Exhale, Outer Banks [ 1 ]

022. THEY'RE GONE

Kie and Pope look over, seeing their parents rush in. Kie and her parents meet halfway, them both pulling Kie into a hug.

Pope's mom quickly walks over to him, tightly hugging him, and he tightly hugs her back, clutching the back of her coat. Mr. Heyward makes his way over, putting a comforting hand on JJ and Cordelia's shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" Pope cries and Mr. Heyward hugs his wife and son.

Cordelia feels her heart break even more, knowing that Luke won't be showing up anytime soon. She looks over at JJ, both of their eyes filled with pain.

Cordelia lets out another sob and walks over to her brother, tightly wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest, finally letting herself completely sob. JJ tightly wraps his arms around her, cupping the back of her head.

JJ holds his own tears in as he holds Cordelia, feeling as her sobs shake her body. He doesn't try to comfort her knowing that there isn't really anything to say. But he also knows he'd break if he tried to talk.

JJ looks over and Mr. and Mrs. Heyward hold their arms out to the blondes. JJ gently makes Cordelia turn around and walk to them. The three accept the two siblings into their hug.

Pope pulls away and him and Kie hug. Mr. Heyward pulls JJ into a hug while Mrs. Heyward pulls Cordelia into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, baby. It's okay." Mrs. Heyward soothingly whispers, stroking the girl's hair. Cordelia sobs into the woman's shoulder, clutching onto her coat. "I know it hurts, baby. I know. I'm so sorry."

+++

The Maybanks are spending the night at the Heywards, Pope's parents being very persistent at the two staying at least one night there.

Cordelia is on the couch while JJ is sleeping in Pope's room. She's mostly just on the couch since she fell asleep earlier, tired from the day's events and the long hours of crying. She had fallen asleep while Mrs. Heyward was warming up some food and Mr. Heyward was helping the boys make a pallet for the siblings in Pope's room.

None of them wanted to risk waking her by moving her so they just left her on the couch. Mrs. Heyward got her a blanket and gently draped it over her.

Pope's parents had gone to bed an hour or so ago, leaving the two teen boys awake. They don't talk, not really having much to say or any way to say what they want. They're both silently grieving, not even having energy to try to keep a conversation.

"I'm gonna go check on Cordi." JJ mumbles.

"She seemed pretty knocked out." Pope says.

"Yeah, I know. But nightmares are a thing and so is an inconsistent sleep pattern." JJ comments. Pope sees him grab something, but can't tell what it is. "Besides, a fourteen year old dealing with... well, possible death, I guess... probably isn't easy, so..."

"Yeah." Pope whispers.

JJ leaves, quietly going into the living room. He finds Cordelia sitting curled up on the couch. She turned a lamp on, not wanting to be in the dark, especially alone.

"Hey." JJ whispers, getting her attention.

"Hi." Cordelia mumbles, ignoring her voice being hoarse due to all of her crying. JJ sits on the couch next to her.

"Here." JJ grabs the water bottle that Mrs. Heyward put on the coffee table earlier for the young girl. "You're probably super dehydrated."

Cordelia takes the bottle, but makes no move to drink it, simply just tracing her thumb over the paper on it.

"I, um... I charged the iPod." JJ says, taking the device out of his pocket and also pulling out a pair of earphones. "It's full battery finally. You can listen to music to try to help you fall asleep. Or, uh, we could watch a movie. You know, we got Shrek, She's the Man, Harry Potter, C.H.U.D., Scooby-Doo 1 and 2, Tangled, The Parent Trap -- both versions, some Marvel movies, more Disney movies."

"Seems kinda hard to watch Scooby-Doo knowing we lost our Fred and Daphne." Cordelia mumbles.

"Yeah." JJ quietly agrees, staying in silence for a little so he doesn't start crying. He clears his throat, forcing tears back. "So no Scooby-Doo. Plenty of other options."

"Parent Trap sounds kind of nice. The Lindsay Lohan one." Cordelia says quietly.

"1998 Parent Trap it is." JJ says.

JJ finds the movie and starts it, giving one earbud to Cordelia, putting the other earbud in his right ear. Cordelia rests her head on JJ's shoulder and hugs his arm. JJ kisses her on the head before resting his cheek against her head and watching the movie.

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end of season 1!!!