~~~
"hey, pull up to Home Food here. i'm gonna need provisions." Luke pointed to the store, Caroline looked at JJ who just nodded as she pulled into the store.
"crackers and baked beans and tuna, all right? and some salt and pepper." Luke told his son who climbed out of the car.
"yeah."
"five days worth."
"i know."
Caroline watched JJ walk into the store as Luke started tapping the seats obnoxiously, Caroline rolled her eyes sending Kiara a quick text tossing her phone down onto her lap when Luke tapped the head rest behind her seat.
"you're a shit father do you know that?" Caroline spoke up catching Luke's attention.
"yeah, preach it to me. set me straight." Luke said to the girl.
"do you have any idea how special your son is? how a great boyfriend he's been to me and great friend he's been to his friends? like, even a clue?" she said taking a glance at him from the mirror.
"he's a thief is what he is." he replied.
"and what are you? you're a wasted local salt who never did shit but get messed up and hustle people. not exactly impressive." Caroline rolled her eyes at the man.
"you know, you sound just like your mama. she was just like that when you all moved here, always thought she was better than everybody else. became a Kook princess the second she opened up that aquarium y'all run." Caroline clenched her jaw the second Luke started talking about her mother.
"you know, i bet you're a lot like your mama. slumming with the bad boys. are you an ungrateful shit like she was? i bet you are. Miss Figure Eight, hopping up there on your high horse, what would your daddy say when he saw you pulling this shit-"
Caroline swung her elbow back hitting Luke right in the nose as he flew back in pain groaning.
"keep my family out of your mouth." she spat as JJ walked over whistling to his father handing him a pack of beer.
JJ noticed the silence once he got back in the car turning to his father then girlfriend furrowing his eyebrows.
"ready?" she asked.
"yeah. you okay?" JJ asked shutting the door.
"just wanna get this over with." she sighed starting back the car and drove off to the marina.
~~~
the second they got the marina JJ got out of the car when Luke leaned forward to Caroline, she turned her head seeing him sending him a glare.
"hey, why don't you tell your mom hi?" Luke said being pulled back by his son immediately.
"shut up." JJ snapped.
"please hurry." she told JJ as Luke climbed out of the car telling Kiara the same thing.
"come on." JJ pulled his father away from his friend as she got in the car.
"hey Luke." Caroline sat up.
JJ and Luke turned around as she flipped him off which he stepped forward but JJ immediately turned his father away.
"go. go!" JJ snapped as they then disappeared.
"asshole." she leaned back turning her head to Kiara.
"i heard the shit he was saying, i'm glad you punched him in the face." Kiara scooted over to the middle.
"i can't stand him." Caroline sighed shaking her head.
"that makes two of us."
meanwhile in the boat JJ was setting up for his father he knew that Luke bothered his girlfriend made JJ angry.
"did you have to do that? did you have to go after her like that? my own girlfriend, really?" JJ asked Luke.
"i told her the truth. she didn't like it." Luke answered his son.
"everything, hmm. everything i have, you fricking ruin." JJ finished up with the boat.
"i don't try to. just happens naturally."
"she's my girlfriend. she's all i have left and i don't need you ruining it. don't say anything else to her or even speak about her." JJ shook his head furiously at his father getting back to work on the boat.
back in the truck Caroline got out leaving Kiara alone going up to the docks to check on JJ, when she reached the end she saw the boat driving off and JJ dumping something out, she approached him slowly with her hands in the pockets of her sweater standing next to him as Luke sailed off.
turning her head to look at JJ, Caroline noticed a tear running down his cheek, she slowly lifted her hand wiping it away as he pulled her into his arms hugging her tightly shoving his face into her neck. Caroline ran her fingers through his hair holding him tightly not saying a word, they both stayed silent holding each other.
"come on." JJ broke the silence pulling away wiping his eyes.
"hey," she cupped his face looking at him, "you'll always have me, don't forget that."
JJ nodded leaning in kissing her lightly, he pulled away taking her hand and throwing his arm round her shoulder their fingers still linked together as they made their way back to the truck where Kiara was.
~~~
backing up into where John B, Pope and Sarah were, Caroline honked the horn slowly backing up being careful with Mike Carrera's truck. the three climbed out to see the other three Pogues sitting on top of the twinkie.
"look who it is, the tortoise, the tortoise and the tortoise. just a couple hours late. where the hell were you guys?" Pope exclaimed to the three who took forever to get back.
"paternal complications." Kiara pointed to JJ one they were all out of the truck.
"Luke was at the Château." JJ said going to the trunk taking out the wench.
"oh, great! while you were having family time with your pops, John B got bit by a gator." Pope motioned to John B who was in pain and leg filled with blood.
"like, for real?" JJ asked.
"does it look like we're joking?" Sarah pointed to John B.
"okay what the hell happened?" Kiara asked.
"they just told us what happened," Caroline motioned to John B.
"what happened? i got bit by a gator!"
"he got bit by a gator!"
"i don't know why i'm being yelled at. Ace and i put our asses on the line." Kiara yelled at the three on the twinkie.
"you're being yelled at because it was 20 minutes-" Pope yelled.
"how about we not yell because this is getting us nowhere!" Caroline yelled waving her hands around.
"okay, we got here as fast as we could." Kiara defended.
more yelling happened between the five Pogues not exactly helping the situation they were in at all as the twinkie was still sinking into the water.
"shut up!" JJ yelled silencing everyone.
"seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, all right? everyone just cut it out for a second." JJ chuckled in annoyance leaning against a tree.
"look, I just helped my dad leave this island for good. like, he's not ever coming back. he straight up like the Spanish. just, "bon voyage." JJ continued leaving confused faces on everyone.
"that's not the right language." Sarah whispered.
"all we got.. and i know for a fact all i got is you guys okay? you're it." JJ looked at Caroline as he said those two words as she smiled lightly to him.
"and i've come too close to losing you, all of you. i mean, shit, you two almost drowned," JJ motioned to Caroline and Kiara, "Pope, you were kidnapped. Sarah, you've been shot. and John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro." JJ turned to the rest of his friends.
"so this blaming each other is some Kook-ass bullshit, all right? we don't do that. okay? we're Pogues."
"sorry, that was a lot right now. i didn't mean to.." JJ finished off shrugging, Caroline smiled at him walking over to him as everyone clapped at his speech.
"yeah. all right." he laughed as Caroline threw her arms around his neck as his arm went around her waist.
"that was amazing." she kissed his cheek.
"well done." Pope clapped.
"i gotta be honest. that was the best freaking speech you have ever given. also, you should think about, like, a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped." John B told JJ as he flipped his best friend off with both hands.
"we should bon voyage out of here." Sarah raised her hand pointing back to the road.
"all right, let's get this damn Twinkie out of here." Caroline pulled away from JJ moving to the trucking untying the dryer she had taken from her fathers truck.
once the twinkie was out of the water Caroline opened the door letting all the water pour out and turned on the machine setting it aside as air blew around the floor starting to dry the Twinkie.
and then? off they were to get the cross.