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the following morning Zach made his way downstairs running his hands through his hair spotting his daughter on the couch wrapped around a blanket. he made his way to her seeing she was still in the clothes from the day before, sitting down besides her Zach gently shook her awake. Caroline moved away turning around seeing her father and slowly sat up.
"you slept here last night?" he whispered.
"yeah, i was too tired to go upstairs." she sniffled leaning back.
Zachery chuckled, "how'd it go last night? i just saw your text."
"it was fake. the cross wasn't there." she looked at her hands playing with the ring on her thumb.
"what?"
"it's over." she rubbed her eyes feeling them sting from all the crying the night before.
"now what?" he asked crossing his arms leaning back.
"i don't know," she whispered, "it's all gone to shit. we don't know where the gold is, we lost the cross for good. it's over."
Zachery had never seen Caroline like this before, since she had gotten home the other day she barely said a word and went to her room.
"you okay, kiddo?" he asked as Caroline looked at him, Zachery frowned seeing her eyes red and puffy and pulled her into his arms kissing the top of her head.
Caroline wrapped her arms around her father letting the tears fall on his chest, Zachery rested his hand behind her head holding her as she cried. Caroline hated this feeling, all she wanted was to stop crying but every time she thought about JJ, Poguelandia, losing the gold, the cross, the tears kept coming.
"what's going on?" he whispered.
Caroline sniffled resting her head on his shoulder, "JJ and i broke up and something happened last night and i thought i lost him for good."
"wait, wait, what?" Zachery pulled away looking at her, that was the last thing he'd never expect, he'd seen the way Caroline and JJ were together.
"yeah." she mumbled keeping her eyes on her hands.
"why don't you come into work with me today? help me out with a few releases we have." he nudged her, Caroline looked at him and nodded.
"sounds fun," she lightly smiled, "i'm gonna go take a shower and check on the Pogues."
"i'll see you there." he pat her leg as she stood up walking up the stairs to her room.
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"little Caroline ain't so little anymore!" Big John laughed seeing Caroline who smiled widely hugging him tightly.
"hi!" she laughed patting his back.
"my turn!" Pope ran over, Caroline moved away laughing leaning into Sarah.
"look at you, big man! look at you!" Big John tells Pope who had a big smile on his face.
screams came from the other side of the château as JJ ran over to Big John jumping on his back as they spun around. Caroline watched them smiling as Sarah wrapped her arm around hers.
"you okay?" the blonde asked her friend who just nodded.
John B walked over passing around beers to everyone and gathered around to hear the news both John B and Big John had.
"yeah, yeah, so we, um.. we went to the archives in Charleston, and, uh.. it was.. it was a dead end. a dry hole. so.." John B tells his friends.
"so that's the gold, the cross, and now El Dorado. we're three-for-three, guys." Pope disappointedly laughs throwing the beer can, "the streak continues. that's great."
Pope walked away followed by Kiara and Cleo, Caroline leaned up from against the tree running her hand through her hair.
"i'll see you later." she mumbled patting his shoulder and waved to Big John walking to her car.
"i'm going fishing. thanks for the beer." JJ followed Caroline, since she arrived at the château he couldn't take his eyes off her, her eyes were swollen, she had bags under her eyes, she was quiet. JJ hated it and he knew it was all his fault, "Line?"
Caroline turned around watching him slowly walk over, "hi."
"can we talk? go to the pier for a bit? fish?" he asked silently clapping his hands together.
"i have to take Kie home and my dad wants me at the animal hospital." she pointed to the car where Kiara was sitting inside.
JJ nodded smiling at her, "yeah, yeah, i get it. i'll see you later."
"bye." Caroline whispered walking to the car getting it.
"you okay?" Kie asked once the car started.
"i will be." Caroline looked at her friend driving off.
"hey," Kie leaned over grabbing her hand squeezing it tightly, "i'm here. i know we have a lot of shit happening but i'm here. and if you're mad about what happened on the boat you have every right to be, Ace. i don't blame you."
Caroline felt her eyes water again blinking away the tears as a tear fell down her cheek. pulling over she turned off the car and sniffled deeply facing Kiara.
"i hate this." Caroline let out a small sob, "i hate it so much, the last few days since we've been back have been shit and i know i'm acting like i'm okay after what happened in Barbados and on the boat and everything else going on, but it hurt seeing you two close because i love you both so much and seeing the two people i love about to kiss hurt."
"i promise you, it didn't mean anything. when the boat went over that wave we fell into each other. i would never, ever, do that to you because i love you so much." Kiara wiped the tears off her friends cheeks.
Caroline smiled at her friend pulling her into a hug resting her chin on her shoulder.
Kiara smiled kissing the top of her head pulling away, "i know it's hard. it all is, i know. but what i do know is that he loves you so much, he's just being a bit complicated right now."
"i was so scared when i didn't see him on the bike. i thought i lost him again." Caroline sniffled wiping her eyes.
"he protected us. like he always does." Kie says as Caroline nodded.
"by the way, yesterday with the whole train thing, he had this in his pocket." Caroline reached into her pack pocket handing her Mike's wallet.
Kiara's face fell grabbing the wallet and sighed, "shit."
"i'm guessing he took it after what happened with your dad. i tried talking to him about it but the cops were coming." Caroline grabbed a towel she keeps in the car drying her face from all the tears.
"he's not gonna be happy." Kie sighed.
"i can't remember the last time i saw Mike happy." Caroline cleared her throat making Kie chuckle.
"thanks for telling me." Kie smiled softly at her friend.
"no problem, i should take you back before they start calling."
Kie nodded while Caroline started the car back up driving off to Figure Eight.
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"here you go guys," Caroline fed a few pieces of lettuce to the turtles her family had rescued.
"hey, Caroline? there's someone here for you." Caroline's co-worker Amelia walked over to her.
"who is it?" she asked.
"JJ. he looks pretty worried." Amelia says grabbing the empty bowls.
"thanks, Amelia." she smiled at her walking over to where JJ was.
JJ leaned over the dolphin pool watching the animal swim around smiling at it. he loved going on rescues with Caroline and her dad, it'd been a while since he last went on one.
"hey." Caroline said as he turned around.
"hey," he walked over to her with his hands in his pockets, "can we please talk?"
Caroline nodded walking outside to the docks sitting on a picnic table as JJ leaned against the wooden railing.
"i know we're in a rough patch right now and it's all on me and i'm sorry. i'm so fucking sorry, if i could turn back time i would. starting off with what happened on the boat which you have every right to be mad at i would." JJ says not taking his eyes off her.
"i need you. i can't do all this without you."
Caroline stayed silent slipping the ring she kept on her thumb off and on. she didn't know what to say, she did actually but didn't know how to say everything she was feeling.
"Line?"
"what do you want me to say JJ?" she finally looked at him.
"something. anything, Caroline, i fucked up between us and i wanna make it right." JJ walked over to her.
"J, things aren't as easy as they were before." she says already feeling her eyes water in frustration.
"so what are you saying? there's no way to fix us because we left?" he asked.
Caroline shook her head, "i didn't say that."
"please." he whispered taking her face in his hands rubbing his thumb against her cheek, "a second chance, please."
she held his wrist looking at him, "J, the past week has been absolute shit. getting caught by Singh, seeing you and Kie, everything going on with us, last night with the bike. i'm so tired of crying. i know i said to focus on yourself but i need to focus on myself too, and it's hard as shit because i love you so much. i can't do us right now."
tears filled JJ's eyes as he sniffled resting his forehead against hers, "i can't lose you."
"you're not going to. never. maybe whatever's going on between us would be good for a while but right now i can't do this." she whispered taking his hands setting them on her lap, "what i need you to know is i'm not mad. i may look it but i promise, i'm not."
"can i ask you something?" Caroline nodded hearing the sadness in his voice absolutely hating it.
"one last kiss?"
"yeah."
JJ let go one of her hands tucking a piece of her hair behind her ears closing the small gap between them. Caroline will miss the feeling of his lips on hers, the butterflies whenever they kissed, but she knew what she was doing and knew they were both going to be okay.
one thing about JJ and Caroline. they always found their way back to each other even in their darkest of times. always.
slowly pulling away from their kiss, Caroline and JJ looked at each other as he slowly stepped back wiping his eyes.
"i love you." he says shoving his hands into his pockets.
"i love you." she says watching him walk away, once he left the building Caroline covered her face crying into her hands yet again.
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hi loves! i hope you all enjoyed this chapter. i promise things aren't over with Caroline & JJ!
updates will be coming! i've been pretty busy but they're coming!
thank you all for the love on ocean! :)