chapter six
welcome home
Later that night, Athena sat next to John B at the table in the boat, Big John opposite them. The man poured each of them a shot before holding it up.
"To life, living, and the pursuit of... treasure." The three clinked their glasses.
"That's a good one." John B raised his eyebrows. Big John chuckled as they downed the shots. Athena made a face as she put the glass down.
Big John laughed once more. "Yeah, see, that'll put hair on your chest there."
"So, what's the deal with this whole big kahuna thing?" John B asked, holding the artefact in his hands. "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. Singh must have tracked my boat, then his men showed up. He must have known I was onto something because they found me. At first, I thought I was being rescued. Turns out it was less of a rescue mission, more of a captivity-type deal. Yeah. I didn't go without a fight. We left one of his men behind, as I'm sure you've heard. Next thing I know, I'm being shipped off to Barbados. Singh's place."
"Did he kill someone in front of you too? Lock you in a room with your psycho brother?" Athena asked. "Because twins if he did."
"They locked me up in some audacious estate surrounded by cane fields and armed guards. I meet this particular little man, Singh. 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 onto the game. So as soon as I got a chance, I took it. Got a little roughed up along the way, but I made it out." Big John continued to explain what happened. "And not empty-handed. And here I am, back with my boy. Enough about me. I want to hear about you. Who are you sweet on these days, huh? I know there must be someone, and it can't Athena here, JJ'd have your head."
"Yeah. Yeah. There's, uh... there's been some developments on that front." John B spoke with a soft smile. "I'm married, Dad."
"You're joking, right?" Big John chuckled.
"No."
"What, is she pregnant?" Big John questioned.
"No, no. God, no. No."
"I sure hope not." Athena commented. "I can not deal with another John B. One is more than enough."
"Yeah, I haven't really had time for the extracurricular activities." John B told him as Big John poured three more shots.
"Ew." Athena grimaced. "Please do not. I don't wish to hear about that, thank you."
"Like you can talk Athena, you and JJ are disgusting."
"Me and JJ do nothing!"
"Don't lie, JJ and Kie talk about it."
"They talk about it!"
"Well JJ tell Kie and Kie threatens to beat his ass because she's number one."
"She'll always be number one in my heart."
"And then Sage would say how she was the reason you are as good as you are."
"Oh my god!"
"But only because she used to hook you up with guys."
"Stop talking!"
"You're a little young, ain't ya?" Big John spoke up, cutting their conversation.
"I mean, you said it best. If it's right, it's right." John B smiled softly.
Big John sighed, "Do I know her? Uh, who is she?"
Athena pulled a face as John B cleared her throat. "Yeah. Yeah, you know her. Um..." Hw took the shot from the table. "It's Sarah Cameron."
Big John took his glasses off, staring at his son. "Ward's daughter? The queen of Kildare."
"Yeah." John B nodded. Athena looked between them before she took the shot that Big John had poured her. Not really wanting to have this conversation, or to be there while they had it.
"You just can't do things the easy way, can you?" Big John asked the boy.
There was a few beats of silence. "Are you mad?"
"That you went for the big prize?" Big John questioned before he chuckled. "Nah. How could I be mad about that?"
"Woah careful how you speak about my sister there mister." Athena snapped. "She's not a prize."
Big John's head snapped towards the blonde. "I forgot you were a Cameron too."
"Technically I'm not a Cameron, but Sarah's my sister so..." Athena smiled at him sarcastically, clenching her jaw at the man she had already decided she didn't like.
"Sorry." The man then turned to John B, the two taking another shot. "Congratulations."
After a while, Big John and John B went and sat outside while Athena stayed indoors. She led down on the sofa that her and John B were sat on earlier, playing with JJ's rings on her hand. She stared at the ceiling as she remembered moments from Poguelandia with JJ. The two were in the ocean, balancing on Sage's surfboards as the sun was setting. Athena had dragged the boy out, wanting to watch the sunset on the ocean because it was something she had never done.
Now, watching the sunset, Athena turned to the boy that she loved so deeply. She looked over his face, memorising every crinkle and line on his face, noticing how the sun hit his skin and how mesmerising he looked. How she prayed that she'd never forgot how he looked in that moment.
"Hey J?" Athena called. The boy immediately turned to look at her with a soft smile. "What happens after all of this?"
"What do you mean?" JJ asked her.
"I mean with us, this, where do we go now?" Athena wondered.
"Well eventually we have to get off this island, because not every paradise lasts. And then, we find Dorota and I—" He pulled her board towards his, grabbing the ring on her necklace and twirling it between his fingers. "I get you a real one of these."
"You really wanna get married?" Athena asked. She never thought JJ would be one to actually settle down and get married, he seemed more like a person that would have a partner but never marry them.
"Attie, I want nothing more." JJ told her with a smile.
Athena hummed, "Athena Maybank, I like that."
"Or I could change my name, JJ Cameron."
Athena laughed, "I don't think anyone else should endure being a Cameron."
"I don't think anyone should have to deal with being a Maybank." JJ retorted.
"What a pair we are?" Athena tilted her head, laughing softly.
"Our kids are screwed no matter what surname we give them." JJ stated.
"Our kids?"
"Yes, a couple at least."
"At least?" Athena laughed.
"Yes." JJ stared at her. "I want a girl."
"You'd be such a girl dad." Athena shook her head.
JJ held his hands up in surrender. "You'd be a great mum, no matter the gender."
"Cameron-Maybank, I think we should go with both surnames. Break the cycle completely." Athena leant forward to hold JJ's face in her hands. "Because you, JJ, will be a great dad no matter what you think."
"Really?"
"I believe in you, and you are nothing like your dad."
"Neither are you."
"That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Athena commented. JJ laughed, leaning forward and connecting their lips for a few moments, the sun on the horizon as they did. He pulled away after a while, pressing their foreheads together.
"I love you, Athena."
"I love you, JJ." She smiled, pecking his lips once more.
PRESENT
Athena smiled as she snapped out of her memories. With a small sigh, she rolled onto her side to try and sleep as the trio made their way slowly back to Kildare. She was woken up by John B the next morning, the three spending the entire day catching up and having fun before they arrived back on the island later that evening. She made her way outside, standing next to John B as he tied the boat to the dock she knew all too well.
"I have to admit." Big John spoke up. "It's good to be back."
The man made his way up towards the chateau, shouting and cheering at how glad he was to be back home. Athena turned to face the water, looking around with a bittersweet smile on her face. John B turned to her, bumping her shoulder with his.
"Welcome home Miss Cameron." He stated, tipping an imaginary cowboy hat towards her.
"Welcome home, JB." She curtsied with a small laugh. The two made their way up the path and towards the house. Athena heard Big John ringing a bell, the two going towards the back of the house, where Athena saw a bell that she had never noticed was there before.
"I sure have missed this place." Big John stated.
"Yeah, me too." John B agreed. They made their way over to stand next to Big John, who was stood in front of the tree with John B's headstone on it. "Check it out. Got my own headstone."
"Would you ever give me one of those?" Big John wondered.
"Never." John B shook his head. "Welcome home, pop."
"Thanks kid."
"Come on." John B urged. "Stand out here and get by mosquitoes this whole damn time, or you wanna go inside?"
"I missed the mosquitoes, believe it or not." Big John quipped.
"I don't think I've ever been happier to see this place." Athena commented making John B laugh. "Kind of a shit hole."
The boy then pushed her. Athena stumbled, grabbing onto John B's hand and bringing onto the grass with her. She groaned before letting out a laugh. John B turned to her, grabbing some grass and throwing it at her.
"First you insult the twinkie and now the chateau, I'm starting to think you don't deserve to be a pogue." John B spoke with narrowed eyes.
Athena sat up, throwing grass back at him. "Maybe I don't want to be."
"Liar."
"Shut up."
"Come on children." Big John's voice cut through their small bickering session. The two laughed as they stood up from the grass and made their way inside the chateau. Athena turned to the two Routledges.
"You can crash out her ima stay in JJ's room." She held up two finger guns, freezing as John B stared at her. The two sharing a slightly scared look. "We need to stop spending time together. I don't wanna be like you."
"I don't wanna be like you either." John B spoke in an offended tone.
"Why not? I'm awesome." Athena looked at him incredulously.
"Go to bed."
"Yes dad." She saluted him before spinning around and making her way to JJ's bedroom. Well, the guest bedroom that JJ had claimed as her own. She looked around the messy bedroom, before flopping down onto the bed and falling straight asleep.
It wasn't a peaceful sleep by any stretch of the imagination, for her memories had haunted her dreams since she jumped off the Coastal Venture. She tossed and turned all night, and some of it, simply staring up at the ceiling until she unknowingly fell asleep once more. Usually, JJ would be there to calm her, just like he had done practically every night for the entire month they were stranded on the island for.
He would wake up as soon as he felt her wake up, the warmth that left him when she moved jolting him awake. JJ would spent as long as it took just talking to the blonde, or simply just watching the ocean with her until she would fall asleep once more. JJ was the reason that Athena could get to sleep and stay asleep, she felt so comfortable and safe in his presence that she her unconscious brain didn't need to worry about the threats that could harm her.
But without him there, Athena's brain worked on overdrive. Her brain wouldn't sleep, couldn't sleep, it would throw new memories at her, new threats and prevented her from having more than a few hours of sleep a night.
( 💌 ) isobel's notes
jj and athena are so cute
next chapter is happy and sad 🤭
athena and jb my fav siblings once again
also i'm one for purposeful parallels so
john b and athena multiple times in each
series have done the tipping cowboy hat and
curtsies when they greet each other