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the closer the five teens were getting the more they could hear everything around them. as they walked up a hill the ground shook and a sound was heard making them panic, the birds all flew in the same direction making the Pogues look at each other in confusion. they walked as quickly as possible until they spotted John B, Sarah and Big John. just as they were about to approach Ward Cameron stepped over to the three making the others hide.
"so sweet, you know? one big happy family, huh?"
"dad, what are you doing?" Sarah asked her father.
"i'm too tired to hold my hands up, Ward. so if you're not good with that, you can just shoot me now." Big John tells the man.
"well, watch what you wish for, my old friend. we might come to that."
"put the gun down." Sarah says.
"shut up, Sarah. you have it all, don't you, John? now you get everything, huh?" Ward stepped over to the three grabbing something for his daughter's hand, "thank you, sweetheart. you get to go home, back to Kildare. live happily ever after. with your son that loves you. and my daughter.. who hates me. i'm sorry, John. i don't think i can allow that."
"all right, so, what are gonna do?" Pope asked his friends watching closely.
"is this ride or die?" JJ asks.
silence surrounded them until Cleo reached for her machete, "P4L."
"P4L." Pope followed grabbing his machete.
"P4L." Kie leaned up from her spot.
"P4L." Caroline stood up grabbing the machete from the ground.
"fricking P4L." JJ exhaled reaching his machete as well.
"you're supposed to be dead," Ward pointed to Big John, "i think i liked you better that way."
the Pogues screamed running over to Ward who quickly turned around aiming his weapon at the five, "put it down!"
"stay back! stop right now! stay!"
"put it down!" Kiara screamed at the man.
"put it down, Ward!" JJ yelled.
"stay back, stay back!"
"Ward, put it down!" Caroline screamed keeping her eyes on him.
"come on! you're outnumbered, Ward." JJ tells him.
"what are you gonna do, shoot us all?" Pope asks.
"if you gotta shoot somebody, Ward, shoot me." Big John said, Caroline's eyes moved to him feeling her heart slowly break.
John B stepped in front of his father standing face to face with Ward, "or me."
"stop." Sarah stood in front of John B staring at her father, "enough."
"don't!"
"you're not gonna kill all of us. i know you won't. i know you. you forget that i know you." Sarah grabbed her father's hand as he started to sob, "you can't."
"i couldn't. i couldn't do it." Ward sobbed.
"well, i can." another voice came and the sound of a gun as well.
everyone turned around seeing another one of Singh's men, John B aimed the weapon at him but the man aimed his at Big John, "toss it."
Caroline inhaled gripping the machete standing beside JJ, he looked at her as she looked at him nodding to him that she was okay, JJ nodded slowly moving in front of her.
"take it easy, bud. your boss is dead. you got not reason to do this." Big John tells the man.
"i can think of a few reasons. toss it!"
John B dropped the weapon watching Ryan quickly step over to him, "thought you'd end up with the gold, eh? all right, nobody move. my mate back there is dead. because of you."
Caroline saw the way JJ watched Ryan stare at Sarah, the grip he had on the machete tightened as he tried to stay still, "J." she whispered gripped his shoulder.
"you go first."
Ward screamed walking over to cover Sarah when shots were fired, he ran straight towards the man jumping on him as they both fell down, everyone's eyes widened and gaps were heard. everyone slowly walked over looking down the cliff, Caroline looked at Sarah already seeing John B comforting his girlfriend. Caroline felt a hand on her shoulder turning her head to see Pope rushing over to Big John.
"hey. Big John? Big John?" Caroline followed Pope carefully lifting the man's head, "hey, John B!"
"head up, John, it's okay. you'll be okay." Caroline helped him up as John B ran helping Pope with his father.
"okay, dad, we gotta get you out of here." John B says.
"it's all right."
Caroline rushed back to Sarah taking her hand pulling her towards her as the boys lead Big John out of the woods, Sarah looked at her friend taking her hand tightly. Caroline gave her friend a sad smile wiping the tears off her cheek.
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back in the boat the seven Pogues helped Big John rest and did their best to stop the bleeding from his abdomen, John B sat behind his father with Caroline holding his head up. Big John slowly started to groan lifting his head a little.
"hey, hey, hey, pop. hey. hang in there, okay?"
Big John weakly laughed to his son, "but we did it together, my boy."
"yeah."
"just.. just like we drew it up."
"yeah." John B sniffled, "yeah, we did."
"Bird, Bird, Bird."
"dad, yeah."
"hey, hey, Bird. hey. Sarah. Sarah." Big John reached for the blondes hand.
"hi. i'm here, Big John."
"Bird, you got to hang on to this one. i know that i wasn't any great shakes as a father."
"stop, dad." John B whispered.
"but you.. you were the best son any man could hope for. i want you to know that.." Caroline had moved next to JJ gripping onto his hand tightly wiping away a tear.
"you can tell me when we get home, okay? almost there." John B assures him.
"okay."
"hold up. look, dad. look. we did it." John B grabbed the gold showing his father, "you did it."
"i'll see you. i'll see you at home, kid." Big John says closing his eyes.
Caroline covered her mouth feeling more tears run down her cheeks watching John B hug his father, JJ pulled her into him sniffling kissing her shoulder over and over.
when the Pogues had gotten off the boat, they all laid Big John to rest taking a minute. Caroline had then helped Sarah make a memorial for Ward before leaving the island they were on.
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18 months later.
"an expedition of one man, John Routledge, and a group of teenagers, who are with us today. locals, who grew up here and who succeeded where centuries of conquistadors, explorers, and admirals failed. today, we come together to celebrate these teens, friends from both sides of the island who came together to solve this 500-year-old mystery. let's hear it for them!" the seven Pogues stood up seeing everyone who was cheering for them.
Caroline looked at JJ who gave her a smile squeezing her hand, her eyes wandered to her parents who were smiling at the girl. Matty cheered loudly clapping as loud as he could at his sister making her smile at him. she couldn't believe the entire island was cheering for her and her friends. it all felt like a dream but everything was going right for the Pogues for once.
"okay, i need a reset. i need a reset right now. this is a lot. it's time to celebrate." JJ reached into his pocket grabbing a joint.
"you let him bring?" John B asked Caroline.
"i convinced him to bring one and leave the rest at home." Caroline turned to her friend who laughed.
"i actually brought two but the rest are locked in our room." JJ tells his girlfriend, she just laughed grabbing the joint from him before he could take a hit.
"oh, come on." JJ walked after her.
"Ace, one, just one." Pope tells the girl, she laughed inhaling quickly before passing it to him.
"bad man now." Cleo laughed.
JJ's arms wrapped around Caroline's waist kissing her cheek repeatedly walking towards the table. life was going amazing for the two. Caroline had moved in with JJ at his old house, JJ has a charter boat, Caroline and Kiara opened up another animal hospital specifically for the turtles which was doing amazing. Pope is going off to school and John B and Sarah opened up their own surf shop.
Caroline had no idea any of this would happen, but it did. when they first arrived back things were a little complicated once her mother had found out that she had left Kitty Hawk. Caroline hadn't spoken to her mother in two months since her return. Zachery was furious with his wife, it also took him a while to speak to his wife but stayed at her side.
"excuse me. i.. i don't mean to interrupt." an older man approached the Pogues.
"can we help you, sir?" Caroline quickly passed the joint to Kiara walking towards the man.
"yes. i wanted to tell you all it's remarkable what you all did. Royal Merchant, El Dorado, Denmark Tanny. impressive résumé, impressive. i was wondering if you would all be so kind as to look at an item of mine." the man says lifting his briefcase onto the table.
"oh yeah? what type of item is that?" Cleo asked.
"it's a manuscript. i would investigate it myself, but i'm too long in the tooth. i need partners, and you all were first on my list."
"may i?" Pope held out his hand for the book the man had pulled out.
"i was hoping you would."
"1718. jeez, this is old. exhibition notes. dates."
"this is a captain's log." Caroline looked up from the book.
"this shows the exact position of the ship." John B added.
"the exact location where the ship sailed and where it stopped."
"who is the captain?" JJ asked the man.
"Edward Teach. Blackbeard."
the seven friends looked at each other as a smile appeared slowly on their faces.
"hot damn." John B whispered.
and so the adventures continue for the Pogues.
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and here we go.
i want to thank you all for reading ocean! JJ and Caroline will be back soon!
thank you all for the love and support on ocean, it's crazy to me how much you all love Caroline and JJ.
i seriously can't thank you all enough, i love you all!
until next time, lovelies,
love, lani.