RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

NINETY TWO

TENSION

There was an extra tension in the van everyone was awfully quite and River felt almost out of place. Silas hadn't spoken to River since her house and that created a further tension.

"Guys, the thing that Limbrey said, I don't think she meant to let it slip." Pope decided to speak up which River was grateful for, "She said the key leads to the cross of Santo Domingo." Pope looked up at River mentioning her name always felt a little weird.

"Wait. Can I see that?" JJ asked taking the key.

"Are we supposed to know what that is?" Sarah questioned.

"I'm guessing it's some sort of historical artifice of great importance." Pope explained giving Silas a side glare, the boy looked anxious he was fiddling with his hands which was a first because he never seemed anxious.

"Well according to the inter web it was a gift from new Spain to the Spanish king." Kie explained her eyes were singled in on JJ as usual.

"New Spain? Is there an Old Spain?" JJ questioned humoured but nobody laughed.

"Shit, talk about over gifting. Look at that thing." Kie showed the phone forward and River took a look at it and gasped, the thing was measured against a full person and it still towered over him.

"That things massive." River mumbled assessing the cross.

"So it's a giant ass cross." JJ shrugged he was trying to be flippant but it was honestly killing him not talking to River and he didn't know how much he could stand it.

"It was widely considered at the time to be the most extravagant tribute ever from the provinces. It was lost off the coast of Bermuda in 1829." Kie continued on explaining as she read from the online article. "What does a key found above your Mee-maw's pharmacy have to do with any of this? Where do we come in?"

"I don't know, that's a good question." Pope nodded though he couldn't help but look back towards an anxious looking Silas.

The van pulled up outside of the nursing home and Pope got out of the side of the van ready to go inside and everyone else started to leave the van but Pope had already made up his mind,

"Hey, actually, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself. Yeah, I can handle it." Pope nodded and sent an anxious look towards River noticing how close JJ and Kie were. "Silas. A word." He said sternly and Silas looked up panicked with his eyes widened.

"We'll pick you boys up in a bit." John B called out of the window as the van pulled away and Pope turned to the boy with his arms folded angrily.

"Spill it." Pope pushed waiting for Silas to say something but he just looked downwards as if he wasn't going to tell him a thing, "Silas Riggs. What aren't you telling me."

"River." Silas blurted holding his hand to his mouth in shock that he'd actually let it slip his lips, Pope stepped forward and reaching his hand down to slightly brush against his which caused a weird feeling in his chest.

"I know. She told me that JJ said he loves Kie." He smiled, he found it adorable that Silas had been itching to tell him something as if he could never keep a secret from him.

"It's not that." Silas whispered running his hand through his hair and groaning in a stressed way, "I was teasing her about being pregnant because she was being all sick and everything but she said the last time they'd had sex was like a week ago-"

"Gross." Pope cut in with a gag but Silas rolled his eyes and continued.

"So I told her that she couldn't possibly tell that soon which is like factual but then she got all depressed and told me that she felt relieved because the baby would be tied to JJ and with the whole Kie thing." Silas knew he was blabbing but he couldn't stop himself from blurting and word vomiting toward Pope's glistening eyes.

"Right?" Pope pushed.

"She was so fucking relieved, and she didn't even look at the test before she left but I needed a piss and I couldn't help but look, okay?" Silas was anxiously bouncing and vibrating he looked so guilty, "She's pregnant." He whispered.

Pope slapped his hand across his mouth in complete shock and then he realised what Silas was saying.

"She doesn't know and you do?" Pope asked in a whisper shout throwing his hands up in the air, "Why didn't you tell her? Shit, now we both know first and I can't keep a secret from River. Fuck you, Silas." Pope spoke but he didn't mean it.

"I wouldn't mind." Silas' quick wit suddenly said and he regretted it, "Sorry, don't hurt me!" He squealed holding his hands up in surrender, "No but seriously what the fuck do I do?"

"You tell her." Pope shouted hitting the back of Silas' head as he head closer towards the nursing home. "It's JJ's baby?" Pope questioned turning on his heel to look at Silas almost accusingly, everyone had expected that River and Silas had been fucking the whole time they'd been so close while John B was missing.

"I think so." Silas nodded watching Pope with loving eyes, he found it kind of hot how protective he was over his friends, "River's going to freak out." He continued feeling weird as he said her name properly.

"So is JJ." Pope breathed, "Give me ten minutes and I'll be back out, we can make a plan to tell her and it can ease both of our consciences." He spoke towards Silas who nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, Heyward, I appreciate you." Silas shouted after him almost shouting that he loved him as he walked away blushing.

wrote by lucidgravity