to El Dorado. Now, the captain of the San Jose wanted to be the only one who knew how to get there, so he dug this up out of the jungle, kept it with him. At least that's the story. So the idea is if you can translate this stone piece, then boom, it tells you how to get there."

"Um, that little stone piece is broken," Isa stated with honest sarcasm.

Big John nodded. "Singh thinks that the diary holds a clue to the missing piece. I think he's probably right."

"Yep," John B agreed.

Isa sighed. "Only one way to find out."

"This is the big one, kids," Big John stated. "I've been obsessed with this since I was your age, going out into the blank spaces, hunting for treasure, and finding it. But as I got older, I began to think that all those spaces had been filled in, that there was nothing left to discover. Till I got on this. I've been dreaming about this my whole life. We find that diary, kids, we decipher those scribblings, we're on our way to El Dorado."

Isa and John B exchanged a look.

Suddenly, they heard a large splash of water behind them, instantly turning to see what it was.

A huge whale was passing above the water behind them before diving back down.

Isa was awed by the sight. "Look at that."

John B laughed. "Whoa!"

The whale blew a sprout of water up into the air.

Big John smiled. "Look at that beauty. Thar she blows!"

Isa watched the wale disappear beneath the waves with an awed smile. "Holy shit. That's amazing."

The whale was singing as its tale flipped up above the surface before disappearing again.

"Sure is," John B agreed.

"It's a sign, kids," Big John told them. "Wow. We're gonna find it, together."

They clinked their beers.

"Together," John B stated.

Isa bit her lip, nodding. "Together."

Isa and John B drank their beer.

⚓️

Day Two

Venice, Italy

Morning - Maverick Family's Yacht

By the next morning, the news of N8's supposed kidnapping was known world wide due to Interpol's resources.

Still in her gown, Elyna had fallen asleep at one of the tables in the interior of the yacht, waking up when she heard alerts going off on her phone. She looked toward N8, who was also just waking up.

Elyna grinned, showing N8 the Interpol missing persons report on her phone. "Look, it's you."

N8 pulled up multiple articles, including from TMZ, reporting his so-called disappearance, in disbelief. "People think I'm missing? Didn't you tell the auction house we were gonna be here?"

Elyna pulled a face, shrugging, smirking slightly. "Not exactly."

N8 looked away, processing. "Oh, shit. Shit."

Elyna pulled up another article about N8's disappearance on her tablet, turning to show it to N8, smiling with a tilt of her head.

Still in last night's suit, Gael walked in from where he had been standing outside on the deck.

"Holy shit," N8 said. "You guys kidnapped me."

Elyna's mouth dropped into a mock pout. "Come on."

"Do you feel kidnapped?" Gael questioned.

Confused, N8 frowned as he recalled the night before. "No."

Elyna tilted her head. "Do kidnappers take artists to party on a yacht all night long and pay them millions of dollars?"

N8 shook his head, still lost. "No. Who are you guys?"

Gael circled the table, sitting down. "Well, N8, my daughter Elyna and I are real lovers of art. We love paintings."

"Video art installations," Elyna chimed in. "Sculptures."

Gael nodded, gesturing to Elyna. "Photography, even street art. But we've never lifted an NFT."

N8 frowned. "So you're thieves?"

"High class thieves," Elyna interjected. "There's a difference."

"We rescue works of art from undeserving owners," Gael explained. "Unnoticed, underappreciated artwork, and we sell it to people who will take care of it."

"Not only giving the works of art the recognition that it deserves, but also the artist that made it," Elyna concluded.

"But you bought my NFT, right?" N8 asked. "I mean, I saw--"

"A legit transaction," Gael answered. "Just before this, we sold a Van Gogh on the black market for $25 million. Enough to cover your NFT."

N8's head was reeling as he processed this, still confused. "Then why did you fake my kidnapping?"

"Borrowing," Elyna corrected, tilting her head sheepishly in consideration. "A human. But still borrowing."

Gael took out a keychain which held a miniature picture of the Mona Lisa to show it to N8. "Leonardo da Vinci sold The Mona Lisa for $25,000. Nobody gave a shit about it for 400 years until someone stole it. That smile is now worth $860 million because there's a crazy story behind it. Just like the one of us borrowing you. And thanks to Interpol and all the free publicity, well, the whole world now thinks that you've been kidnapped, which only drove the price of the NFT through the roof. How much did we sell it for, Elyna?"

Elyna turned to her laptop on the table next to her to maintainence the NFT's selling on the black market online. "We just closed, uh..." She smiled in awe. "89 million."

N8 looked at her in shock. "What?!"

Gael grinned as he leaned toward N8. "89 million." He leaned back in his seat, clapping his hands. "Wow. 89 million dollars."

N8 realized that far outweighed the money that they used to pay him for the NFT from the Van Gogh they sold on the black market just before this. "I... I beat Van Gogh?"

Elyna turned to N8 with a grin. "If my calculations are correct - and they always are - we made 42 million, and you just made 27 more million, on top of the 25 you already have."

N8 looked at them in awe and appreciation. "You gave me 52 million dollars?"

"No, you earned 52 million dollars," Elyna corrected. "We just had the means to make it happen."

N8's eyes widened as the reality of the situation sank in. "I... I can't believe this. You've made me rich beyond my wildest dreams."

Elyna grinned, leaning back in her chair. "And we've made you famous. Your name is going to be on everyone's lips for weeks."

Gael nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. "The art world will be clamoring for your next piece. You'll be able to name your price."

N8 shook his head in disbelief. "This is insane. Thank you."

Elyna smiled, offering her hand for a fist bump. "Boom!"

N8 dazedly fist bumped with Elyna, laughing in disbelief, still processing this life-changing shock.

Gael smiled, standing, raising a glass of champagne. "Let's make a toast."

Elyna eagerly picked up a glass. "Ooh, okay."

Elyna stood.

N8 stood with his own glass. "All right."

Gael offered the toast. "To the world's first heist of an NFT!"

As the trio cheered, they drank from their glasses.

N8 was still dazed, but ecstatic. "What happens now? Won't Interpol be looking for me?"

"Don't worry," Elyna reassured him. "We have someone on the inside, and we have a plan. In fact, if I know my mother, it's already in motion."

Just then, Gael's phone buzzed. He glanced at his phone, seeing that Esme was calling him. "Speak of the devil." He answered his phone. "Esme, love. You played your part all too well."

Esme's voice came through the phone, a mix of exasperation and amusement evident. "Gael, you and Elyna have really outdone yourselves this time. The entire art world is in an uproar."

Gael chuckled, putting the phone on speaker so Elyna could hear. "That was the plan, wasn't it?"

Elyna leaned in, grinning. "Hi, Mom! How's the hunt going?"

Esme sighed. "You two are impossible. I've had to put on quite the show of leading a massive search operation. The press is having a field day."

N8 looked at Elyna, his eyes wide. "Wait, your mom is with Interpol?"

Elyna nodded, smirking. "Yep. Best of both worlds, right?"

Elyna took a drink of champagne.

Esme chuckled lightly. "Interpol is running around like headless chickens, so it won't be hard for me to follow a trail to the yacht one and be able to find N8 and bring him home. Both of you will be gone by then, yes?"

"Ghosts in the wind," Gael promised. "At least you'll be able to tell your dick of a boss that you brought him home safe and sound."

"Yeah, we had fun, didn't we, N8?" Elyna grinned. "And the 52 mil doesn't hurt."

N8 couldn't help but laugh. "Doesn't hurt? You just changed my life."

"Well, be prepared to tell Interpol exactly what happened," Gael told him. "At least it'll give them something to chew on."

Elyna waved her hands to tease a headline. "Infamous art thieves rescue digital artist and make him rich and famous beyond his wildest dreams. Let's see how Interpol does with that."

Esme smiled. "You two never have played by the rules. Stealing art yet changing the lives of the artists forever."

Elyna laughed, raising her glass. "To breaking the rules and making art history!"

They all clinked glasses again.

N8 shook his head in amazement. "This is... I don't even know what to say. You guys are like modern-day Robin Hoods."

Elyna grinned. "I prefer to think of us as art world disruptors. Shaking things up, making people see value where they didn't before."

Gael nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "It's what we do best."

Esme chuckled through the phone, genuine pride and fondness evident in her tone. "Just don't get too cocky. I can only run interference for so long before suspicions arise."

"Don't worry, Mom," Elyna assured her. "We'll be long gone before you 'find' N8."

Gael nodded. "We've already arranged for a private jet to take us to our next destination. N8, you're welcome to join us for a bit longer if you'd like to lay low until the media frenzy dies down."

N8 considered it for a moment, then shook his head. "As tempting as that sounds, I think I need to face the music. Plus, I've got some ideas brewing for my next piece. This whole experience has been... inspiring."

Elyna leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "That's what I like to hear. I can't wait to see what we inspired."

Gael raised his glass to N8. "To your future masterpieces then. May they be as groundbreaking as this heist."

Elyna grinned, clinking her glass against N8's. "And may they fetch even higher prices. Though I doubt anything will top this for sheer audacity."

N8 laughed, shaking his head in amazement. "I still can't believe all this happened. It feels like a dream."

"The best cons always do," Gael winked.

Esme's voice came through the phone, tinged with both amusement and exasperation. "Alright, you three. As much as I'm enjoying this little celebration, we need to wrap things up. I've got a team chomping at the bit to 'rescue' our esteemed artist here."

Elyna pouted playfully. "Aw. Our fun together is over."

Gael placed the keys to the yacht in N8's hand. "But yours is only just beginning."

N8's jaw dropped in shock as he realized what Gael was doing. "You're giving me your yacht?"

Elyna winked. "Think of it as our goodbye present. Keep dreaming big, N8."

Gael raised his glass in a final toast to N8. "To your next masterpiece, my friend. May it be as revolutionary as this adventure."

Elyna chimed in, her eyes glinting with excitement. "And don't forget us little people when you're the toast of the art world!"

N8 laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "As if I could ever forget this. You've given me a story I'll be telling for the rest of my life."

Esme's voice came through the phone, warm and sincere. "N8, I look forward to meeting you in person soon. Remember, when I find you, act surprised and a little shaken. It'll make my job easier."

"Got it," N8 nodded, still grinning. "I'll give an Oscar-worthy performance."

Gael gave a final bye Esme. "We'll see you soon, Esme."

"Get out of there first," Esme replied.

Elyna smiled. "Gone like the wind."

Esme ended the call as Gael put his phone into his pocket.

Gael clapped N8 on the shoulder in a final goodbye. "Good luck."

Elyna finished her glass of champagne, placing it down. "Rule the world like you own it. No other way to live."

N8 grinned from ear to ear as he watched Elyna and Gael climb off of the yacht and into the smaller boat from the night before.

Elyna gave one last wave which N8 returned just as Gael drove himself and Elyna away.

Leaving N8 with an entirely new life and ready to take on the world.

⚓️

Interpol Offices

Within the hour, Esme had taken her team to the yacht to 'find' N8, who gave the performance of life of being shaken up and confused, but as discussed, he told the truth, describing what Elyna and Gael had done play by play - including the 52 million and their intentions to make him rich and famous and appreciated or his work.

It left Interpol utterly stunned, while Esme couldn't be prouder, while giving the performance of her life - time after time - as the Interpol agent who was frustrated with just barely missing her targets. Yet, as she walked with a couple of agents, including Agent Ross, in the Interpol Headquarters, she heard whispers about how even they were beginning to think that "the Mavericks" as Elyna and Gael were known by reputation were artistic heroes.

Esme couldn't help but smile as she walked alone.

Until her commanding officer Agent Huxley called her over to his office. "Veilleux. Come with me, please."

Esme gestured to her work. "I'm in the middle of filing the latest Maverick case."

Huxley nodded, clearly not caring. "Right. Wasn't a request."

Esme set her jaw, determined not to let him get under her skin again. Huxley was rude, sexist and narcissistic, but Esme would not let him hinder her job, even if she hated taking orders from him.

Esme followed Huxley into his office. "Everything okay?"

"If it were, we'd be out of a job," Huxley pointed out. "Listen, I, uh... I need to borrow your Maverick friends. Elyna and Gael."

Esme looked at him in disbelief, ensuring that Huxley was only speaking ironically about how she had been hunting them down in pretense before she responded. "They're not my friends. And what do you mean, borrow?"

"Well, in the same way they would borrow a Picasso," Huxley answered. "I'm gonna offer them a deal."

Esme raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What? No."

"Yeah," Huxley replied.

Keeping up her Oscar-worthy performance, Esme played the part of the determined agent perfectly, looking insulted. "No, no! You do not get to do this. I know you think the art division is a third-rate department."

"It is," Huxley retorted.

"But you do not get to wipe out two years of my work," Esme told him with the perfect amount of indignity.

Huxley was unfazed. "That's literally what I'm doing, so take a seat and let it sink in."

With a glare, Esme crossed her arms over her chest and sat down.

Huxley turned away to the screens on the wall, pulling up pictures and information on the Laurents. "What do you know about Genevieve and Cian Laurent?"

"Genevieve is from the same place in France I'm from," Esme answered. "And Cian is her Irish-born husband. They own a hell of a lot of stolen art."

Huxley nodded. "They've done a lot worse than that. Cian started as a legit banker. They began putting their money in terror groups, bankrolling attacks around the world, then shorting irrelevant stocks and making a fortune." He turned to Esme. "They don't care how many people die, just how much ends up in their bank account. Remember the New Zealand plane that went down? 183 dead. Airline stock plummeted just like those poor souls. And guess who made a fortune off shorting that stock?"

"So why haven't you arrested them?" Esme asked.

"It's what I've been trying to do for years, but nothing can stick," Huxley explained. "Everyone's scared of them, or they have no clue of the power they truly hold because they'd prefer to keep themselves off the radar, practically invisible. Except that now, I have someone on the inside. Arthur Tigue. Now, Genevieve has been paying Tigue to work on something new. I caught him, I turned him, I got him to talk. According to this weasel, the Laurents have been chatting with the hacker group Leviathan."

Esme looked stunned. "Leviathan?"

Huxley nodded. "They're planning some kind of massive strike on water. Utilities, dams, it's all on the grid now."

Esme was worried as she realized the implications. "They could flood a city. Dry up a whole country if they wanted. Millions could die."

Huxley dropped his file on the table. "And the Laurents would make billions off it. They've been shorting stocks and utilities. We don't know when or where they're gonna strike. But what we do know is that Leviathan want their payment in gold. Half a billion dollars in gold, to be precise. And the Laurents are going to move it from their vault in London to Zurich in 17 days."

Esme nodded knowingly. "And you can't intercept it because it's totally legal to move their own gold."

Huxley tilted his head significantly.

Esme realized now why he was asking for Elyna and Gael, standing, starting to pace. "No. No, no, no, no, no."

Huxley turned to face her. "You don't even know what I'm going to ask."

Esme shot him a look. "Yes, I do."

"You don't," Huxley replied.

Esme turned to face him. "You want Elyna and Gael to nick the gold."

Huxley pursed his lips, shrugging. "Well, I wouldn't have used the word 'nick', but--"

Esme didn't want her daughter or husband anywhere near this knowing that it could get them killed, though she remembered to play her part as the Interpol agent who had been hunting them down. "You want to rely on Gael and Elyna Maverick for an operation of this scale? Trust them with half a billion dollars worth of gold?"

Huxley shrugged. "Yeah, why not?"

Esme's eyes went wide, saying anything to try and change his mind so her family wasn't put in danger. "They're thieves, conmen, professional liars. You can't possibly trust them."

Huxley gestured grandly out of his windows toward a group of agents in the bullpen just outside his office. "I work in a building with intelligence agents, and I don't trust any of them. 'Cause we're all liars. All of us. What else do you got? Our job is to do things we don't like and make calls we don't want, so the rest of the world can just carry on."

Esme closed her eyes, sighing, knowing he was right - even if he was trying to convince a seemingly stubborn agent who didn't want to deal with criminals, he was also speaking to a mother and a wife who wanted to keep her family out of harm's way. But as she looked at the footage of the chaos that the Laurents had wreaked with Leviathan so far, knowing it would only get worse, she knew that she couldn't protect her family over billions of lives.

Esme sighed heavily, turning to Huxley. "What if they say no?"

Huxley shook his head, using his tablet to bring up a picture Tod. "They won't. This boy is Tod Laurent. Genevieve and Cian's son, who was as hard to get behind bars as his parents. He was nearly able to get away with murder and assault in their summer home before he finally got what came to him."

"How is that?" Esme questioned.

Huxley pulled up information and a picture of Kaylee, along with all of the casework Kildare had on her. "This girl, Kaylee Carrera."

Esme showed recognition of the last name. "Carrera. That was Gael's last name before he disappeared and emerged as Maverick."

Huxley nodded in agreement. "Kaylee is the daughter of Gael's brother Michael."

Esme was stunned to realize this. "Gael's niece."

"Yes," Huxley agreed. "She was the victim of Tod Laurent, multiple accounts of abuse, trauma, forced intoxication and assaults. Tod was outed to be involved in murder and the first attempted assault on her, before he went to confront her with a second attempt in revenge. I'm guessing he was trying to prove that he could do whatever he wanted to her and still get away with it. Until she stabbed him in the chest with a piece of glass and set him on fire... at a bonfire of all places."

Esme looked at him in shock. "So Tod died at Kaylee's hand. It was self-defense."

Huxley nodded. "So the claims she and her sister Kiara said, but their parents Michael and Anna didn't believe them. They turned Kaylee in, where Genevieve and Cian attempted to punish her for taking their son away from them. Incited a mob into a riot right outside of the police station in an attempt to kill her."

Esme was horrified to know that this happened to her daughter's cousin. "Did she survive?"

"Due to a powerful teenage figure of Kildare and Kiara," Huxley answered. "She escaped to the woods where Cian followed and very nearly killed her... yet she was able to turn the tables on a Laurent once again when she used the same technique she had on Tod to burn Cian's face clean off. Just barely a month ago."

Huxley brought up a picture of Cian after the night he attacked Kaylee and she retaliated in survival.

Esme's eyes widened in shock at the image of Cian's horribly burned and scarred face. She let out a breath. "Can't say the Laurent men didn't deserve it."

"Perhaps not," Huxley mused. "But the entire island believed Kaylee deserved to rot for murder while not believing the details of what truly happened. She disappeared with Kiara, with all of their friends, meanwhile the same boy that helped her outside the station has spent the last month spreading the word of what really happened and trying to clear her name. Rafe Cameron."

"Okay," Esme breathed, trying to process all of this. "Well, Genevieve and Cian won't let this go. They'll want to find a way to retaliate sooner rather than later."

Huxley nodded. "I believe that as soon as they're done with this deal with Leviathan, after they make the payment, they'll request that they take out whatever city or island Kaylee Carrera and her loved ones ended up on. They'll flood an entire city just to avenge their son and avenge Cian's burned makeover, and you know this."

Esme swallowed, nodding in agreement. "You're right. Gael and Elyna would never say no to this. When you say a deal with them, I'm assuming you mean a pardon, full immunity for the Mavericks?"

"And if they're really lucky, I'll even give a pardon and full immunity to Kaylee for Tod's death," Huxley answered. "So not even the failure of the Kildare justice system would be able to lock her away, where it would be all the more easy for the Laurents to target her and everyone around her with Levithan."

Esme's mind raced as she considered the implications of Gael, Elyna and Kaylee all getting pardons and immunity from past and present crimes while also being given a chance to stop the Laurents from ensuring that Kaylee, her loved ones and billions of more people stayed alive, if they stole this gold.

Esme bit her lip, nodding. "Okay. I may have a lead on where Elyna and Gael are going. I'll get right to work."

Without another word, Elyna turned around and walked out of the office, determination running through her veins to stop the Laurents and set her family - and their family - free and to save everyone that could die.

⚓️

Guadeloupe

Cameron House - Outside

Rafe had arrived home to Guadelope, where he was making sure the doctor he knew was already in Kildare to meet with the Pogues before he reunited with Ward, explaining what happened in Barbados. "Listen, I understand the risks involved with selling the cross, okay? I saw an opportunity, and I took it. That's it." Ward was taking some meds for pain. "You know, I thought that you would wake up, and I would tell you that it was taken care of. And I don't know, maybe you'd be proud of me or something, because I'm the one who brought it home. I did it."

Ward sighed. "Jesus, Rafe."

"Now I feel like an idiot," Rafe told him.

"Rafe, stop it," Ward told him.

Rafe looked up. "No, I am."

"You're not an idiot," Ward denied. "Are you--"

"I feel like an idiot, and--" Rafe started.

Ward shook his head. "I went down, and you stepped up. I'm just glad you're okay, you understand? Hey."

Rafe exhaled. "Yeah."

"It's your first big deal, all right?" Ward asked. "I remember mine. It didn't go well either. I could have told you, it's Barbados. Carlos Singh does what he wants there." Rafe sighed in relief that Ward wasn't mad or disappointed, but he was distant from Ward, more than he had ever been, eyebrows pinched in thought as he looked away. "It's okay."

Rafe nodded. "Yeah."

Rafe sat down next to Ward.

"There's something I need you to do for me right now, okay?" Ward asked.

Rafe looked up. "Name it."

"I need you to go back to the Outer Banks," Ward answered. "Kildare."

Rafe was confused as to why Ward would want him to go back, although Rafe had already been planning to go back. "Why?"

Ward shook his head. "There's nothing there for us, not anymore. I need you to wrap everything up for me, all right? I need you to sell the businesses, sell the rental properties." He closed his eyes as if this last part physically pained him to say. "I need you to sell Tannyhill."

Rafe was even more confused and surprised. "Wait, we're selling Tannyhill? Is that what you said?"

Ward nodded. "Yeah."

"Why?" Rafe asked. "What are you talking about?"

Ward shook his head. "It's not our home anymore. This is. This is our home now." Rafe looked down in thought before looking up and licking his lips. "And it's a clean slate. It's a new beginning, a new path. And I need you to take a bigger role, all right? Can I count on you for that?" Rafe didn't answer right away as he was lost in his own thoughts. "Yeah?"

Rafe snapped out of it, nodding. "Of course, yes. Of course, Dad."

Ward tapped his cane on the porch. "Yes, all right, good. Listen, I got some papers inside. I'm gonna bring them. We're gonna go over them." He started to stand, and Rafe stood to help him. "Tell you what to do, and while you're gone, I am going to be taking that cross and looking into it. We have that cross because of you. You got it for us, and you saved it." Rafe nodded, gaze distracted away from Ward. "I just need you to be careful. You get in there, handle this business, and you get back here safely, all right?" Rafe finally looked directly at Ward. Ward patted Rafe's shoulder with a tight smile. "You're a Cameron. That still means something."

Ward used his cane to aid him in walking inside.

Rafe quickly went to pack his bags, knowing that he had to get to Kildare quickly anyway to be there to help clear Kaylee's name and make sure that the girls survived their illnesses and infections. As he did, he noticed the prescription bottles that were brought from the Coastal Venture, and picked up the prescription bottle that was labeled Lia Cameron. The one with the pills that had actually been helping Lia that one time before she never had them again, before packing the pills in the bag with him.

⚓️

Kildare Island, North Carolina

Dock

As Rafe's yacht sailed into port, the doctor Rafe sent helped tie the yacht to the dock.

Kaylee, Lia and Wheezie were getting worse, sweat beading on their skin, their fevers even worse as their wounds darkened and almost turned black. They knew that if the doctor didn't help them - and Isa when she got here - soon, they could all risk death from necrotizing wounds.

Kie, JJ, Sarah, Pope and Cleo helped Kaylee, Lia and Wheezie off of the yacht toward the doctor.

As the group stumbled off the yacht, the dock felt unsteady beneath their feet. Kaylee's heart raced with a mix of anxiety and relief as they approached the doctor, a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair and a professional demeanor that immediately put her at ease. He wore a white coat over casual clothes, his round glasses perched on his nose as he surveyed the group with keen eyes.

"You must be Kaylee," the doctor said, extending a hand toward her. "I'm Dr. Lawson. Rafe sent word you'd be coming in."

Kaylee nodded, feeling both grateful and overwhelmed. "Yes, that's me."

Dr. Lawson turned to Lia and Wheezie, his expression shifting from professional to compassionate as he took in their pale faces and labored breathing. He glanced at Sarah, who wouldn't let them go. "And you must be Rafe's sisters. Lia, Sarah and Wheezie."

Sarah nodded shakily, holding Lia and Wheezie steady. "Yes, sir."

"Let's get you all checked out right away," Lawson told them.

JJ stepped forward, concern etched across his features. "They need help now. Like, immediately."

As Lawson surveyed the three girls, his face shifted from mild concern to alarm as he examined their wounds. "We need to get you into my clinic immediately."

Lawson gestured for JJ and Pope to assist him.

"Will they be okay?" Cleo asked anxiously, her gaze darting between Kaylee, Lia and Wheezie.

Lawson nodded, though the tension in his jaw revealed his worry. "If we act quickly, I believe we can save them. But I need all hands on deck. They can't waste another moment. Where's the other girl, Isa, I believe?"

"She's not with us," Pope answered. "Isa and John B had to deal with something back in Barbados, but they'll be here as soon as they can."

"Let's just hope it's in time," Lawson told them.

Kaylee's heart raced at the thought of what might happen next. She forced herself to remain calm; she had fought too hard to give up now. "What do you need us to do?"

Lawson turned to Kaylee, sensing her determination despite her exhaustion. "I need you all to keep moving. You and your friends can help carry them inside while I assess their injuries. We'll set up in the clinic; it's just a short walk from here."

JJ stepped up beside Kaylee, his expression a mix of concern and resolve. "We can handle it. Just tell us what you need."

"Alright," Lawson replied, nodding approvingly. "We'll get a stretcher for Kaylee, Lia and Wheezie so we can transport them quickly. I'll need help from a couple of you to carry them."

Kaylee shook her head. "I'll be fine. Help Lia and Wheezie."

"Are you sure?" Kie asked in concern.

"Yeah," Kaylee answered. "I handled worse than this."

"Sarah, Kie, help her," JJ told them. "I got Wheezie."

Pope nodded, moving toward Lia's side. "I can help with Lia."

Cleo nodded. "We'll do whatever needs to be done."

Lawson gestured to Cleo to help him bring over the stretchers. Cleo ran to help him wheel them closer.

JJ carefully lifted Wheezie onto the first stretcher.

Wheezie winced in pain but managed a weak smile for JJ. "You came for me, huh?"

"Always," JJ replied with a wink, trying to lighten the mood as he took Wheezie's hand, looking from her to Lia and Sarah. "Always gotta look out for my little sisters."

"Adoptive," Sarah retorted. "You saying you adopted us as your little sisters never really gets old."

JJ smiled slightly.

Pope helped lift Lia onto the other stretcher, her body trembling as she laid down.

Lia gave JJ a small smile in return. "Definitely a better big brother than most."

JJ gave her a smile in return.

Lia looked at Pope. "Thank you."

Pope nodded. "Of course."

"Okay," Lawson said. "Pope and Cleo, I need you to push Wheezie's stretcher. Sarah, I need your help with Lia's stretcher."

Sarah nodded, stepping way from where she was helping Kie steady Kaylee to help Lawson push Lia's stretcher, as Pope and Cleo handled Wheezie's.

JJ quickly made his way over to Kie and Kaylee so that he could help get Kaylee to the clinic.

Wheezie whimpered slightly.

"Just hang in there, Wheezie," Sarah told her urgently. "You and Lia are gonna be okay. Kaylee and Isa have made it through worse too."

Kie and JJ both had one of Kaylee's arms as they wrapped them around their shoulders, helping her along as they followed the group ahead up to the clinic, which was a mere few yards away from the dock.

Once they got there, Lawson led the teenagers inside, as he and Sarah pushed Lia's stretcher into the building. Pope and Cleo followed with Wheezie's stretcher, and Kie and JJ helped Kaylee inside just behind them.

⚓️

Lawson's Clinic

Kaylee stepped into the clinic, the sterile smell of antiseptic hitting her like a wave. Bright fluorescent lights hummed above, illuminating the white-washed walls and gleaming surfaces. It was a world so different from the chaos they'd just escaped, and yet it felt equally foreign.

Lawson guided them through the small waiting area into an examination room, where various medical equipment lined the walls. The clinic was surprisingly well-equipped for a small town, and they all felt a flicker of hope ignite within - maybe they would be okay after all.

"Lay her down on that table," Lawson instructed, pointing to an examination bed in the corner.

Wheezie and Lia lay strapped down on their stretchers, breathing heavily. Kaylee could see fear in their eyes, but she also recognized the determination they all shared.

Kie gently helped Kaylee to the examination bed, where she leaned against the wall for support. JJ stayed close by her side, his presence a reassuring force.

Lawson quickly began assessing Wheezie's injuries first. The others watched as he assessed the dark, angry red and brown wounds that almost looked blast on her abdomen.

Wheezie winced but managed to force a smile as she caught Kaylee's eye. "Yeah, Kaylee got bandages from Singh's place with Rafe, but before that, us and Lia and Isa were all without bandages on Poguelandia. That's what we called the island we were stranded on. We couldn't do anything to get better."

"Well, now you can," Lawson pointed out.

Wheezie nodded, her expression shifting from pain to determination as she looked around the room. "We're going to be okay, right?"

Lawson glanced up, his brow furrowed as he studied the injuries closely. "If you all had come in sooner, I'd say your chances would have been better, but we'll do everything we can. Just stay with me."

As Lawson worked methodically on Wheezie, Kaylee's gaze drifted back to the doorway where Pope and Cleo stood, their eyes filled with a mix of worry and hope. She could feel the weight of their concern pressing down on her as she slowly caught her breath.

Kie and JJ stayed by Kaylee's side, while Sarah stayed by Lia and Wheezie's bedsides.

"Kaylee," Kie began, stepping forward. "Are you sure you're okay? You should be..."

"I'll be fine," Kaylee insisted, forcing a smile even though her body throbbed in protest. "I just need to focus on them right now."

JJ gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Just hang on a little longer, okay?"

Kaylee nodded.

Sarah stood close to her sisters, her heart hammering in her chest as she watched the doctor work. She felt a mixture of gratitude and dread; they were finally safe, yet the reality of their situation loomed heavily over them.

Lawson had to remove the dead skin tissue on Wheezie's side wound with a scalpel, as everyone had to close their eyes and look away as he scraped the blackened skin away. Wheezie whimpered, as Lia and Sarah both held Wheezie's hands to steady her.

Lawson looked at the girls in concern. "You three have clearly been through hell. Your fevers are high. We need to get you on IV antibiotics immediately."

Lia's heart sank at the thought of more needles and IVs, but she swallowed hard and nodded. Her voice was steady despite the fear gripping her stomach. "Whatever it takes."

"What do we need to do?" Kaylee asked.

Lawson glanced at the girls, a flicker of appreciation for their determination sparking in his eyes. "We'll start with IV fluids and antibiotics to help combat the infections. I need someone to assist me with setting up the IVs."

Pope stepped forward without hesitation. "I'm in. Just tell me what you need."

"Me too," Cleo agreed.

Lawson nodded, grateful for the help. "Great. You'll want to gather those supplies over there."

Lawson moved swiftly, instructing Cleo and Pope to help him gather the necessary supplies from the cabinets lining the walls. The sound of rustling plastic and clinking glass filled the room as they prepared for the procedure.

Pope, Cleo and Lawson worked efficiently as they put the IVs together for the three girls.

"Kie," Lia said softly, catching her gaze. "Just... stay close."

"Always," Kie replied, squeezing Lia's hand reassuringly, her brow furrowed in concern as she watched the doctor work, but she didn't let go.

Lawson quickly set to work on Wheezie first, carefully inserting the needle into her arm as she winced. "You're doing great. Just breathe."

Wheezie's breath came in harsh gasps as she felt the antibiotic fluids and other IV minerals flow into her bloodstream.

Pope and Cleo repeated his actions with Lia and Kaylee as they inserted the IV needs into their arms, working quickly to ensure all three girls would be okay.

Once the IVs were in place and Wheezie's wound was done being treated, Lawson handed Sarah the bandages. "Can you bandage Wheezie while I move on to Lia?"

Sarah nodded instantly. "Of course."

Sarah carefully but quickly applied the bandages over Wheezie's wound.

In the meantime, Lawson went to work on the wound in Lia's shoulder, which looked just as bad as Wheezie's side wound. He repeated the process that he had done to treat Wheezie's wound, scraping away the necrotized skin tissue. Lia winced as her breath hitched, and Kie tightened her hold on her hand to be an anchor and support her.

With the IVs flowing through her veins, Lia was set more at ease as Lawson finished his work on her wounds. Once he was finished, Lawson gave Kie the task of bandaging Lia's wound while he moved onto Kaylee finally.

"Last but not least," Lawson said softly.

Lawson took note that Kaylee had infected wounds on her ankle, on her side, and on her wrist, all that looked just as bad as Lia and Wheezie. He went to work on treating all of Kaylee's wounds quickly.

Kaylee winced as Lawson cleaned the wound on her side, the antiseptic stinging like fire. JJ's grip tightened on her shoulder, a silent reassurance amidst the pain. She focused on his familiar face, drawing strength from his presence as she fought to keep her breathing steady.

"You've been through a lot," Lawson said, his voice calm but firm as he assessed the damage. "But you're strong. Just hang in there a little longer."

Kaylee forced a nod, her heart racing as she felt the warmth of the IV fluid working its way into her system. It was a small comfort, but it reminded her that help was finally here, that she was no longer alone in this fight.

As he moved to her wrist, Lawson's brow furrowed with concern. "This needs to be cleaned thoroughly; it's quite infected."

Kaylee watched him work methodically, removing debris and dead tissue with careful precision. Each scrape sent waves of pain shooting through her arm, but she grit her teeth and toughed it out, just as Lia and Wheezie had done.

When Lawson was finished with each wound, Kaylee sighed in relief. As he methodically bandaged each wound, Kaylee felt a wave of gratitude wash over her.

Lawson gave the teenagers a small smile. "There you go. All done for now. I'll keep a close eye on all of you to ensure the IVs and antibiotics are working."

"Thank you, doctor," Sarah sighed shakily in relief.

JJ, Kie, Pope and Cleo nodded in agreement.

Lawson nodded in return. "And Isa, how would you rate her wound?"

"It's the biggest," Lia answered. "She was slashed in the arm with a large knife from her elbow to her wrist, and it was the easiest to get infected."

"It looked worse than these because of it," Kie agreed.

"And she's the one that's back with her brother?" Lawson asked.

"Yeah, they had to find their father," JJ answered. "We just found out that he might be alive."

"And they should be here soon, but we have no idea when," Sarah finished, worried.

Pope looked at the doctor worriedly. "We know that we cut it close with getting here for Lia, Wheezie and Kaylee. Do you think that Isa will make it in time?"

Lawson paused, his expression thoughtful as he considered their words. "If the infection isn't too severe, Isa might be fine. But we need to act fast. Once she arrives, we can assess her situation. The sooner we treat her, the better her chances will be."

Lia's heart raced at the thought of Isa being hurt on top of everything else they had endured. "Isa and John B were with us on the island. If they're not here yet, it means they faced some kind of danger trying to get back."

Kaylee felt a twinge of anxiety gnaw at her stomach at the thought of Isa being in danger and not being able to make it in time. "We need to find them."

Kie squeezed Lia and Kaylee's hands tighter. "We can wait a little longer. As long as we know they're coming, right?"

"Right," Cleo agreed, though their hearts still raced with worry. "We'll make sure Isa gets treated as soon as they arrive. We have to trust that they're okay."

Wheezie could barely keep her eyes open. "Can't kill a Pogue... right, guys?"

"That's right, Wheezie," JJ whispered in concern. "Neither of you are gonna go out like this."

Soon, Kaylee, Wheezie and Lia were falling asleep as the other Pogues watched them in concern.

⚓️

The Chateau - Outside

The Routledges had just returned to OBX, arriving home at the Chateau, typing up their boat.

Big John smiled at the Chateau. "I gotta admit. It's good to be back." He walked off the dock toward their home, chuckling, before turning to face Isa and John B, throwing his arms up in the air, laughing and cheering. Isa and John B couldn't help small smiles, though Isa felt worse and worse. "Would you look at this place! Oh, wow. You know, I never thought I'd miss this place so much."

Isa and John B watched Big John run up to their home, still cheering and laughing, chuckling lightly.

John B helped Isa down the dock toward their home. "Come on. I'm gonna get you to the doctor. Pope sent me the location for the clinic out on the water."

"How?" Isa asked. "Twinkie's not here, John B."

"Like that's ever stopped us before?" John B replied.

Isa tilted her head slightly in acknowledgement. "Good point."

Big John walked up to the bell, ringing it for old times' sake as he looked toward his kids making their way back. "Bring it on in, kids. Bring it on home. I sure have missed this place."

"Yeah, us too," Isa agreed.

"Welcome home, Pop," John B told him.

"Thanks, kids," Big John replied, seeing the state Isa was in, as she looked sick to her stomach. "All right." He put his arm around Isa from the other side, helping John B lead her to the porch. "All right, sit down. I'm gonna find us a ride to the clinic."

Isa nodded, wincing in pain. "Thanks, Dad."

⚓️

On the Road

Isa, John B and Big John were on the way to the clinic in a car that Big John snagged.

"What exactly happened to the Twinkie?" Big John asked. "Or the electric and shit at the house."

"Well, we were stranded on an island a little longer than we thought, so we lost basically everything," John B answered.

"Yeah, I guess that is in an excuse," Big John agreed. Isa rolled her eyes. "Isa, John B, you--you know where that--that diary is, right?"

"Well, we have a copy," Isa answered. "And it's in the Twinkie, which is probably in the impound lot with the police. Gotta figure that one out."

"Yeah, after we get you taken care of," John B replied. "And make sure the rest of the Pogues are okay."

Isa felt so sick, almost delirious. "Pop?"

"Yeah?" Big John asked.

"Remember the last time when we were together?" Isa asked. "We had that argument?"

"Yeah," Big John answered. "Yeah, real knock down drag out."

"Yeah," John B agreed. "I shouldn't have said that. You're not the worst father ever."

Big John scoffed a chuckle. "No shit, Sherlock."

Isa swallowed. "I'm just glad... that wasn't the last time we saw you after all."

Big John nodded. "Me too, Dove. Me too."

"Love you," Isa whispered, eyes drifting closed of their own accord, exhausted.

"Love you too, kids," Big John told them.

"Love you," John B agreed, before noticing that Isa was almost falling asleep. "Hey, no. Isa. Stay awake a little while longer, okay?"

Isa groaned. "I'm tired, John B."

"I know," John B agreed. "But you gotta stay up, all right? Just a bit longer."

They got to the clinic.

"John B, you gotta take Isa in there on your own," Big John told him. "Doubt a dead guy walking into the clinic on top of the newly recovered Pogues will warrant anything but chaos in there, so you gotta handle this on your own, Bird."

John B somewhat found the logic in that, but he was worried. "Where are you going? Are you staying out here?"

"Close enough, until I'm sure that it's safe to come out of hiding and reveal that I'm alive," Big John answered. "I won't be far, okay?"

John B nodded barely. "Okay."

Isa couldn't even bring herself to nod, groaning in discomfort. "Okay, Dad. Stay close."

"I will," Big John assured. "Now get her inside."

⚓️

Lawson's Clinic

Kaylee, Lia and Wheezie were sleeping in the clinic while JJ, Kie, Sarah, Pope and Cleo had even gotten some reluctant rest as they watched over them.

Lawson maintained maintenance over Kaylee, Lia and Wheezie as they slept, ensuring that their fevers were dying down as their bodies adjusted to the IVs and antibiotics. He was relieved to see that it was working - the fevers were starting to fade slowly, and soon, he was sure that they would be getting better, including their wounds.

Just then, the clinic door swung open, and John B rushed inside while carrying Isa in his arms, his face a mixture of urgency and relief, while Isa was nearly unconscious in his arms. "Guys!"

Lawson immediately moved to help John B. "I take it you're John B. Isa's brother."

"Yes, sir," John B answered. "Please help my sister."

The other Pogues started to wake up when they heard the commotion.

Kaylee, JJ, Lia, Sarah and Kie all lit up with relief when they saw John B and Isa.

"John B!" Sarah cried in relief.

Lia and Kie's eyes locked on their third lover. "Isa!"

Kie pushed past the others to reach Isa's side. The sight of Isa - pale and barely conscious in John B's arms - sent a jolt of fear through her.

Wheezie's heart raced at the sight of Isa like this. As Lia's girlfriends, Isa and Kie acted as two additional parental figures alongside Lia, and she could not bear the thought or sight of Isa like this. "Isa?"

Lawson moved quickly. "Lay her down on the bed."

Lawson gestured toward an empty examination table to the side. John B carefully placed Isa down, his expression filled with concern.

"What the hell happened?" Lia's voice shook with worry as she tried to push herself up, feeling the need to be by Kie and Isa's sides.

JJ stopped her. "Whoa, whoa. Lay back. She'll be okay."

John B's brow was slick with sweat and worry as he stepped back to allow Lawson room to work. "She was hurt pretty badly. She fell during our escape from Singh's men and hit her head. I didn't know if it was a concussion or worse."

Lawson nodded, quickly assessing Isa's condition. He could see the bruise forming on her temple and the way her breaths were shallow. "We need to check her for a concussion immediately. Sarah, Kie, can you help me?"

Sarah moved closer, her heart racing as she watched John B hover anxiously nearby. "What do you need us to do?"

"Just keep her awake for now," Lawson instructed. "Ask her questions, anything that will help gauge her awareness."

Kie took Isa by the hands, holding them gently. "Isa. Hey. It's okay. We're all here. Lia, Wheezie and Kaylee... they're gonna be fine. So are you."

"Isa," Sarah began gently, leaning over her friend. "Can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?"

Lia ignored JJ, Pope and Cleo's warnings as she pushed herself up, moving closer to Isa and Kie's side.

Cleo, knowing that they couldn't stop her, moved Lia's IV stand with her so that she would still receive it as Lia stood by Kie and took Isa's other hand.

"Isa," Lia whispered. "Please, open your beautiful eyes and look at us."

Isa stirred slightly, eyelids fluttering before they finally opened. When she did, the first thing she saw was Lia and Kie side by side and holding her hands, the loves of her lives refusing to let her go.

"Hey there," Lia said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "You're safe now. We're all here."

Isa blinked a few times, confusion clouding her gaze as she took in the faces surrounding her - her family. A fragile smile broke through her pain as she locked eyes with Lia and Kie, whispering. "Lia? Kie?"

The warmth in Isa's heart surged at the sight of the girls she loved.

"Yes, it's us," Lia encouraged, stroking Isa's hair gently. "You've got this."

Kie squeezed Isa's hands reassuringly. "We're all here. You're safe now. Just breathe, we're all okay."

Isa locked eyes with her brother next. "John B."

John B smiled in relief. "Hey, it's okay. We made it."

Isa's gaze swept over the room, seeing Sarah standing on her other side while she helped the girls make sure she stayed awake. As Isa looked across the clinic, she saw Kaylee and Wheezie sitting up in their beds and leaning closer in concern, while JJ, Pope and Cleo stood by their sides.

Isa's breath caught in relief. "We're all okay?"

Kaylee nodded shakily. "We're all okay, Isa."

Kaylee and JJ were both heartbroken to see Isa like this, their sister figure.

"You've got this, Isa," JJ murmured. "We just need you to focus for us, okay?"

Pope stepped forward in concern. "Can you tell us your name?"

"Isa," Isa mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper, but it was enough to draw a wave of relief from the group.

Lawson watched carefully, his brow furrowed as he assessed Isa's reactions. "Good. Now I need you to tell me what day it is."

Isa focused hard, furrowing her brows in concentration. "Um... I don't know. We were on the island for so long. I lost track over the last month."

"That's okay," Lawson assured as he went to the IV station where he had already prepared it for Isa's arrival, taking the needle and inserting it into Isa's arm. "I'm going to start working on your wound, okay? I just need you to stay awake and focus on your friends. We can't have you falling asleep in case you have a concussion while I work on this."

Isa swallowed, nodding in agreement. "Okay."

"You're doing great, Isa," Lawson encouraged as he began examining the bruise on her temple. "Just keep talking. I need to know if you're feeling dizzy or nauseous. It's important you stay alert, Isa. Can you count backward from ten for me?"

Isa frowned slightly, forcing herself to concentrate. "Ten... nine... eight..."

"Keep going," Kie urged, brushing hair away from Isa's forehead.

As Isa continued to count down, Lawson began to clean Isa's wound on her arm, gently running the antiseptic cloth over the fresh bruises and cuts. Despite the pain, Isa's eyes remained focused on Kie and Lia, who were doing their best to keep her engaged.

"Remember the cove on Poguelandia?" Lia asked. "When we found it, it was the best day we had. Swimming in the water underneath the waterfall."

Kie had a soft smile creeping onto her face despite the gravity of their situation. "It was the only way we could take showers on the island."

Isa chuckled weakly, her expression brightening for a moment. "Yeah, and swimming with turtles and dolphins just off the beach. We always wanted to save them, and we actually got to swim with them."

"Exactly," Wheezie agreed. "And the last day before we got saved, all of us going up to the top of the cliff and jumping together. It was so amazing."

Cleo smiled. "It was the most fun I had."

Like before, Lawson applied stitches to Isa's wound, which needed more than Kaylee, Lia and Wheezie's wounds. Isa winced in pain, but her focus on the conversation with the Pogues about their best days on Poguelandia was distracting her and keeping her engaged.

JJ looked at Wheezie fondly. "Yeah, and the group cliff dive wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Wheezie daring me to do it first. Best idea you had, little Cameron sister, that's for damn sure."

Wheezie smiled.

"Kaylee and JJ doing it first was just for Kaylee's darkness, but the rest of us doing it..." Pope trailed off. "That was one of the best moments we've ever had as Pogues."

John B and Sarah nodded in agreement.

"I'm terrified of heights, but that was definitely one of my most favorite memories," Sarah agreed.

As Isa laughed softly, the tension in the room began to lift. The more they talked about their shared memories, the more it seemed to ground them all in the reality of their bond - a bond that had weathered storms, both literal and metaphorical.

Lawson finished stitching up Isa's arm and stepped back to assess his work. "Alright, you did great." He placed a large bandage over Isa's wound as much as he could. "Now, I want you to rest for a bit while these IVs do their job. You're going to feel a lot better in no time."

Isa nodded, her eyelids drooping for just a moment before she pushed herself to stay awake. "I promise I'll try. Just... don't let me fall asleep."

"Not a chance," John B said firmly, squeezing Isa's shoulder gently. "We're all right here."

Lawson looked between the four girls. "I want all of you to rest up. I'll make sure you're monitored closely."

Kie looked between Isa, Lia, Kaylee and Wheezie, eyes shining. "You're safe now. We're all safe."

"And once you're well enough, we'll figure out what we can do," Pope assured.

Lia swallowed. "We might have to wait until Rafe gets here. He said that he was working on clearing Kaylee's name, but that she can still get arrested."

JJ's face darkened slightly at the reminder that they would have to rely on Rafe.

"We'll figure it out," Sarah promised.

"Yeah," Wheezie echoed. "We've got a lot of adventures ahead of us."

"No way we're stopping now," Cleo agreed.

"Hell no," Kaylee said softly yet with a determined gaze in her eyes. "I'm sorry, guys. We shouldn't have to be hiding like this." She looked down, swallowing. "This is all my fault."

"Hey, no," John B interceded. "It's not. You did what you had to do with Tod, Kaylee. And his father."

"We'll get out of this, Kaylee," Isa assured her best friend. "All of us."

JJ squeezed Kaylee's hand, despite the distance between the two after their breakup. "Just don't let those Kooks trick you into thinking this is on you, because it's not."

"We'll do whatever it takes to clear your name, Kaylee," Kie told her sister.

Pope nodded. "No matter how long it takes."

"You're not in this alone," Lia agreed.

"You've got all of us," Sarah concurred.

Wheezie reached over to take Kaylee's hand. "All in this together, right?"

Cleo nodded. "Damn right."

Kaylee felt a surge of warmth and relief at their words, yet she wanted to put distance between her and them if possible. She didn't want them to put themselves in danger for her especially when they knew that Tod's parents weren't done with their revenge against her.

⚓️

London, England

Maverick Penthouse

Elyna and Gael had returned to their luxurious apartment penthouse in London. The interior design was pristine white, a standard and simple design yet extravagant, as it was a temporary place to stay while they were on the run. The daughter and father duo were laughing and talking about family stories when Esme arrived after flying in from France that afternoon.

Elyna grinned upon seeing her mother, standing, walking closer. "Mom! We did it. N8 is world renowned, and everything is as it should be."

Esme gave a slight smile despite the intensity inside. She couldn't ruin their celebratory mood as soon as she walked in. "As it should be is right, Ely."

Elyna and Esme embraced, mother and daughter holding each other close.

"It's been a while since we've seen you," Elyna murmured.

Esme stroked Elyna's hair, kissing her head. "I know. I'm sorry. Our lifestyle keeps us apart more than I would like."

Gael stood, walking closer with a fond smile. "Yes, well, at least we still have a family. Maybe it's not officially a marriage between us given the circumstances and secrets you have to keep, but you're still my wife, through and through, Esme."

Esme smiled softly at the declaration. She loved that even if they were only married in spirit, it felt just as real as any other marriage - more, in a lot of ways, even though they were apart more often than not. "What a way to charm your wife that you haven't seen in a while."

Gael smirked charmingly. "Always."

Gael and Esme smiled as they shared an embrace and kiss.

Elyna rolled her eyes goodnaturedly, smiling. "Dad was telling me about how you guys met for the hundredth time. He does that every time he misses you."

Esme felt her heart swell at the words. "Well, it was a fitting meeting for the two of us, given our professions."

Elyna nodded in amusement. "Yes, because you being undercover as a museum art curator and Dad being undercover as an artist and falling in love in the span of a week is so fitting for this family. Professional liars, secret agents, high class thievery."

"It wasn't even a week," Esme pointed out. "It was five days."

Gael tilted his head in amusement. "A business week, then. And I'm sorry if I'm so irresistible that you couldn't help but fall in love with me within five days."

Esme laughed, shaking her head fondly. "You're incorrigible."

Gael grinned, pulling her close. "And you love it."

Elyna rolled her eyes again, but she was smiling. "Alright, alright. As much as I love seeing you two together, I'm guessing Mom didn't fly all the way here just for a family reunion."

Esme's smile faded slightly as she remembered the real reason for her visit. "You're right, Ely. I'm afraid I have some news."

Gael's expression turned serious. "What is it?"

Esme took a deep breath. "My boss at Interpol, Agent Huxley, wants to make a deal with you two."

Elyna's eyes widened in surprise. "A deal? With us?"

Gael frowned. "What kind of deal?"

"He wants you to steal something," Esme answered before further elaborating. "Gold. A lot of gold. Half a billion dollars' worth."

Elyna and Gael looked at Esme in shock.

Gael raised his eyebrows, shrugging. "What's the catch?"

Esme exhaled, easing into the explanation. "The owners of the gold are Genevieve and Cian Laurent."

Gael scoffed, looking down.

Elyna raised her eyebrows. "You know them?"

Gael looked up, nodding. "By reputation, yeah. There's some people you steal from, and there's some people that you don't steal from. The Laurents kill both. Cian does the dirty work himself while Genevieve is sitting back and giving the orders."

Elyna looked at Esme. "Why would Huxley think that we would say yes to this?"

Esme swallowed as she prepared to explain everything regarding Kaylee and Tod.

Esme took a deep breath, steeling herself to deliver the difficult news. "There's something you need to know about the Laurents. It involves your family, Gael."

Gael's expression darkened. "My family? What do you mean?"

"Kaylee," Esme said gently. "She had a run-in with the Laurents' son, Tod."

Elyna's eyes widened. "Kaylee? Dad, isn't that Uncle Mike's daughter? Her and Kiara, right?"

Gael nodded, his jaw clenching. "Yes. We haven't seen Mike or his family in years. He turned his back on us when I became Gael Maverick, remember?"

"But I remember Kaylee and Kie, a little," Elyna admitted. "What happened?"

Esme's face was grim as she began to explain. "Kaylee was the victim of Tod Laurent. Huxley wasn't sure about all of the details because of his parents keeping him out of trouble, but we know that he was abusive and... he drugged Kaylee and attempted to assault her once before, and then again after he was charged with murder and what did to her a year ago."

Gael and Elyna looked at Esme in shock and concern.

Esme bit her a lip. "About a month ago, Tod tried again. Drugging Kaylee and trying to..." Elyna closed her eyes, swallowing. Esme took a deep breath as she continued. "Kaylee fought back. It was bad, and it ended in Tod's death. She burned him alive after stabbing him."

Gael leaned forward in stunned silence, processing what this meant. "If the Laurents kill anyone who steals from them... if Kaylee took their son from them, even in self-defense, they'll rain hell on her."

Esme nodded in agreement. "They've already tried. Mike and Anna turned their backs on Kaylee, too. They turned her into the station where Genevieve and Cian incited a riot that almost forced a mob to kill Kaylee. Kiara and someone else on their side are the only reasons she escaped into the woods, but Cian followed her and nearly killed her."

Elyna frowned. "What stopped him?"

Esme took out her tablet to show Elyna and Gael the damage Kaylee had inflicted on Cian, causing both of their eyes to widen in shock at the burns and scars. "Kaylee did. The same way she stopped Tod. Only Cian unfortunately survived. After, Kaylee and Kie disappeared with all of their friends, and no one's seen them since. Not for the lack of trying on the Laurents' part."

Gael's breath caught. "They're going to do anything possible to kill her."

Esme nodded in agreement. "That's where this gold heist comes in. Huxley knows that they're paying the hacker group Levithan half a billion in gold so that they'll have a say in their next water attacks on cities. With everything on the grid, they can drown entire cities or dry them out and kill billions of people all at once."

Gael and Elyna realized where this was going, absolutely horrified.

"And he thinks that the Laurents are going to use Leviathan to find Kaylee and use a water attack on whatever location she's in," Elyna finished. "Killing not just her..."

"But everyone she loves and billions more," Esme concluded.

Gael stood up abruptly, pacing the room as he processed this information. "So Huxley wants us to steal the gold to stop the Laurents from paying Leviathan and potentially killing billions, including Kaylee, Kiara and their friends."

Esme nodded solemnly. "Exactly. And he's offering full immunity and pardons for both of you in exchange."

Elyna's eyes widened. "Full immunity? For everything?"

"Everything," Esme confirmed. "Past and present crimes. You'd be free."

Gael stopped pacing, turning to face Esme. "And what about Kaylee? Would she get immunity too?"

Esme nodded. "Huxley said if you're lucky, he'd extend the pardon to Kaylee as well. For Tod's death and anything else."

Elyna sighed in relief, but they were all fearful Kaylee and Kie.

Gael's jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with anger. "Those bastards. They won't stop until Kaylee and everyone she cares about is dead, including Kie, along with countless innocent lives."

Elyna looked at her parents, determination clear on her face. "We have to stop them. We can't let them hurt Kaylee, Kie or anyone else. We'll take the job."

Esme nodded solemnly.

Gael ran a hand over his head, pacing. "It's not going to be easy. The Laurents' security is top-notch. And if we get caught..."

"We won't," Elyna said firmly. "We're the best at what we do, remember?"

Esme reached out to take them both by hands. "First, we need to find Kaylee and Kie. We have to make sure they're warned and they know what's coming, in case we fail, so that we can find a way to protect them and everyone they love."

Gael nodded in agreement. "That means trying to find Kaylee and Kie. And it means warning Mike and Anna, in case they have any knowledge of where they are."

Elyna raised her eyebrows skeptically. "If they're the ones that turned Kaylee in and are half responsible for the riot that almost got her killed, I doubt they know where she and Kie are."

Gael tilted his head in acknowledgment, unable to believe that his brother and sister-in-law could have done such a thing. "True. But they're also the only lead we have."

Esme was thinking. "Maybe not. The boy I told you about who helped Kaylee survive the mob? His name is Rafe Cameron. His family is basically royalty in Kildare and that's how he was able to turn the tables on Tod with getting the charges listed against him in the first place. And over the last month, he's been working tirelessly to try and clear Kaylee's name, likely so she can come home with Kie and their friends."

Elyna and Gael processed that, sharing a look.

"So it looks like Kildare's the place to check either way," Elyna mused. "Got it."

Gael sighed heavily at the thought of returning to OBX. "Looks like I'm going home."

Esme nodded earnestly. "Whatever happens, Gael. With your brother, with your nieces. I'm going to be there to help you through with this case."

Elyna gave a nod in agreement. "Me too. I know we haven't been around them in years, but Kaylee, Kie and I were close when we were kids. When we got to see them, anyway. Saving my cousins, their friends and families, with a heist that could also fully pardon you, me and Kaylee? Let's fucking do it."

Despite the stakes and the intensity of the situation, Gael couldn't help a small smile of appreciation and gratitude, wrapping an arm around Esme and holding Elyna's hand. "I don't know how I got so lucky to have a wife and daughter as amazing as the two of you."

Elyna smirked teasingly, shrugging. "Weren't you the one that always said we make our own luck?"

Esme leaned into Gael's embrace. "We're family. Your family is our family. And whatever happens, we'll be there."

Elyna nodded in agreement. "No matter what."

Gael pulled Elyna into the embrace, as mother and father held their daughter close, knowing how dangerous this could be, yet knowing they had to do this. For their family and for anyone else who could be hurt.

Gael and Elyna might have been professional criminals, but they would not stand for anyone being hurt or killed. Least of all their family. With Esme by their side, they were a force to be reckoned with.

One that the Laurents wouldn't see coming.

⚓️

Kildare Island, North Carolina

Kaylee's Nightmare

Cave / City of Gold

Kaylee wandered through the cave with nothing but a torch to light her way, looking around, absolutely confused.

When Kaylee wandered further into the cave, she saw the rest of the Pogues, all of them, dead, and covered in blood, gasping in horror and heartbreak as she reached up to put a hand to her mouth, walking up to them with bated breath and utter denial, tears in her eyes that started to fall.

Kaylee got close to the bodies of John B, Isa, JJ, Kie, Pope, Lia, Sarah, Wheezie and Cleo, breath broken and shaking, entire body trembling in fear.

Each one had a different signature of death, ones that were like their near deaths in reality.

Strangulation with ropes around John B and Isa's necks, like in the prison where Ward almost had them killed.

JJ's wound being so bad that he had bled out and drowned in the ocean.

Kie and Sarah drowned.

Pope's wasp stings that had him swollen and completely unable to breathe.

Lia stabbed in the heart.

Wheezie stabbed in the stomach.

Cleo shot like on the Coastal Venture.

Kaylee took several deep breaths to try and pull herself together, reaching for them, tears falling steadily. She had no idea which of these hurt most to look at; Kie as her sister, Isa and John B as her surrogate sister and brother, JJ as her lover, Pope, Lia, Sarah and Wheezie as some of her best friends, and even Cleo, even while new, had quickly gotten close to all of them.

Suddenly, they all spoke together. "You could've saved us. Why didn't you do more?"

Kaylee gasped, backing away, dropping the torch in her hand.

Immediately, the flame from the torch lit the entire cave on fire, including the bodies of the Pogues all around her, a deafening chorus of screams echoing all around.

⚓️

Reality

Morning - Lawson's Clinic

Kaylee woke up in her bed with a gasp as her eyes snapped open. She looked around to see all the Pogues there, alive and well. "Isa? John B?"

"Hey," John B whispered. "Yeah, we're here."

Isa smiled weakly. "Hi."

Lia was breathing shakily in relief, tears immediately threatening to fall. "We're all here."

"Yeah," Isa agreed.

Kie smiled, looking between her sister and her girlfriends emotionally in relief. "The doctor said you're all gonna be okay."

Kaylee took several deep breaths to try and recover from her nightmare and remind herself that they were all here, all okay. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God."

JJ sat next to Kaylee, giving her space if she needed it, but stayed close as was his promise, knowing that she had had another nightmare, looking at her in concern. "Hey. Hi. It's okay." Kaylee looked JJ in relief, taking a shaky breath. She moved one hand to JJ's wrist, gently pressing her thumb against his pulse, seeking reassurance that this was not part of the nightmare, that this was real life. JJ knew exactly what she was doing, taking her hand to calm her down. "This is real, all right?"

Kaylee nodded unsteadily, letting out a deep breath.

Sarah smiled at them, taking Lia and Wheezie's hands. "We're home. We're safe."

"We're all okay?" Wheezie asked hopefully.

"We're all okay," Pope answered with a grin.

JJ chuckled hysterically. "Yeah, we got you four here just in time to stop some serious damage, but yeah, we're all okay."

Cleo winked at the girls to cheer them up. "We made it, guys."

Isa was near tears. "I missed you. Oh, my God."

Kie brushed back both Isa and Lia's hair, reaching for Kaylee's hand. "We're here. We know."

All of them were close to crying from absolute relief and various stages of trauma.

"We fucking missed you guys," Pope told them.

They all looked at each other with an edge of contentment and happiness despite everything they went through, having made it here, back home, safe, even if not completely sound.

Cleo looked at the four girls. "How you guys doing?"

"Feel like I'm gonna die all over again," Lia answered.

Sarah gave her a look. "That's not funny."

Isa and Wheezie shook their heads, agreeing with Sarah.

"No, it's not," Kie agreed.

Lia sighed. "Sorry."

JJ managed to chuckle at that.

Sarah looked between Isa and John B, tangling her fingers in John B's hair while using her other hand to hold Lia and Wheezie's. "I'm so sorry we left. I am so sorry."

John B wrapped his arms around Sarah as he looked around at them. "It's okay. We told you to go."

"It was the only way to keep everyone safe," Isa agreed.

"We know," JJ agreed. "We were just worried all to hell. We wanted to turn back around even after you called and told us not to."

"It wasn't safe," John B told them. "It was hot with Singh's guys and we couldn't live with ourselves if you guys got hurt."

All of them felt the most safe they had in days, exhausted and just needing a break from everything.

Sarah let go of Lia and Wheezie's hands.

Lia reached over to take Isa and Kie's hands, looking at Isa. "Were you looking up at the stars, too?"

Isa smiled. "Yeah, yeah, I was. Wishing I was back with you. All of you."

Kie smiled. "Me and Lia, too."

JJ faked a cough to get them all to cheer up. "Corny. Enough of this sappy bullshit."

They all laughed lightly.

"Nice, JJ," Wheezie told him.

Kaylee looked around at them one more time to ease her mind fully, whispering to herself. "We're all here."

"Was that what your nightmare was about?" Kie asked in concern. "That we didn't make it?"

Kaylee didn't answer, swallowing, which was answer enough.

"Well, we did make it," Pope pointed out. 

Sarah nodded in agreement. "That's all that matters."

They all took a moment to just calm down and bask in that fact.

JJ rubbed a thumb over Kaylee's hand calmingly, reassuringly, though both of them found it painful to look each other in the eyes after the night before and all they talked about, and what JJ came to "realize" himself, that he wasn't enough to protect her when she needed him to.

Cleo looked at Isa and John B. "Did you guys find what you were looking for at the church?"

"Yeah," John B answered. "Our dad."

"Wait, your dad?" Sarah repeated. "John B, Isa, your dad is dead."

"Our dad's alive," Isa corrected. "He was there, at the church. And he's here, in OBX. He brought us here."

"Then why didn't he come in here?" Kaylee asked.

"It's already chaos out in the halls with police and press showing up here because we miraculously came back," John B pointed out. "Imagine if our dad did too."

The others found a bit of the logic in this as well, but most of them were still hesitant to believe.

"Your dad was in the church?" Cleo asked cautiously.

"The bells?" Wheezie asked.

Isa and John B nodded.

"I swear, he came back with us, and he brought us here," John B told them. "We're not crazy."

"Of course not," Kaylee agreed. 

JJ let out a breath. "We've been through a ton of shit these last couple months. But we stuck together and we survived. And we're home. So if you say he's alive, then we believe you."

"Yeah," Pope agreed. "But question is, where did he go?"

Isa and John B exchanged a look, having no idea, and regretting not having enough time to ask him before they had to come here, but still, they were more than relieved to be reunited with all of their friends; their found family, who made them a hell of a lot happier than their father had since their reunion.