stevie | outer banks | JJxOC

52- bit of Jayvie action

After half an hour the five that excluded Pope, came back to the home where they had left him. They parked up and waited briefly before a shell-shocked Pope emerged from the door of the home. Whatever he had found out looked bigger than his brain could process, like he was still trying to fit in the pieces and make sense of the revelation.

"There he is," JJ pointed out the window as Pope approached the car. Everyone else stayed silent. Pope had this off-putting look, making everyone else feel tense.

He slid open the door and climbed in, sat next to Stevie before shutting the door behind him, all without uttering a word.

"How'd it go?" John B broke the silence, trying to figure out what was said that made Poep react like this.

"Shit just got way more personal"

...

"I can't believe you are related to Denmark Tanny," Stevie smiled at her friend. After hearing the whole story that Pope's great-grandmother told him, puzzle pieces started fitting into place. Pope explained that it was hidden to protect the family, to stop people going out and looking for revenge, to stop people getting hung in the same way. The key had been passed through the family because Pope's family is Tanny's family, and that is why the Limbreys cared so much.

"Are we in the presence of a royal?" John B joked raising his hand, one with a beer can in it, to bow down to him.

"A king?" JJ seconded and raised his hands too to bow down, making Pope blush from the attention. "We shall crown him." JJ swapped to his squeaky English accent, "All hail the lord of Tannyhill!"

Together the Pogues all bowed down to him, claiming they weren't worthy whilst drinking their beers outside Heyward's Seafood. "Can we relax?" Poep felt shy at the attention.

"Relocate the Cat's Ass, question mark?" Stevie smiled at JJ who agreed.

"I'm with that,"

"How soon can we move in?" Kie asked as she sat on top of a freezer box.

"Cos I don't have a place to stay." JJ realised given that his dad was in prison.

"Yes, you do," Stevie smiled, "You practically live with me. All your shit's all over my room at the Chat."

"I just keep thinking about the letter, the one Limbrey sent." Pope brought the conversation back to the key and the potential hunt for the cross, "It had the wheat symbol on it. That must mean it has something to do with the Royal Merchant."

"Yeah it's fishy," JJ agreed.

"But if we find that cross, we can split it like we were gonna split the gold,"

"And live happily ever after?" Her ghostly voice sent chills through the group. Only seconds ago did the air feel warm and light and just cold and dead. Limbrey looked even paler and more deranged than when they met at her house. The others hadn't seen her but by Stevie's tense face and Pope's anger, they knew who it was.

"You assaulted my father," Pope lunged but was held back by the man who followed Limbrey like a dog.

"Oh, I didn't assault anybody," Limbrey fake sweetness in her voice made Stevie feel sick all over again, just like she did in their house.

"He can identify the psycho from a mile away," Kie spoke up.

"Why would my employee a...a...assault your father?" She asked. Her fake naivety pissed Stevie off more and more, the longer she pretended to be a harmless, sweet woman, the more evil she appeared. "We can keep negotiating but the fact is I want the key,"